H.R. 10298: Public Service Loan Forgiveness Inclusion Act of 2026 (119th Congress) Bill Summary

This bill would change the rules for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program so that more kinds of student loan payments count toward forgiveness.

What changes for borrowers

Under current law, only certain monthly payments made while working in qualifying public service jobs count toward PSLF. This bill would expand the definition of a qualifying “monthly payment” in two main ways:

First 60 payments: For the first 60 monthly payments, the bill would count payments even if the amount paid is lower than what would normally be required under the standard repayment formula.
Standard repayment plan payments: It would also make monthly payments under the standard 10-year repayment plan count as qualifying payments.

The bill also clarifies that certain payments that would have been made during periods of administrative forbearance can count, as long as the borrower was employed in a public service job during that time. In other words, if the government temporarily pauses repayment processing, those missed or suspended payments may still be treated as qualifying for PSLF for eligible public service workers.

Who would be affected

The changes would mainly affect federal student loan borrowers with loans under Part D of Title IV of the Higher Education Act, especially people working in public service jobs who are pursuing loan forgiveness. The bill says the new rule for the first 60 payments applies to borrowers who have made fewer than 120 qualifying monthly payments as of the date the law takes effect.

Required notice from the Education Department

Within 180 days after enactment, the Secretary of Education would have to notify affected borrowers about the new payment rules and explain how they affect PSLF cancellation. The Department would also need to provide information on how borrowers can switch repayment plans.

Practical effect

Overall, the bill would make it easier for some public service employees to reach the 120 qualifying payments needed for loan forgiveness by counting more types of payments and certain periods of administrative forbearance. It would not eliminate PSLF, but it would broaden which payments are counted toward it.