Why Eliminating Public Service Loan Forgiveness Will Be Harmful to the Disability Community

People who work in the public interest are among the most important members of the American workforce. They provide much-needed services, often for underserved populations. In many cases, though, people who have public service careers and whose jobs are crucial to helping others don’t earn high wages. In an effort to relieve some financial strain and incentivize having a full-time job that is in the public interest, the government currently offers the option to opt in to a Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. This critical program is now at risk of being cut, and the disability community should be concerned.

The way PSLF works is simple. According to the office of Federal Student Aid, after a person makes 120 eligible monthly loan payments, they are exempted from paying the remainder of their student loans. Because the program was enacted in 2007, the first wave of people participating in the program are supposed to have whatever remains of their loans forgiven starting in 2017. (1) However, as the government moves closer to setting the budget for the 2016 fiscal year, there is a chance Congress may be eliminating PSLF. (2)

Ending PSLF before the loan forgiveness even officially begins is an issue that will directly affect people with disabilities. This is because two of the career types entitled to be part of this program, as noted on the PSLF application form, include public interest legal services and public service for individuals with disabilities. (3)

So, consider this example: a lawyer working on disability rights issues is incredibly needed within the disability community. There are discrimination cases and rights violations faced by disabled people every single day. But disability rights attorneys are rarely high profile millionaires. Rather, they are people who dedicate themselves to the greater good and pursuing justice for people with disabilities, even if it means holding a lesser-paid position or taking on pro-bono cases. As such, PSLF is a program that could be a sort of insurance for a disability rights lawyer, a way for them to continue their job even if it doesn’t pay particularly well, knowing they’ll soon be relieved of part of their financial burden.

To bring this line of thinking one step further, it is important to note that many people working on behalf of the disability community in public service positions also have disabilities themselves. For instance, I know many people with disabilities who hold jobs in the non-profit sector, often because they want to use their personal experiences along with their academic credentials to give back to our community. Of course, it’s no secret that non-profit work is generally not the best paid. Moreover, being disabled is often the source of greater living expenses stemming from things like medical bills, personal care attendants, mobility equipment, etc. This combination of lower wages and higher costs to live can be prohibitive to disabled people looking to work at a non-profit organization, making it necessary for them to look for work in other fields. With the PSLF Program in place, the knowledge of a pending source of financial relief could make all the difference in allowing people to do such necessary non-profit work.

It is clear that the PSLF Program is something that truly benefits more than just the people whose loans are set to be forgiven in 2017 and beyond. Public service careers are vital for disabled people, both as a source of employment and as a source of services that many rely on. Jeopardizing such work is something none of us can afford. So, in the interest of those who work in the interest of the disability community, it is time to urge Congress to reconsider eliminating the PSLF Program.

1. http://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/sites/default/files/public-service-loan-forgiveness.pdf
2. http://www.americanbar.org/advocacy/governmental_legislative_work/loan4giveness.html
3. http://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/sites/default/files/public-service-employment-certification-form.pdf

Emily Ladau is a writer and disability rights activist whose passion is to harness the powers of language and social media as tools for people to become informed and engaged social justice advocates. She is the owner of Social Justice Media Services, which provides communications, outreach, and social media management services for disability-related organizations. Emily also maintains a blog, Words I Wheel By, as a platform to address discrimination and to encourage people to understand the experience of having a disability in more positive, accepting, and supportive ways. You’re welcome to connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.