We are very pleased to provide you with information about “The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program”. The Board recently approved a resolution that provides direction about sharing this information with San Mateo employees to help find solutions for employees growing student loan debt.  

The PSLF program allows eligible individuals to receive forgiveness of the remaining balance of their Federal Direct Student Loans after they have made 120 qualifying monthly payments while working full time (at least 30 hours per week) for a qualifying employer.

Eligible Loan Types

The following loan types are eligible for PSLF:

  • Direct Subsidized Loans
  • Direct Unsubsidized Loans (including TEACH Grants that were converted to Unsubsidized Loans)
  • Direct PLUS Loans for graduate or professional students
  • Direct Consolidation Loans (Including Special Direct Consolidation Loans

How Do You Apply?

U.S. Department of Education will determine whether an employer qualifies for PSLF based on the submission of the Employer Certification Form (ECF) or the PSLF Application for Forgiveness.

More information on how to complete the ECF form can be found online.

For more information on how to complete the PSFL application can be found online.

These forms require an authorized official (County of San Mateo Benefits staff) to certify in Section 3 and 4 of the ECF form:

  • That we are a qualifying employer
  • The time frame the employee worked for the County
  • If the employee was employed full time or part time

NOTE: It is recommended that a new ECF is submitted yearly for certification to remain in the program and will be tracked by County Benefits to remind you yearly

San Mateo County Credit Union Partnership

San Mateo Credit Union (SMCU) is committed to the financial wellness of County of San Mateo employees and is pleased to support you with a new financial coaching benefit that supports your efforts applying for the Student Loan-Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.

  • With this new benefit partnership, employees can sign-up to meet (by phone or virtually) with a SMCU financial coach to create a plan to meet your financial wellness goals and assist you with your Student Loan PSLF application and discuss consolidation options.
  • Sessions are confidential and available to 50 employees on a first come, first served basis. You can register for this free confidential financial counseling by completing the link below:

https://www.tfaforms.com/4822436?tfa_2=SanMateo

Additional Information

Employees with less than 10 years of service could potentially be eligible for this program if they made their 120 payments while working for any other qualified employer. To find a list of other qualifying employees, visit the link.

Non-eligible Loans and Consolidation 

If your loan is not listed as one of the qualifying loan types, you are able to consolidate your non-eligible federal student loan into a Direct Consolidation Loan to possibly make you eligible for PSLF.   It is important for you to weigh the pros and cons of consolidation before you submit an application to consolidate.

  • Financial Counseling with the San Mateo County Credit Union Counselor may help employees with this step

For additional information, You can review the Q&A document found online.

You can also contact the County Employee Benefits Division at benefits@smcgov.org or contact us at 650-363-1919 Monday through Thursday from 7:00am-6:00pm.