Workers for religious nonprofits may now qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Under new regulations effective July 1, 2021, clergy and religious workers may now qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). According to attorney Adam Minsky writing for Forbes.com, the PSLF program was launched in 2007 as a way to help those working in public service with their student loan debt. Under the program, an individual who meets the program qualifications including performing qualifying work for a qualifying employer may submit an application to have their student loans forgiven. When the program was first initiated, religious work was not considered qualifying work and was specifically excluded from PSLF eligibility. These new regulations, now in effect, have expanded PSLF eligibility to include time spent on religious instruction, worship services, or any form of proselytizing as part of the job responsibilities being counted toward meeting the full-time employment requirement