H.R.4391: Public Service Loan Forgiveness Modernization Act

H.R. 4391 would simplify and modernize federal student loan forgiveness programs. The Department of Education’s Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program was established in 2007 with the purpose of forgiving the remainder of an individual’s federal student loans if they had worked for qualified public service employer for ten years and made 120 on-time monthly payments. As of 2018, only 55 people were granted loan forgiveness under PSLF.

This bill would establish a comprehensive public online database of qualified public service employers. Additionally, the bill would simplify communication between public service employees and the Department of Education by providing borrowers a 60-day notice of employment recertification requirements and an annual statement of qualified payments made to date. The legislation would also provide a PSLF certification seal for qualified employers to use for recruitment purposes.