Public Service Loan Forgiveness: what StudentAid.gov says about qualifying employers
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) depends on who employs you, not on your profession. Federal Student Aid’s PSLF form says a qualifying employer is a U.S.-based government organization, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, or certain other non-profits that provide listed public services; AmeriCorps and Peace Corps service also counts. It says a business organized for profit cannot be a qualifying employer. The form’s rules are written about the employer and the employment, not about any profession, so an OT, PT, or SLP job title alone does not decide it. This page quotes StudentAid.gov and gives no loan balances or payment figures.
Quoted from official pages checked November 10, 2026. Confirm current requirements, fees, and dates on those sites. This page is not legal advice and does not guarantee eligibility, certification, or licensure.
Federal Student Aid’s PSLF web pages were not quoted for this site; they are linked for reference. This page quotes the PSLF & TEPSLF Certification & Application (PDF, OMB No. 1845-0110, expiration date 01/31/2027) downloaded from StudentAid.gov the same day. Its repayment-plan rules include dates in 2026 and 2028; read them on the form itself.
The basic rule
The form states: “To qualify for forgiveness, I must have made 120 qualifying payments on my Direct Loans while employed full-time by a qualifying employer. Neither the 120 qualifying payments nor the qualifying employment have to be consecutive.” It also states: “To qualify for forgiveness, I must be employed full-time by a qualifying employer when I apply for forgiveness.”
On loans, it states: “Only Direct Loan Program loans (including Direct Consolidation Loans) that are not in default are eligible for PSLF.” It adds that loans under the FFEL Program, the Perkins Loan Program, “or any other student loan program are not eligible for PSLF.”
Qualifying employers
The form’s definition states: “A qualifying employer is a U. S. based governmental organization, an organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code that is exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, or a non-profit organization that dedicates a majority of its full-time equivalent employees to providing certain non-governmental public services. Serving in an AmeriCorps or Peace Corps position is also qualifying employment.”
It states: “A non-profit organization that is not a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRC may be a qualifying organization if a majority of its full-time equivalent employees are engaged in one or more specific non-governmental public services.” Its list of those services includes “Public health services,” “Public education,” “School library and other school-based services,” “Early childhood education, and” “Public service for individuals with disabilities and the elderly.” The form says full definitions are on StudentAid.gov; those web pages were not quoted here.
Under “Non-Qualifying Employer,” the form lists “a business organized for profit,” “a labor union,” “a partisan political organization, or” and the U.S. Congress for Representatives and Senators.
Direct employees and contracts
The form states: “To qualify for PSLF, you must be a direct employee of a qualifying employer. A direct employee is someone who is hired and paid by the employer, and who receives an IRS Form W-2 from the employer. You may physically perform your work at a qualifying or non-qualifying organization, as long as you are a direct employee of a qualifying employer.” It also states: “However, if you are employed under a contract in a position or providing services that, under applicable State law, cannot be filled or provided by direct employees of the qualifying employer, you can be treated as a direct employee of the qualifying employer where you perform your work.”
This site does not say whether any staffing agency, contract, school, hospital, or clinic qualifies. The employer certifies employment on the form.
Full-time
The form states: “For PSLF purposes, full-time means at least an average of 30 hours per week for the employment period being certified.” It also states: “If you are employed part-time by more than one qualifying employer simultaneously, you may meet the full-time employment requirement if you work a combined average of at least 30” hours per week.
What this page does not do
It gives no loan balances, payment amounts, forgiveness amounts, or calculator results, and it does not say which repayment plan to choose. It is not financial or legal advice. Check your own loans and employer with Federal Student Aid at StudentAid.gov.