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Teachers Union Sues Education Secretary Over PSLF Blockage

By Drooid · Oct 31, 2026 · How we work

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Summary

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon is sued by the American Federation of Teachers for blocking PSLF.
The complaint says the Education Department stalled or denied relief for 90,000 teachers, nurses and first responders.
Pending PSLF Buyback applications rose to 89,720 by March 2026, with 1,472 processed monthly, implying an 18-month clearance.
The department stopped adding July-October 2026 payments to many PSLF trackers, dropping some borrowers like Donald Knierim from 118 to 116 payments.

History

Created by the 2007 College Cost Reduction and Access Act and signed by President George W. Bush, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program promised forgiveness after 120 qualifying payments, yet only 96 of 28,000 early applicants were approved. After a 2018 expansion and a 2021 waiver, the American Federation of Teachers sued Education Secretary Linda McMahon over a backlog affecting tens of thousands of teachers and nurses.

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Created by the 2007 College Cost Reduction and Access Act and signed by President George W. Bush, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program promised forgiveness after 120 qualifying payments, yet only 96 of 28,000 early applicants were approved. After a 2018 expansion and a 2021 waiver, the American Federation of Teachers sued Education Secretary Linda McMahon over a backlog affecting tens of thousands of teachers and nurses.

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