The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) has criticized a proposed rule from the Department of Education that would revoke Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligibility for certain public service workers. AFSCME President Lee Saunders responded to the proposal, arguing it targets workers whose employers do not align with the Trump administration’s policies.
“This billionaire-run administration continues to show how little they care about working families. This absurd rule seeks to use public service workers as collateral in their campaign to punish state and local governments, nonprofit hospitals and community organizations who refuse to be yes men and rubberstamp the administration’s extreme, anti-worker agenda. By threatening to take away Public Service Loan Forgiveness, they’re telling nurses, corrections officers, first responders, school staff and other public service workers that their service to their communities doesn’t count,” Saunders said.
Saunders emphasized the motivations behind choosing careers in public service and highlighted the impact of PSLF: “Those who choose careers in public service don’t do it to get rich, they do it because they want to make a difference in the lives of others. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program helps them support themselves and their families while doing the essential work they love. Gutting the program will push current workers out of public service and prevent the next generation from stepping in — leaving our already overstretched classrooms, hospitals and communities without the qualified workers we all depend on. We will fight this rule and keep fighting to ensure that workers are protected against unlawful and baseless political attacks like this.”
The PSLF program is designed to encourage individuals to enter public sector jobs by forgiving remaining student loan balances after qualifying payments over ten years of employment in government or eligible nonprofit roles.
