Eligibility Requirements
We can help you determine if you qualify.
A GradFin specialist can help you navigate the complex regulations and paperwork required to qualify for the 10-year PSLF program2 so you can optimize your savings, manage compliance, and stay on track to forgiveness.
You may be eligible for PSLF if:
You are employed by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit or a US government organization at any level (federal, state, local, or tribal) – including the US military.-
You work full-time for that agency or organization.
-
You have federal loans.
Benefits of GradFin PSLF Management
Peace of mind is priceless.
With our annual PSLF membership, you get access to our team of student loan specialists at GradFin who have helped borrowers achieve more than $30 million in federal student loan forgiveness since 2015.3
Our specialists will help you stay in compliance with PSLF for the duration of your enrollment, ensuring your payments are tracked and audited until the day of your forgiveness.
We help you stay on track for PSLF.
Become a member to easily enroll in PSLF and stay in compliance with the program throughout your enrollment.
Analysis & Enrollment
Start with a personalized analysis of your finances, employment, and PSLF program eligibility. If you decide to enroll in PSLF, you will receive guidance throughout the application process, including employer verification.
Qualifying Payment Audit & Appeal
We conduct an audit of your student loan history to confirm that you are credited for all qualifying payments. We will also manage any disputed payment appeals directly with the Department of Education on your behalf.
Ongoing Program Compliance
Through a secure portal for document storage, we will manage annual recertification of your income and employment to ensure that you stay in compliance with any changing rules for the duration of your repayment.
Expert Guidance until Forgiveness
Ongoing access to specialists and educational webinars to help answer your questions and provide you with peace of mind that you're on track to achieve student loan forgiveness after 120 qualifying payments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions? We've got answers.
-
What is Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), and who is eligible?
PSLF is a U.S. government program that allows qualifying borrowers employed at non-profits and government entities to have their Federal Direct Loans forgiven after ten years of repayment under the Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plan (120 payments total).
To be eligible for the program, you must:
- Be employed by a non-profit (must be tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code) OR a U.S. government organization at any level (federal, state, local, or tribal) – including U.S. military service
- Work full-time for that agency or organization
- Have Federal Direct Loans (or consolidate other federal student loans into a Direct Loan)
- Be enrolled in an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan
- Make 120 qualifying payments
For more information, go to the Federal Student Aid website at StudentAid.gov/publicservice.
-
What can I expect to learn in the 1-on-1 student loan consultation?
A GradFin student loan specialist will break down your student loan profile, provide a chart on what your new loan payoff could look like, answer questions about what terms are the best for your unique situation, and answer any application questions you may have.
If refinancing is determined to be your best option, they can help you understand what information impacts the interest rate that you might expect to be offered on your loan refinancing. Items such as your FICO score, income level, student loan balance, and current interest rate structure can impact your offer, and your specialist can walk you through how to qualify for the lowest rates on your loans.
-
What is GradFin?
GradFin was founded in 2015 to help student loan borrowers manage their loans, repay them faster, start saving earlier and achieve their financial goals. GradFin provides borrowers access to free consultations with student loan specialists, helping them understand their options through student loan forgiveness, refinancing, or a combination of both.
Now a brand of KeyBank N.A., GradFin’s specialists have over 50 years of combined experience in working in federal student loan management, including from former FedLoan Servicing trained employees, and have conducted over 60,000 consultations with borrowers since 2015.
-
What information do I need to provide prior to my free consultation?
After scheduling your consultation, you’ll receive an email with a link to GradFin Concierge, a secure online tool, where you’ll be asked to provide a number of items to build out your profile so that your consultant can give you the most accurate assessment based on your unique situation. These include:
- Types of loans that you currently hold (federal, private, direct, subsidized, unsubsidized, etc.)
- If you hold federal loans, you will be asked to provide the My Aid Data file, which you can obtain via your studentaid.gov account
- The balance and interest rate for each of your loans
- Current payment schedule
- Authorization for GradFin to conduct a soft credit pull, which will not impact your credit score
Student Loan Resources
Explore our resources.
Disclaimers
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: The U.S. Department of Education recently announced a student loan debt relief plan which includes forgiveness of up to $10,000 for qualifying federal student loans and up to $20,000 for qualifying Pell Grant recipients. For more information, please read the announcement. Please note that if you refinance qualifying federal student loans with Laurel Road, you may no longer be eligible for certain benefits or programs and waive your right to future benefits or programs offered on those loans. Examples of benefits or programs you may not receive include, but are not limited to, student loan debt relief or public service loan forgiveness, repayment options such as Income Based Repayment or Pay As You Earn, or COVID-19 relief benefits such as a 0% interest rate, suspension of payments or loan forgiveness. Please carefully consider your options when refinancing federal student loans and consult StudentAid.gov for the most current information.
-
GradFin and Laurel Road are brands of KeyBank N.A.
-
To qualify for PSLF, you must be employed by a U.S. federal, state, local, or tribal government or not-for-profit organization (federal service includes U.S. military service); work full-time for that agency or organization; have Direct Loans (or consolidate other federal student loans into a Direct Loan); repay your loans under an income-driven repayment plan; and make 120 qualifying payments. For full program requirements, visit: https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service.
-
This is the total dollar value of loans forgiven for GradFin customers as of 2/27/2023. This dollar value is based on the customer reported forgiveness amount and can be substantiated by the Department of Education’s Forgiveness letters.