OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Rosey Higgs works for the Nonprofit Association of the Midlands (NAM) and said when she graduated college navigating her student loan payments was tough.
"I had enrolled in the wrong payment plan," Higgs said. "There were many of my payments that weren’t counted."
Higgs is one of the millions who qualify for relief under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness plan
The plan applies to people who work for government agencies, covering occupations such as teachers and law enforcement, as well as those who work for a 501c3 nonprofit.
The intent is to allow for qualifiers to receive loan forgiveness, but public policy and communications manager Hannah Young said borrowers have had difficulty getting it.
"In the past, we’ve heard that hardly anybody was getting loan forgiveness. (A waiver was created) last October and under that waiver a lot more people are now eligible for the student loan forgiveness."
The waiver is changing the rules, and payments that didn't count before now might. It's made a big difference for Higgs’ student loan payment history.
"Through the temporary waiver, I was able to count (my previously rejected payments) and then apply for and qualify for forgiveness," she said. "Having the opportunity (to) have those forgiven has allowed me a lot more flexibility. It’s allowed me to purchase a vehicle, all of those things."
A waiver is an option NAM is urging potential applicants to consider while they still can Young said there's a deadline to apply for the waiver.
"If you work for a non-profit or in the government and you think you might be eligible, we're really encouraging people to check that out now because as of October 31st it might be too late."
Higgs hopes it opens the door for more people to consider nonprofits.
"We need people to work in our nonprofits and so this waiver program can really help make that possible for them."
The application for the waiver can be found here:
studentaid.gov/pslf/
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