Washington, DC – Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) and Congressman John Sarbanes (MD-03) introduced the What You Can Do for Your Country Act, a bill to strengthen the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program, which allows America’s public servants to qualify for student loan debt relief after working full-time for 10 years at certain nonprofit organizations or for local, state, or federal government.
Implementation failures at the U.S. Department of Education resulted in only one percent of eligible applicants being approved for loan forgiveness. The What You Can Do for Your Country Act would correct these issues by expanding the types of federal loans and repayment plans that qualify for the program, simplifying the PSLF application process, streamlining the program’s certification process, and providing better information to participants about their status in the program. These reforms would create a clear path to student loan forgiveness for those who make a significant impact in their communities and for those who serve their country.
“The PSLF program started as a simple promise to dedicated public servants, but the Department of Education has made it almost impossible to deliver on that promise,” said Congressman DeSaulnier. “This bill will help make whole borrowers who were cheated by layers of bureaucratic incompetence and implement lessons learned for future borrowers. Our nation’s hard-working public employees fight the stigma of bureaucracy every day – they should not be victims of it.”
“This bill will help ensure that America’s teachers, public defenders, social workers, service members and community health care workers receive the student loan forgiveness they deserve,” said Congressman Sarbanes. “These hardworking and incredibly committed individuals make tremendous contributions to our communities – for far less compensation than their private-sector counterparts. We must provide these public servants with the student loan debt relief that they have earned.”
The bill is endorsed by several leading organizations, including the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), National Association for College Admission Counseling, National Legal Aid & Defender Organization, National Association of Social Workers, Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions, Student Debt Crisis, Young Invincibles, National Association of Secondary School Principals, Equal Justice Works, California Association of Nonprofits, Legal Aid at Work, Association of Young Americans, Council on Social Work Education, Council of Administrators of Special Education, Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, Civil Service Bar Association, American Psychological Association, National Legal Aid and Defender Association, National Association of Secondary School Principals, AccessLex, National Association for College Admission Counseling, National Labor Relations Board Union and Service Year Alliance.
A version of the What You Can Do For Your Country Act (S. 1203) was introduced in the Senate by Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Tim Kaine (D-VA)
For a section-by-section of the bill, see here.
For a fact sheet, see here.
8 comments
This is unfair. Why should taxpayers pay for more benefits for public servants? They already have the best benefits.
He looks like a chomo
I had to google that one. How much prison time have you done?
how about the rest of us taxpayers? who is serving who around here?
One should NEVER, EVER take out a “student” loan! If you need to, take out a LINE-OF-CREDIT loan. A “student” loan will kill you.
You have no idea what you’re talking about. A student loan is not only a lower interest rate, you can defer the loan until you graduate. Or pay while in school – or pay it off. Also, you might not qualify for any other type of loan. Especially if you’re young, and not making any money.
People can “pay off” their loans by getting a good job and paying taxes. Over the years, that would bring in more money than what is charged in interest on such loans. I like the line-of-credit idea. I have friends who applied to med school and had no problem getting a line-of-credit at all. The bank saw the potential.
And you keep voting this guy Desaulnier in…
No cheese burgers, no steak, no Mac n cheese, no planes, and everything will be free until the politicians run out of other people’s money. We can all move to Venezuela for the good life.
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