neo@web:~ $ ./pslf-calculator --track-forgiveness
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) forgives the remaining balance on your federal Direct Loans after you make 120 qualifying monthly payments while working full time for a qualifying employer. This free calculator estimates how many payments you have left, your projected forgiveness date, and how much could be forgiven. It runs entirely in your browser.
1. Direct Loans only. Only loans made under the federal Direct Loan program qualify. If you have FFEL or Perkins loans, you must consolidate them into a Direct Consolidation Loan. Only payments made after the consolidation count.
2. A qualifying employer, full time. Your employer must be a U.S. federal, state, local, or tribal government organization, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, or another nonprofit that provides qualifying public services. You must work full time, generally at least 30 hours a week. The job itself does not matter; the employer does.
3. 120 qualifying monthly payments. You must make the equivalent of 120 qualifying payments, which takes a minimum of 10 years. The payments do not need to be consecutive, but each one must be full, on time, and made on a scheduled bill while you are employed full time by a qualifying employer.
4. A qualifying repayment plan. An income-driven repayment plan (IBR, PAYE, or ICR) gets you the most value out of PSLF, because the 10-year Standard Plan would typically pay off the loan before forgiveness kicks in. As of October 2026 the SAVE plan has been shut down following a court order, so check studentaid.gov for the current plan list.
5. Certify with the PSLF form. Use the PSLF Help Tool on studentaid.gov to prepare and sign your PSLF form (formerly called the Employment Certification Form, or ECF), have your employer certify it, and submit it. File annually and whenever you change employers so your payment count stays current.
The payoff: once you meet all five, the remaining balance is forgiven, and loan amounts forgiven under PSLF are not considered taxable income by the IRS. See the full requirements checklist for details.
| Category | Qualifies | Does not qualify |
|---|---|---|
| Loan type | Direct Loans (Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized, PLUS, Consolidation) | FFEL or Perkins loans unless consolidated into a Direct Loan |
| Repayment plan | Income-driven plans (IBR, PAYE, ICR); 10-year Standard Plan | Extended, Graduated, or private refinancing plans |
| Employer | Federal, state, local, or tribal government; 501(c)(3) nonprofits; other qualifying nonprofits | For-profit companies; nonprofits without qualifying public services |
| Payment timing | Full, on-time, scheduled monthly payments after Oct 1, 2007, while employed full time by a qualifying employer | Late, partial, or missed payments; payments during default or bankruptcy |
| Employment status | Full time (generally 30+ hours/week) for a qualifying employer when each payment is made | Part-time work below the full-time threshold; payments pause as qualifying when employment lapses |
| Plan | Payment formula | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Income-Based Repayment (IBR) | 10% or 15% of discretionary income, depending on when you first borrowed | Open to new enrollments |
| Pay As You Earn (PAYE) | 10% of discretionary income, capped at the 10-year Standard amount | Scheduled to sunset July 2028 |
| Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) | 20% of discretionary income or the 12-year fixed amount, whichever is less | Scheduled to sunset July 2028 |
| SAVE | Lower payments based on income and family size | Shut down in 2026 after a federal court order |
| Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) | 1% to 10% of adjusted gross income | New plan created by 2025 law; check studentaid.gov for PSLF details |
Plan details are shifting. Read how IDR plans work with PSLF before you choose.
$ ls ../related/
Student Loan Calculator | Budget Calculator | Paycheck Calculator | Personal Loan Calculator | Refinance Calculator
Program rules as of October 2026 - Source: Federal Student Aid (studentaid.gov). Estimates only. Verify your payment count and plan eligibility with Federal Student Aid or your loan servicer. This tool is not financial or legal advice.