If you have federal student loans, you may already know that President Joe Biden has extended the pause on student loan payments until May 1.
The announcement of the extension was welcome news to many AFSCME members. As AFSCME President Lee Saunders put it in a press release, “This extension, along with the Biden administration’s existing efforts to forgive millions in loans through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, will go a long way in giving public service workers the cushion they need to continue their essential work.”
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, AFSCME has fought hard to make sure this relief became a reality and that an extension was granted to provide further relief to working families. Like many public service workers on the front lines of the war against the virus, working families across the country struggle to cope with the economic devastation caused by the pandemic.
Our union is also helping AFSCME members who are borrowers of federal student loans be prepared for a transition back to making payments. There are several things a borrower can do right away to be ready for such a time, including exploring their repayment plan options, taking action to lower their monthly payment and updating their contact information on their loan servicer’s website.
Under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, public service workers may be eligible for an additional form of student debt relief. While not everyone qualifies, recent temporary changes to the program expanded the number of public service workers eligible for loan forgiveness.
On the AFSCME website, our union offers information and resources on student debt relief, including a recorded webinar on the PSLF program, answers to frequently asked questions, loan servicers’ contact information, the opportunity to share your student debt story, and more.
Because AFSCME members never quit on their communities, our union will continue to strongly advocate for further student loan relief. We will also continue to provide AFSCME members the information and resources they need to make the right decisions for themselves and their families.