The temporary expansion of Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program has brought much-needed economic relief to more than 175,000 public service workers who previously fell victim to the Kafkaesque system under the last administration. This relief is life-changing for educators, health professionals and firefighters across America. Additional changes like the cancellation of up to $20,000 in debt for some borrowers and the extension of the payment pause through the end of 2022 are providing additional relief from student debt, including completely wiping away the debt of millions of borrowers.

As a result of the AFT’s litigation and relentless advocacy, workers have had over $10.5 billion in student loans forgiven through PSLF, and the recent debt cancellation announcement will be an enormous benefit to both individuals and whole communities. We commend your administration for solidifying fixes to PSLF and canceling debt through the regulatory process. But we can’t stop here.

Data shows that only 15 percent of eligible public service workers have applied for PSLF under the waiver, and time is quickly running out. This is due in large part to predatory loan servicers providing misinformation, slow processing times and bad data. Many more public workers remain unaware of the waiver or are wary of a program that they counted on for over a decade, only to be told they didn’t qualify. For those borrowers who have already applied, continuing delays, inaccurate information and other challenges with loan servicers have left many waiting for months without a clear picture of whether they will qualify now.