Overview
The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program forgives the remaining balance on Direct Loans after an individual has made 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan, while working full-time for a qualifying employer.
The process requires your employer to certify your employment so that eligibility can be determined. The Office of Human Resources (OHR) will certify all federal employment for current NIH employees for the purposes of the PSLF Program.
OHR certifies the employment of all current NIH employees, to include employment at other federal agencies, in cases where we are in possession of your personnel records. We may not have your personnel records if you recently transferred from another agency or if you were recently re-hired into the government. In these cases, please contact your prior employer to obtain the necessary information.
If you previously worked at NIH and now work at another agency, please contact your current agency's human resources office for instructions on certifying your PSLF form(s).
NOTES
- Unfortunately, we are unable to support the use of DocuSign for PSLF currently. We hope to make this available in the future
- You will need to submit one PSLF form for each agency and each period of employment for which you are requesting certification.
If you separated from federal service, please contact the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC). Separated federal employees can contact the NPRC by one of the following methods:
| Email: | cpr.center@nara.gov |
| Fax: | (618) 935-3014 |
| Mail: | Civilian Personnel Record Center Correspondence Section 1411 Boulder Boulevard Valmeyer, IL 62295 |
Visit the Department of Education website for more information on PSLF.
Important
The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF) and the Student Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) are distinct and separate incentives. The Student Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) permits agencies to repay Federally insured loans up to $10,000 annually ($60,000 lifetime) as a recruitment or retention incentive upon an employee signing a service agreement. Such repayments are made directly to the lending institution.
If an employee receiving an SLRP benefit also applies for PSLF forgiveness, they may receive a refund check if the PSLF application is approved prior to the SLRP payment being disbursed.
SLRP payments may only be applied to the current loan balance, the employee is not entitled to any payments after a loan has been forgiven. Employees should contact their Recruitment, Staffing, and Classification Contact(s) for information about how to return these funds.
Information on your application
| Employer: | National Institutes of Health |
|
NIH Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN): |
31-1575142 |
| Address: | 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, MD 20892 US |
| Website: | nih.gov |
| Employment Begin Date: | Effective Date on appointment/first SF-50 |
| Employment End Date: | Effective Date on separation SF-50 |
Certification process
Note: Do not use DocuSign for the certification process.
Current employees only
Send your PSLF application to your Recruitment, Staffing, and Classification Contact(s) via a secure email using Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) encryption or the NIH Secure Email and File Transfer Service.
You will need to submit one PSLF form for each agency you are seeking certification.
OHR cannot modify PSLF applications. If you are unsure of any information on your application, including dates of employment, please contact us first.
We will return all incomplete applications, and applications containing errors.
Certification Timeframes
- 2-3 business days if we have your personnel records
- Response times will vary for recently transferred of re-hired employees
Digital signatures
Signatures must be hand drawn. The Department of Education has strict rules on digital signatures. Typed signatures, even if made to mimic a hand-drawn signature, or security certificate-based signatures are not accepted. Please familiarize yourself with the regulations before signing your PSLF application.
| Signature Type | Allowed? |
|---|---|
| Hand drawn from signature pad, mouse, or finger | Yes |
| Typed using a cursive font or any other font | No |
| A scanned photo of a signature that was hand-drawn on paper | Yes |
| Digital certificate-based signature | No |
| A wet signature that was drawn in ink and sent to us in its original format | Yes |
Resources
Employee Information Number (EIN) information for federal employees
A comprehensive list of EINs used across government. You'll need this information when you apply for PSLF.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness: Certification of Federal Employment for Federal Employees
A memorandum issued on October 24, 2022, from the Office of Personnel Management outlining instructions to agencies on the PSLF certification process.