ONA knows that nurses desperately need relief from their student loans. As the most trusted profession in the United States, nurses have always been willing to stand up and help those who need it most. After many years of struggling, the U.S. Department of Education reached a settlement with the American Federation of Teachers to make a long-standing public service student loan forgiveness (PSLF) program more accessible for nurses. We are grateful that nurses are finally being given what they have rightly earned.

Many nurses from Oregon will likely benefit from the settlement and the temporary PSLF expansion resulting from it. ONA is affiliated with AFT-Healthcare, which means as an ONA member you can access AFT services to help borrowers - for free!

Summer is a trusted online platform that can help you simplify and navigate your student loan situation, supplemented by student loan advisers who ensure you are support through the repayment process.

How Summer Works

How to Enroll

1. First, if you have not done so already, you will need to register to access your free membership benefits account with AFT-Healthcare by visiting this link: https://members.aft.org/members/register As an ONA member in a collective bargaining unit*, you are part of local 05905. Click here for step-by-step instructions if needed.
   
   
2. Next, once you log into your AFT Member Benefits account, enroll with Summer, an online resource started by student loan borrowers to help others. Using Summer’s online student loan management platform, you can complete the PSLF Employment Certification Form and manage the certification and application process. You can also receive assistance from Summer’s borrower success team to maximize your loan repayment and forgiveness options.

*Nurses who are Professional Association Members do not have access to AFT benefits. However, you may still be eligible for the PSLF Program. Visit https://studentaid.gov/pslf/ for more information.

Online Student Debt Clinics for ONA Members

If you missed the online student debt clinics hosted by ONA you can still get the important information thanks to AFT. They are hosting a weekly national student debt clinic on Thursdays at 4 p.m. PT. Register for a scheduled session and lean more about reducing your student debt.

• Click here to register for one of the weekly clinics
  

History of Summer Program

In October 2021, the American Federation of Teachers reached a landmark settlement with the U.S. Department of Education after suing the government for its failure to manage the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. PSLF was supposed to guarantee that those who work in public service (e.g. nurses, teachers, social workers) and consistently pay their monthly student loan bills on time would have the balance of their loans forgiven after ten years. However, since the program began in 2007, fewer than two percent of applicants received the relief they were promised. Instead, borrowers faced servicer misconduct, were issued confusing and sometimes contradictory guidance, and had no clear process for contesting decisions.

The settlement required the federal government to take the following steps:

• Give reconsideration to borrowers whose applications for PSLF were denied;
• Automatically review applications denied prior to November 2020 for borrowers with at least ten years of repayments on a direct loan; and
• Provide detailed notices informing borrowers how many payments remain before they qualify for forgiveness, how they can find out which payments are qualifying, and whom to contact to receive guidance about how to obtain loan forgiveness.

This settlement also supports further critical PSLF reforms:

• The Education Department will work with organizations to improve communications with borrowers seeking PSLF;
• A publicly available audit of student loan servicer performance and publication of corrective action plans;
• A public release of data on why borrowers failed to qualify for PSLF, and improved data on PSLF turnaround times and outcomes so that borrowers know what to expect in applying for relief; and
• Improvement of the PSLF application process, including by expanding the base of qualifying employers, automating the PSLF process for federal employees, allowing borrowers to digitally sign their PSLF applications, and exploring options allowing employers to certify employment for groups of employees and automating certification with state, local and tribal governments

What if I don’t qualify for PSLF?

If you have a private student loan or work for a for-profit health care facility, Summer may still be able to help you with managing your loans and reducing monthly payments. Log into the AFT membership benefits site to learn more.

The American Nurses Association also has partners that can help you with student loan refinancing.