OLYMPIA— Between March 31, 2022 and June 30, 2023, 11,780 public service employees in Washington state have received a total of $766.70 million dollars in federal student loan forgiveness through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Overall, this program has been a critical lifeline for helping address workforce shortages such as those among teachers, healthcare professionals, social workers, first responders, and government personnel.

To better educate the public about this program, the legislature took action in 2022 to improve access to information to public service employees about the PSLF program (ESSB 5847). Building on the efforts of this work, Chair Vandana Slatter (D-Bellevue) of the House Postsecondary Education & Workforce Development Committee introduced House Bill 1950 this session.

The legislation aligns notification and calculation requirements for public service employees between the Office of Financial Management and the federal government. As a result, education efforts regarding the PSLF program will better align with the federal government and streamline access.

Today, the House Postsecondary Education & Workforce Development Committee passed House Bill 1950 with a vote of 12-0-3. It now heads to the House Rules Committee.

More information about the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program can be found here.