Current employees of nonprofit news organizations might qualify to have their federal student loan balance wiped if they apply for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) by October 31.
Eligible employees must have made at least 120 monthly payments toward their loan balance while working full-time for a not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization. Only balances on Direct Loans can be erased, not Perkins loans or Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program loans.
CJR found, using the government’s employer eligibility search, that employees who work for the following news organizations at the time of submitting their PSFL application are potentially eligible for forgiveness:
- ProPublica
- The Texas Tribune
- The Marshall Project
- Center for Public Integrity
- Foundation for National Progress (Mother Jones)
- Lost Light Projects Inc. (InsideClimate News)
- Center for Investigative Reporting
- Institute for Nonprofit News
- National Public Radio
- The Trace
- Grist
Our search was not comprehensive, merely illustrative. Other nonprofit newsrooms may be eligible for forgiveness. For more information on how to apply for PSLF, visit this website.
Emily Russell was a CJR fellow, and is now an editor at The Week.