Public Provider Loan Forgiveness: DOD and its particular Personnel Could Take Advantage Of Additional System Information

Public Provider Loan Forgiveness: DOD and its particular Personnel Could Take Advantage Of Additional System Information

The general public provider Loan Forgiveness system is supposed to encourage individuals to enter general public service. It forgives the student that is federal balances of qualified borrowers who’ve made at the very least ten years of re re payments whilst in specific general public solution jobs.

The Department of Education denied 94% of system candidates through the Department of Defense. (We formerly found a 99% denial price for several candidates.) The absolute most denial that is common are not sufficient payments and incomplete applications.

We made 5 tips for DOD and Education to boost understanding of the system and its own needs by sharing information and collaborating with one another.

Few Department of Defense candidates were authorized for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness system.

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Personnel within the Department of Defense (DOD)—including solution people and civilian employees—may qualify for federal education loan forgiveness through the general public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) system if they stay in general public solution work for a decade while making 120 qualifying loan payments, among other needs. At the time of 2020, Department of Education (Education) data show that 287 DOD borrowers received loan forgiveness, while 5,180 DOD borrowers (about 94 percent) were denied (see figure) january. The most frequent known reasons for the denials are not enough qualifying re re payments and lacking informative data on the proper execution. GAO formerly reported in September 2019 a general denial price of 99 per cent for several PSLF applications submitted by borrowers. More info from DOD may help potential candidates be conscious of all eligibility needs.

Wide range of Department of Defense (DOD) Personnel Approved or Denied for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), at the time of 31, 2020 january

Note: The “Civilian” groups consist of all civilian workers within DOD, like the services that are military.

As its administrator, Education has specialized understanding of the PSLF program but have not shared complete information with DOD. Education officials never have provided with DOD summary information regarding its workers that have taken steps to pursue PSLF or solution people whom can be qualified. Education officials also reported they will have perhaps maybe not provided the advantages of utilising the PSLF system along with DOD’s education loan payment program. Education officials also have maybe maybe not updated the learning education loan guide for solution people with certain home elevators PSLF. Education could just take steps that are additional enhance information sharing about PSLF with DOD workers. DOD officials expressed desire for getting more system information. Collaboration one of the divisions and updated system information may help DOD officials and its own workers to simply take advantage that is full of.

DOD will not commonly make use of the PSLF program for retention and recruitment to market readiness despite dealing with challenges in a few specialty profession areas. Some DOD officials we interviewed reported they preferred to make use of other DOD advantages and incentives that DOD directly settings, such as for example bonuses or DOD’s education loan payment system. DOD could enhance its recruitment and retention efforts to advertise readiness with department-wide and service-specific guidance about how the PSLF system might be used as an instrument for such efforts.

Why GAO Did This Research

At a right time whenever education loan financial obligation continues to mount for several, the PSLF program—established in 2007 and administered by Education—is designed to encourage people to pursue jobs in public areas solution.

Senate Report 116-48 included a supply for GAO to analyze the effectiveness of the PSLF system at advertising armed forces and recruitment that is civilian retention in addition to army readiness. GAO’s report assesses the level to which (1) DOD workers pursue and get loan forgiveness through the PSLF system, (2) Education has shared information with DOD officials as well as its armed forces and civilian workers about this system, and (3) DOD utilizes the program for recruitment and retention to advertise readiness.

GAO analyzed education loan data from Education as well as the PSLF servicer right from the start for the system through January 2020; evaluated laws that are relevant papers, as well as other information associated with PSLF, advantages, recruitment, retention, and readiness; and interviewed DOD and Education officials.