Dear Constituent,

This week, the Biden Administration officially began accepting applications for its historic student loan relief program. If you have student debt from a federally backed student loan and meet the income eligibility requirements, you can get up to $10,000 to $20,000 in relief on your unpaid student loan. So if you are a current or former student who still has unpaid student loans, or if you're a parent who received a loan to help pay for your child's education, apply now!

Note: private loans (non-federal) are not eligible for debt relief. To find out what federally backed parent and student loans are eligible for relief, go here.  To find your loan(s) and loan servicer(s), log in to StudentAid.gov and select "My Aid" in the dropdown menu under your name at the top right of your screen.

Filling out the application is easy and only takes about five minutes. No need to log in or provide any documents. The federal government will then review your application and respond. But note: You must apply by Dec. 31, 2023.

The student loan debt relief program is the first of its kind in our nation's history, and it's part of President Biden's multi-pronged effort to help our country recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the program, you can receive up to $10,000 in relief on your federally backed student loan if your income in 2020 or 2021 (you don't to have been income-eligible for both years) meets the following:

• Single tax filer with income under $125,000
• Married filing jointly with income under $250,000
• Did not file taxes in 2020 or 2021 because you made less than the required income to file federal taxes

If you received a Federal Pell Grant, which are typically awarded to undergraduate students from low- or moderate-income families, and you meet the other criteria, you can receive up to $20,000 total in debt relief.

Important note: For students who are classified as a dependent for federal student aid purposes, eligibility is based on one or both of your parents' income, not your income. If you think you might be classified as a dependent, you can still apply now and use your own 2020 or 2021 income information. After receiving your application, if the federal government identifies you as a dependent student, they'll email you instructions for you and your parent(s). Until then, you don't need to do anything except submit your application. Go here for more information.

Also, it doesn't matter if you've been actively repaying your loans or are in school, a grace period, or default, if you meet the income eligibility criteria, you're still eligible for relief.

If you're a parent with eligible loans of your own, including parent PLUS loans, submit your own Student Loan Debt Relief Application. Your application will be processed separately from the one your child submits.

After you submit your Student Loan Debt Relief Application, you'll receive an email confirmation. The federal government will then review your application and determine if you're eligible for relief. They will contact you with instructions if they need more information.

Once your eligibility is confirmed, you'll be notified about how much debt relief will be applied to your loans. Your loan servicer(s) will then apply your debt relief and notify you.

Beware of scams. The federal Student Loan Debt Relief program sends emails to borrowers only from the following addresses: noreply@studentaid.gov, noreply@debtrelief.studentaid.gov, or ed.gov@public.govdelivery.com. If you receive emails from other, or similar email addresses, take caution as it may be a scam.

Finally, if you're employed by a U.S. federal, state, local, or tribal government or not-for-profit organization, you might be eligible for another relief program, known as the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program, which will completely cancel your outstanding student loan debt if you qualify. Act now, because the application period for the PSLF program ends Oct. 31, 2022.

I hope you find this information useful. It is an honor serving you in the state Senate.

Sincerely,

Nancy Skinner
State Senator, District