A few years into my appointment at Purdue, I was escorting a group of undergraduate students to a Financial Planning Association meeting in a downtown Indianapolis law office. One of those strange mid-career faculty obligations you say yes to, even though the parking is awful. As we were making our way into the conference room, a well-ish dressed man holding a plate of cheese and crackers stopped me. We talked for a moment—he asked about our students, our curriculum, our placement rates. He told me he was a Chartered Financial Analyst.
And then he said it. “Thank you for your service.”
I was stunned. Not in a bad way, just... confused. I was a university professor. I wasn’t wearing a uniform. I wasn’t even on a committee I liked. But here this guy was—this well-credentialed investment professional—treating me like I had done something noble by staying in public service.
It stuck with me, because at the time, I was deep in a moral dilemma. I was still in the PSLF program, and I was questioning whether I should leave and strike out on my own. I was anxious about the idea of my debt being forgiven. I worried it might feel... dishonest. Like I hadn’t earned it. Like I was getting away with something.
But that moment—his unexpected words—helped reframe the entire conversation. Public service loan forgiveness exists because public service matters. And if you’re doing meaningful work under meaningful constraint, then you qualify. Period. You don’t owe anyone an apology. You certainly don’t owe the federal government more than the rules ask you to pay.
So, let’s talk about strategies. Let’s talk about ways to maximize forgiveness—not to game the system, but to walk through it with your head up and your shoulders back. You’ve already earned this. Let’s make sure you don’t miss it.
First, the basics: the PSLF program forgives your federal student loans after 120 qualifying monthly payments while working full-time for a qualifying employer. That’s 10 years, in theory—but the timeline can stretch out depending on how your payments and employment line up.
If you want to maximize forgiveness, there are a few key things to know:
Stay on an income-driven repayment plan. The lower your income, the lower your monthly payment—and the more potential loan balance remains to be forgiven. Don’t feel bad about this. You’re not being sneaky. You’re simply following the plan. Family size matters here, too—if you’re married with three kids and your spouse has student loans too, you’re probably going to qualify for very low payments, especially if you file taxes separately. Yes, it’s worth it to do the math.
Keep meticulous records. Yes, the Department of Education should be tracking everything, but the system isn’t perfect. Your loan servicer can change. Your employment certifications might get lost in transition. If your servicer switches hands—and they might—double check everything. Save your original submission emails, your confirmations, your payment history, and your employer certifications. You’ll thank yourself later.
Know when to file taxes, and how. If your income changed drastically in a given year, timing your tax filing can work to your advantage. A good financial planner (hi) can walk you through those decisions and help you understand whether married filing separately makes sense. It's not just a tax question—it's a loan forgiveness question, too.
And please don’t forget about your recertification dates. If your income goes down, your payment can too. If your household size goes up, same thing. These adjustments can be made more than once a year, especially if your circumstances change. Don’t leave money on the table.
One more thing. I want to speak directly to the guilt you might be carrying. Let it go. Seriously. If you’re working in education, health care, social work, government, nonprofit advocacy, or a thousand other fields that carry the weight of the world for far too little pay—this program was built for you. You are the intended audience. Your forgiveness isn’t a loophole. It’s the payoff for years of commitment.
So let yourself dream a little. Think about what your life could look like with that debt finally gone. It really does happen. You really do get to walk away. And when you do, maybe stop by a soda shop, pay for the car behind you, and bring your partner a bundt cake and a copy of your balance sheet that now reads: $0.
And if anyone ever tells you “thank you for your service,” smile and say, “You're welcome.”