The memo comes just ahead of the October 31 deadline for applying under terms of a waiver to get credit for loan payments not usually eligible. Image: Vitalii Vodolazskyi/Shutterstock.com
OPM has told federal agencies to help their employees who are applying for loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program by certifying their employment, so long as an employee’s official personnel file “contains documentation confirming the Federal employment claimed.”
The memo comes just ahead of the October 31 deadline for applying under terms of a waiver which allows borrowers to receive credit for past repayments that would otherwise meet standards for forgiving loans under the program.
The program allows for forgiveness of loans under several programs for those who have been current on their payments monthly for 10 years. The waiver period provides potential eligibility to have certain non-direct loans become qualified under the program, and extends eligibility under certain circumstances including payments that weren’t made on time or for the full amount, and for payments made through other than standard repayment plans.
OPM said that for purposes of both standard applications and for employees seeking to take advantage of the waiver period, it previously has recommended that agencies provide employees with an agency point of contact who will certify that the individual worked for the agency during the period claimed.
“To further assist federal employees, OPM recommends that employing agencies certify their federal employees’ prior federal service performed at another federal agency, if the OPF within the employing agency’s custody contains documentation confirming the federal employment claimed,” the memo says.
Agencies also should help ensure that employees have used the correct employer identification number for each agency where they have worked, it said, and should “assist with proper form processing by ensuring that certifications are in an acceptable format such as a wet signature or a photo of a hand-drawn signature.”
Loan relief applicants who no longer work for the federal government and are seeking credit for federal employment time must get certification from the National Personnel Records Center, said the memo at chcoc.gov, which includes contact information for doing that.
Further information about the PSLF program and the waiver is at https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/pslf-limited-waiver.
Note: The PSLF program is separate from the program recently announced by the Biden administration providing for up to $20,000 in loan forgiveness under certain circumstances, a program that is under court challenge; more information on that program is at https://studentaid.gov/welcome.
Get help with PSLF from Student Debt Resolution, learn more:
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