Will Trump End Public Service Loan Forgiveness?

What is Trump going to do to the PSLF Program? Will he end it? Can he end it? And if he did, what does that mean?

These questions are top of mind for hundreds of thousands of public and civil servants—many of whom have stayed in jobs they dislike or delayed retirement, all in the hope of having their federal student debt forgiven. And now, President Donald Trump has taken office, following a president who helped eliminate over $78.46 billion in student debt for 1,069,000 PSLF borrowers.

Public service employees are now left wondering: what happens next?

Honestly, we don’t know. No one except President Trump does.

But what we can do is look at his past actions and Republican proposals to shed some light on what’s likely to happen to PSLF under his administration.

Related:

• How to Apply For Student Loan Forgiveness

• Student Loan Forgiveness Applications and Forms

A complete repeal of PSLF is unlikely. But changes to the program could significantly impact both current and future borrowers. Here’s what to expect under a second Trump administration:

Current PSLF Participants

If you’re already working toward PSLF, you would likely be “grandfathered in” under existing rules. This means:

• Your progress toward forgiveness would be protected

• Your current payment calculations would remain the same

• You could continue pursuing forgiveness under today’s rules

This aligns with Trump’s previous approach during his first term, when his proposals to eliminate PSLF specifically targeted new borrowers while protecting existing participants. It also follows standard practice for phasing out federal programs, which typically preserve benefits for current participants to avoid legal challenges and minimize disruption.

Future Borrowers

The picture looks different for those who haven’t yet entered public service or taken out federal student loans. They could face:

• Complete elimination of PSLF for new borrowers

• Significantly restricted eligibility requirements

• Caps on forgiveness amounts

• Narrower definitions of qualifying employment

• Stricter payment requirements

This two-tiered approach—protecting current borrowers while restricting or eliminating the program for future ones—represents the most likely scenario based on previous Republican proposals and Trump’s first-term actions. Although we can’t predict with absolute certainty, this pattern provides the clearest indication of how changes to PSLF might be implemented under a second Trump administration.

Related: Did Student Laon Forgiveness Pass?

To protect your access to PSLF, take these steps now:

1. Certify Your Employment Annually: Submit the PSLF Employment Certification Form (ECF) every year and whenever you change jobs. This ensures your qualifying payments and employment are documented.

2. Track Your Payments: Use your loan servicer’s portal to confirm your payments are being counted correctly toward forgiveness.

3. Stay in a Qualifying Repayment Plan: Ensure you’re enrolled in an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan, as only these qualify for PSLF.

4. Stay Informed: Follow updates on PSLF policies, especially under the new administration. Changes may not affect current borrowers, but staying aware is crucial.

5. Advocate: Contact your representatives to express the importance of PSLF for public service workers.

During his first term, Donald Trump repeatedly proposed eliminating the PSLF program in his annual budget plans from 2018 to 2020. These proposals argued that PSLF was too costly and unfairly benefited certain professions, particularly government and nonprofit workers. But Congress rejected these proposals, and PSLF remained intact throughout his administration.

In addition to targeting PSLF, Trump’s administration sought to simplify repayment plans by proposing a single income-driven repayment plan. This plan would have increased monthly payments but offered forgiveness after 15 years for undergraduate loans. Although these changes were not enacted, they highlighted a broader preference for reducing forgiveness programs and federal spending on student loans.

Given this history, it’s reasonable to expect that Trump’s new administration may revisit efforts to eliminate or restrict PSLF, particularly for future borrowers. Current participants are likely to be grandfathered in, but Biden-era expansions to PSLF could face rollbacks, making forgiveness harder to access.

During the 2024 campaign, Donald Trump strongly criticized President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness initiatives, calling them unfair to taxpayers and harmful to the economy. He did not propose specific alternatives,  however. Instead, his campaign focused on reducing federal involvement in education and simplifying repayment plans, signaling a likely opposition to expansive forgiveness programs like PSLF.

Republicans and conservative organizations, such as the Heritage Foundation, also expressed opposition to PSLF. The Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025” explicitly called for eliminating PSLF as part of broader efforts to reduce federal involvement in education and privatize student loans. Similarly, House Republicans proposed budget cuts in 2024 that included limiting or capping PSLF benefits.

Trump’s alignment with these conservative priorities suggests that PSLF could again become a target in his second term, particularly for new or future borrowers. No formal proposals have been introduced yet. But his past actions and campaign rhetoric provide strong indicators of potential changes.

Eliminating the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program would not be a simple task for the Trump administration. Unlike issuing an executive order, dismantling PSLF requires changing federal laws and overcoming significant political and legal hurdles.

