Governor Hochul signs legislation to expand public servants’ access to student loan forgiveness

Legislation (S.8389-C/A.9523-B) removes barriers to accessing the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program by clarifying key terms, allowing employers to certify employment

Announces Statewide Outreach Effort to Help Eligible New Yorkers Take Advantage of the Federal Public Service Time-Limited Loan Forgiveness Waiver

Governor Hochul: “If you teach the next generation of doers and thinkers, if you keep our streets safe, if you serve in our military, you help the government run smoothly, if you are a healthcare worker who has spent time in the depths of hell during this pandemic – that $61,000 is real money you can spend on that mortgage you’ve been dreaming of having.

Hochul: “S.student debt doesn’t just postpone your dreams. It can derail your life if you get caught in this situation where you are trying to free yourself from it. We are here to change that.

Earlier in the day, Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation to expand and simplify access to the federal Civil Service Loan Forgiveness Program statewide. The new legislation establishes uniformity around what qualifies as full-time employment for purposes of PSLF access and allows public service employers to certify employment on behalf of workers, removing significant barriers to request and access to the PSLF.

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“So today we’re launching an awareness campaign about the waiver, the deadline, the eligibility requirements, we’re working with organizations across the state that have pledged to help us. And also, DFS has created a toolkit. Here’s some info, very simple. Really easy here, big print for people like me. Big print, you can see it. Okay.

Let’s make sure people know that. There is a website, we can access information, but we also announce that we are facilitating, because we also think that there should be people when you call on the phone, they answer the phone, they answer our questions. We are also announcing – I will sign second – a bill that makes it easier for other public service employees to take advantage of it. And it establishes that teachers and professors who work 30 hours a week, including time spent outside the classroom, are considered full-time workers for these purposes. – Governor Kathy Hochul

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