The public service loan forgiveness program is eliminated in the proposed Federal Budget from President Trump.
That program, signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2007, allows not-for-profit and government employees to have their federal student loans canceled after 10 years of on-time payments. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau estimates that up to one-quarter of American workers could be eligible. Eliminating public service loan forgiveness will hurt the ability to train and hire librarians since a Masters Degree in Library and Information Science (MLIS) is required to hold a position as librarian.
At EveryLibrary, we know that the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program has encouraged many early-career librarians with Master’s of Library Sciences degrees to choose communities that truly need qualified librarians. This program is under threat and Congress needs to hear from you to preserve it.
We are concerned that eliminating this loan forgiveness program for librarians who choose to work in qualified towns and neighborhoods -- especially in places that need literacy services, jobs skills training programs, and community building experts -- will not be able to take advantage of a unique and high-impact program that gives back to those who serve. Without the program, low-income and disadvantaged communities that already have a difficult time paying living wages will have a harder time attracting new, talented librarians. Without the program, many people who could become librarians -- especially those who want to go back and serve in their own towns and neighborhoods -- won’t be able to afford their Master’s in Library Sciences.
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If you believe that programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness should continue in America, please sign this Petition to Congress today. Help preserve this vital pathway to service for librarians in every community -- regardless of wealth -- all across the country.