Does Your Employer Qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)?

To qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, your employer must be a government agency or a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Some other nonprofits that provide public services also qualify. For-profit companies, labor unions, and partisan political organizations do not.

PSLF only counts payments made while working for specific public service employers. Here’s how it breaks down:

• Government agencies — All jobs with federal, state, local, or tribal governments qualify, including civilian roles and active-duty military service.

• 501(c)(3) nonprofits — Most nonprofit schools, hospitals, and charities qualify.

• Other nonprofits providing public services — Nonprofits that aren’t 501(c)(3) may still qualify if they deliver direct public services (e.g., emergency management, public health clinics, early childhood education).

• Employers that don’t qualify — For-profit companies, labor unions, and partisan political organizations are excluded, regardless of your role.

Related: PSLF Processing Time

Education is one of the largest fields where PSLF applies, but eligibility depends on the school’s structure.

• Teachers — Full-time teachers at public schools and nonprofit charter schools qualify. Teachers at for-profit charters do not.

• Charter schools — Nonprofit charters (often organized under 501(c)(3)) qualify. For-profit charters are excluded, even if they serve the same community.

• Universities — Public universities always qualify. Private nonprofit universities qualify if organized as 501(c)(3). For-profit universities never qualify.

• Librarians — Librarians at public schools, public universities, or nonprofit universities qualify. Jobs at for-profit schools or non-501(c)(3) private employers do not.

Related: What Repayment Plans Qualify for PSLF?

Healthcare jobs can qualify for PSLF, but eligibility depends on your employer’s nonprofit status, not your job title or role.

• Hospitals — Jobs with nonprofit (501(c)(3)) hospitals count for PSLF. Direct employment by a for-profit hospital does not qualify.

• HCA Healthcare — HCA is a for-profit chain, so positions there do not qualify — even if HCA facilities appear in the PSLF Help Tool. Always verify eligibility directly with your employer’s HR and the Department of Education before applying.

• Kaiser Permanente — Kaiser operates both nonprofit and for-profit entities. Your eligibility is determined by which entity employs you. Use your paystub or HR resources to find your employer’s legal name and EIN (tax ID number). Enter that EIN into the PSLF Help Tool to check eligibility.

• California and Texas exception — In states where hospitals cannot directly employ doctors or clinicians, such as California and Texas, recent Department of Education changes allow contracted workers at nonprofit hospitals to count this employment toward PSLF. This change resolves long-standing gaps for physicians and clinicians working under these state restrictions.

Always confirm your employer’s EIN with HR before submitting the PSLF form. Using the wrong EIN is one of the most common reasons for delays and denials.

Related: Do Nurses Qualify for PSLF?

Many nonprofit jobs qualify for PSLF, but the details depend on the organization’s tax status and the type of work performed.

• Nonprofit employees — If you work for a nonprofit with 501(c)(3) status, your employment generally qualifies. This covers roles in education, healthcare, and community services.

• Religious organizations — Jobs at religious nonprofits may qualify if the organization is tax-exempt and your role is not limited to religious instruction or worship. For example, working at a church-run food pantry or community center may qualify, while teaching religion classes may not.

• Other community service nonprofits — Nonprofits that provide services such as early childhood education, public health programs, or legal aid may qualify even if they aren’t 501(c)(3), as long as they’re structured as nonprofit organizations.

Related: PSLF Qualifying Payments Not Counting?

The fastest way to check eligibility is by using the PSLF Employer Search Tool on the Federal Student Aid website.

1. Gather your employer’s details — You’ll need the official name and Employer Identification Number (EIN), usually found on your W-2.

2. Enter the information into the tool — Search by EIN first, since names often vary.

3. Review the results — The tool will show whether your employer qualifies for PSLF.

Common problems to watch for:

• EIN mismatches — Organizations with multiple branches may require the parent company’s EIN.

• Subsidiary issues — Sometimes the parent qualifies, but the subsidiary isn’t clearly listed.

If your employer isn’t listed:

You can still submit an Employment Certification Form. The Department of Education will manually review your employer and issue a determination.

Related: PSLF Employer Won’t Sign Your Form?

The Department of Education has proposed new rules that could narrow which employers qualify for PSLF, scheduled to take effect July 1, 2026.

• What could change: Organizations involved in certain activities — including some healthcare services and immigration support — could lose PSLF eligibility.

• Impact on borrowers: Current qualifying payments won’t be taken away, but future payments may stop counting if your employer falls under the new restrictions.

• Important disclaimer: These rules are not final. They are still under review and open to public comment before adoption. Borrowers should not make employment decisions based solely on this proposal until the final rule is published.