Ranking Member Scott Slams ED for Playing Games with Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

Ranking Member Scott Slams ED for Playing Games with Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

WASHINGTON - Today, House Education and Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) demanded answers from Department of Education (ED) Secretary Linda McMahon, following concerning reports from borrowers in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program that several qualifying payments were erased from their accounts.

Established in 2007, PSLF offers loan forgiveness to public servants who work for a qualified employer for 10 years and make 120 payments toward their federal student loans. However, borrowers have recently reported that the number of PSLF-qualifying payments, tracked on a counter on the Office for Federal Student Aid's (FSA's) website, appeared incorrect. Despite acknowledging the data error, ED failed to provide detailed information on the cause of the error.

"Without additional information from the Department, borrowers cannot know whether changes to the PSLF qualifying payment count were the result of an error that will be fixed; if it is a decision that can be appealed; or if the statement reflects an unappealable decision made by this Administration. Without any additional information, borrowers are left in the dark as to why they must remain in repayment longer than the law requires. This is particularly concerning if a borrower believes they have met all the statutory and regulatory requirements to have their debt forgiven through the PSLF," wrote Ranking Member Scott.

In his letter, Ranking Member Scott also emphasized that the qualifying payment-count errors come as the Department has not addressed the 88,000-application backlog in the PSLF buyback program and has eliminated affordable repayment plans, creating financial uncertainty and distress for student loan borrowers.

On Friday, October 30, 2026, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), with support from Protect Borrowers, sued the Trump Administration, alleging it unlawfully blocked student loan forgiveness for tens of thousands of borrowers who qualify. The lawsuit, Weingarten v. McMahon, alleges ED Secretary McMahon mismanaged PSLF by incorrectly counting borrowers' payment timelines and not awarding people credit for time served.

To read the full letter to ED Secretary McMahon, click here.

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