10 signatures reached
To: Linda McMahon, Department of Education Secretary
Department of Education STOP stalling on PSLF BUYBACK applications purposely!
I am writing to express serious concern regarding the Department of Education’s continued failure to process Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) buyback applications in a timely and transparent manner. The prolonged delays appear not to be incidental or administrative oversights, but rather a deliberate tactic that effectively denies loan forgiveness to hundreds of thousands of eligible public service workers.
Borrowers who have met—or are clearly eligible to meet—the statutory requirements for PSLF are being left in limbo for months or longer, despite clear guidance that buyback is an approved mechanism for resolving payment gaps. These borrowers include teachers, nurses, social workers, first responders, and other public servants who have upheld their end of the bargain by dedicating years of service in reliance on the PSLF program as written into law.
The consequences of this stalling are severe and measurable. Borrowers continue to accrue stress, financial instability, and uncertainty while the Department withholds decisions it has the authority and obligation to make. Many are delaying major life decisions—home purchases, retirement planning, family planning—because forgiveness that should already have been granted is being quietly withheld through inaction.
If the Department lacks the resources to process these applications, it has a duty to say so publicly and request them. If internal policy decisions are driving these delays, that raises serious questions about compliance with both the intent and the letter of federal law. Silence and indefinite delays are unacceptable substitutes for accountability.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness is not a favor or a discretionary benefit—it is a legal promise. Intentionally slow-walking buyback applications undermines public trust, harms working families, and discourages future participation in public service careers.
I urge the Department of Education to immediately:
- Publicly disclose the status and average processing time of PSLF buyback applications;
- Commit to a clear, enforceable timeline for adjudication; and
- Process all pending applications without further delay.
Failure to act reinforces the perception that these delays are intentional and designed to suppress forgiveness rather than administer the program lawfully. Borrowers deserve transparency, urgency, and respect.
Why is this important?
Simple: We did the work. We followed the law. Now the government must do the same!
Others should join this campaign because what’s happening with PSLF buyback delays affects far more than just individual borrowers—it threatens the credibility of public service, the rule of law, and basic government accountability. Here are the strongest reasons, framed in a way that motivates people to act:
Others should join this campaign because what’s happening with PSLF buyback delays affects far more than just individual borrowers—it threatens the credibility of public service, the rule of law, and basic government accountability. Here are the strongest reasons, framed in a way that motivates people to act:
1. It’s a broken legal promise, not a handout
PSLF is federal law. Borrowers already earned forgiveness through years of qualifying public service. Allowing intentional stalling sets a dangerous precedent: the government can delay long enough to effectively deny benefits without ever saying “no.”
If this stands, any statutory benefit can be undermined the same way.
2. Collective pressure is the only leverage borrowers have
Individual complaints are easy to ignore. Coordinated action—letters, congressional pressure, media attention—creates oversight risk the Department cannot dismiss. History shows PSLF progress only happened when borrowers organized and applied sustained pressure.
Silence guarantees delay. Visibility forces action.
3. The harm is real and ongoing
Every delayed buyback decision:
- Prolongs financial stress
- Delays retirement, homeownership, and family planning
- Traps public servants in jobs they might otherwise leave
- Undermines mental health and financial stability
This isn’t bureaucratic inconvenience—it’s systemic harm.
4. Public service depends on trust
Teachers, nurses, social workers, first responders, and nonprofit workers accepted lower pay because PSLF was part of the compensation package. If the government quietly dismantles forgiveness through inaction, future workers will avoid public service entirely.
That hurts everyone.
5. Today it’s PSLF—tomorrow it’s something else
Even people without student loans should care. If agencies can stall lawful benefits to avoid political or budgetary consequences, no program is safe. Accountability now protects all future beneficiaries of federal programs.
6. Momentum is building—but it needs numbers
Oversight bodies, journalists, and lawmakers pay attention when they see patterns. Each additional voice strengthens the case that this is systemic, not anecdotal. Borrowers speaking together turn “delays” into documented misconduct.
7. This is winnable
PSLF buyback already exists. The law is settled. The issue is execution, not eligibility. That makes this campaign practical, targeted, and achievable—pressure can force timelines, transparency, and approvals.