Public commenters tell Education Department to preserve and expand PSLF and income-driven repayment

Dozens of borrowers, legal advocates, health-care workers and university officials told the U.S. Department of Education in a virtual public hearing that preserving Public Service Loan Forgiveness and affordable income-driven repayment plans is essential to keep people in public service and to prevent widespread borrower hardship.

The commenters said recent actions — including litigation and an injunction affecting the SAVE regulations, forced administrative forbearance, and delays or errors by loan servicers — have left many borrowers confused, financially stressed and near default. "Maintaining affordable IDR options and broadening access to PSLF are of the utmost importance," said Amanda Pursune, director of public interest financial support at the University of California Berkeley School of Law, speaking in her individual capacity.

Why it matters: Borrowers and workforce advocates said weakening PSLF or removing affordable IDR plans would push workers out of lower‑paid public service careers — including teachers, nurses, social workers, first responders and public defenders — and would worsen staffing shortages in sectors that rely on those workers. Commenters also described personal harms from implementation failures: interrupted…