Thread by @studentactivism

Teachers are supposed to get federal student loan forgiveness. But they have to apply to get it, and when they do, @usedgov frequently turns them down with no justification. politico.com/news/2021/09/2…

"The disclosure suggests further bureaucratic problems with the management of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which has come under fire from Democrats in recent years for rejecting more than 98 percent of all borrowers who applied."

"[The Department of Education has] blocked thousands of people who clearly work in public service—including educators—from pursuing [student debt forgiveness via] PSLF, often due to paperwork hurdles and other trivial administrative errors." protectborrowers.org/pheaa-ecf-deni…

Folks are asking in replies whether this is a matter of malice or incompetence, but it doesn't really matter. The Biden admin and @usedgov have the power to fix this. They should get on that.

@usedgov Here's someone who was denied loan forgiveness because their employer was "not gov, tax exempt, or non-for-profit." That employer? The Chicago Public School System.

Another "not gov" employer: PS 317 in Queens.

Something I know as a teacher is also relevant to policy: Every hoop you put up is a hoop someone won't make it through. So you've gotta tear down as many hoops as you can, whenever you can, wherever you can.

Sometimes someone doesn't make it through the hoop because they screwed up, sometimes because the person holding the hoop screwed up. But if you take down the hoop, you don't need to have that debate.

The student loan forgiveness program requires that you apply, rather than just ... using information the government already has on you, and forgiving your loans automatically if it finds you qualify for relief.

We saw this last month with the new ITT Tech debt forgiveness—Biden's ED drew up a list of criteria, found all the people who fit those criteria, and just ... cancelled their debt. Just cancelled it.

"ITT borrowers covered by today's action [who] did not enroll elsewhere during the three years after ITT's closure and will not need to take any further action to receive a discharge." ed.gov/news/press-rel…

That's how you do it. Just get out your sword.

Someone just slipped this over my transom: A link to a public comment form advising the Biden admin on how to reform the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Up until this Friday night. actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-p…

TFW you believe that working for a Koch-funded libertarian lobbying group entitles you to free money from the US government.

And honestly, I'm not the guy who begrudges Ayn Rand collecting Social Security. If you're entitled to money, take it, even if you don't like the program that's paying it out. Fine.

But Americans for Prosperity is a lobbying group. A 501(c)(4).

It's not public service under the plain text of the law. And if you're applying for PSLF because you work there, you're either a welfare cheat or an absolute dumbass.

Or, you know, both.

Longtime @AFPhq staffers to the federal government: