Following initial advocacy by psychologists participating in APA Services’ October 2020 Advocacy Summit on increasing affordability of graduate study and expanding student loan forgiveness options and continued efforts by APA Advocacy staff, Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) introduced the Senate version of the Student Loan Forgiveness for Frontline Health Workers Act (S. 3828opens in new window). Securing a Senate companion for this bill was one of the goals of the summit.
This key win exemplifies the iterative nature of advocacy and the value of constituent voices. The work that advocates did many months ago laid the groundwork for APA Services continued follow-up, which led to an important victory for psychology.
The bill would forgive the federal and private student loan debt of front-line health workers—including psychologists—who are providing care for those impacted by COVID-19 or conducting research related to the pandemic. This loan forgiveness would apply to paid and volunteer workers, including current trainees, interns, fellows, and students, who served for any period during the qualifying emergency related to COVID-19.
Student debt issues remain a top advocacy priority for APA Services, including through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.
For more information, contact Kenneth Polishchuk.