School Board Acts to Help Educators with Student Debt

New Proposal Would Create Human Resources Initiative to Help School Division Employees Enroll in the U.S. Department of Education’s Public Service Loan Forgiveness

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Last night, the Fairfax County School Board unanimously approved a motion directing the Superintendent to create an initiative within the Human Resources Department that helps employees in the nation’s tenth-largest school system enroll in Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) with the U.S. Department of Education. School Board members Karl Frisch (Providence) and Dr. Ricardy Anderson authored the proposal, which passed unanimously as part of the FY2024 budget omnibus follow-on motion.

PSLF forgives the remaining balance on qualifying federal student loans after 120 qualifying payments (10 years) while working for a qualifying public service employer like Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). The program has provided borrowers with significant relief. As of November 2022, the average balance forgiven was $67,000, although only a small portion of applicants have been approved. In past years, thousands of educators nationwide were rejected from the program despite having qualifying employment. Help enrolling and maintaining eligibility in the program could be a game changer for FCPS employees.

“The burden of student loan debt can be crushing. The more we can do to help teachers and other school division employees sign up for and maintain eligibility in the U.S. Department of Education’s Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, the better,” said Frisch. “This is about putting more money in educators’ pockets by helping them access federal student loan forgiveness in exchange for their service and dedication to our students and schools.”