PSLF Is Protected by Federal Law

PSLF was established through the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, making it codified in federal law. As such, any effort to repeal or fundamentally alter the program would require Congressional action. This involves:

• Passing New Legislation: Congress would need to pass a new law to repeal or amend PSLF, which requires majority approval in both the House and Senate, followed by the President’s signature.

• Overcoming the Senate Filibuster: Most legislation in the Senate requires 60 votes to advance, making it difficult to pass without bipartisan support. PSLF changes could be included in a budget reconciliation bill, but that process has strict limitations and is often reserved for broader fiscal priorities.

These legal requirements make outright elimination of PSLF a challenging and unlikely prospect without significant shifts in Congressional dynamics.

Related: When Did PSLF Start?

Trump’s Limited Executive Authority

While Trump cannot unilaterally eliminate PSLF, his administration could use executive powers to restrict access to the program or roll back expansions. For example:

• Reversing Biden-Era Expansions: Temporary waivers and streamlined processes introduced under Biden, such as the Limited PSLF Waiver and IDR Account Adjustment, could be rescinded.

• Narrowing Eligibility Criteria: The administration could redefine what qualifies as public service employment or impose stricter payment and certification requirements, making it harder for borrowers to meet the program’s terms.

But despite issuing more than 100 executive orders during his first week in office—affecting everything from immigration policy and climate change to federal benefits—none have directly addressed PSLF or federal student loans so far. The only action related to student loans has been a request to the Supreme Court to pause its review of Biden’s borrower-defense regulations, signaling that Trump’s administration may reassess and potentially reverse those policies.

Public and Political Resistance

PSLF enjoys widespread support from public service employees, advocacy groups, and many lawmakers, making outright repeal politically contentious. Efforts to eliminate or restrict the program would likely face:

• Strong Backlash: Advocacy groups and borrowers impacted by changes would likely mount significant public and legal opposition.

• Political Obstacles: PSLF’s bipartisan origins—it was signed into law by President George W. Bush—highlight its foundational support across party lines. Attempts to dismantle it could alienate voters and lawmakers who recognize its role in supporting public service professions.

Historical Precedents for PSLF Changes

Past administrations provide insight into what changes might realistically be pursued:

• Obama Administration (2015–2017): Proposed capping forgiveness at $57,000 per borrower, but Congress took no action.

• Trump Administration (2017–2021): Repeatedly proposed eliminating PSLF for new borrowers in annual budgets, but these efforts failed due to lack of Congressional support.

• Biden Administration (2021–2023): Expanded PSLF access through waivers and regulatory changes, which could be rolled back by a future administration.

These precedents show that while drastic changes to PSLF have been proposed, legislative and political barriers have historically prevented such efforts from succeeding. The new Trump administration’s early actions suggest a reassessment of broader student loan regulations, but any direct changes to PSLF would likely face significant hurdles.

Related: How Long Does PSLF Take to Process?

Even with all the legal and political barriers we’ve talked about, it’s fair to wonder: what happens if the Trump administration really goes after PSLF? The good news is, the worst-case scenario probably isn’t losing forgiveness entirely. What’s more likely is that everything ends up in legal limbo, leaving borrowers stuck waiting for clarity.

Here’s what that might look like:

• Lawsuits Would Slow Everything Down. Advocacy groups like the Student Borrower Protection Center, unions, and even organizations like the American Bar Association would likely jump into action, filing lawsuits to block changes. These cases could take years to resolve, and while they’re working their way through the courts, the program would likely stay in a holding pattern.

• Certifications and Payments Could Freeze. During the legal battles, the administration might pause certifying employment or tracking qualifying payments. Your balance wouldn’t disappear, but you wouldn’t lose progress either—it’d just be frozen. New borrowers might be blocked from entering the program, but those already participating would likely have their status preserved.

What does all this mean? It means that Trump likely isn’t going to eliminate the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program for those currently participating in it. The legal, legislative, and political barriers to dismantling PSLF are significant, and history shows how difficult it’s been to make sweeping changes to loan forgiveness programs.

But based on what we’ve seen, it’s entirely possible the White House could attempt to pass new laws or issue executive orders to restrict PSLF or reduce its costs for future borrowers. Whether that’s through capping forgiveness, redefining public service employment, or rolling back Biden-era expansions like the SAVE Plan, such moves could make the program harder to access for student loan borrowers.

For now, existing programs like PSLF remain intact, but any potential changes from the Department of Education or Congress could shift how income-driven repayment plans and forgiveness are structured in the years ahead.

The worst-case scenario? It likely wouldn’t mean losing forgiveness outright.