Issues & Advocacy

BIG NEWS! Changes to Public Service Loan Forgiveness Announced—Act Now

A few years ago, MEA member Geoff Nash started looking into the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program to see if he was on track toward getting rid of his remaining student loan debt when he reached 10 years of working in a public school.

The answer he got after registering in the system—like many others who made years of student loan payments in good faith—was “No.” He had the wrong type of loan and would need to consolidate into a different kind that met the program’s narrow criteria for acceptance. He did, and started over.

Fast forward to October of this year, and big changes were announced to PSLF—thanks to lobbying by NEA members across the country. In 2020, more than 170,000 messages were sent by NEA members to the Biden-Harris administration appealing for the program to live up to its promise.

The changes announced by U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona include a broad expansion of the types of payments that count toward PSLF. Originally, forgiveness required the right kind of payments in the right kind of repayment plan on the right kind of loans. Now, the program will accept more kinds of payments, including late payments, since the program's inception in 2007; additional repayment plans; and more types of loans.

MEA UniServ Director Jon Toppen, who leads trainings on PSLF for MEA members, said he’s

After 20 years of teaching kindergarten in Hopkins, MEA member Shelley Hall got “amazing” news last month: $89,000 in student loan debt was wiped away, and she even received a small rebate, following changes in the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Read the full story at mea.org/

forgiveness-changes-help-

members. seen many educators struggle to get through the program’s “very small hoops.” But advocacy efforts were derailed when Betsy DeVos was Education Secretary and maintained a 98% rejection rate for applications over the previous four years.

“This is another example of why elections matter,” Toppen said. “The concerted effort to get people elected that are friendly to public education certainly makes a difference.”

When the changes were announced, Nash—a second-grade teacher in Allegan—had made 29 months of qualifying payments since his start-over, with $67,000 left to repay. Suddenly an additional 42 months of payments qualified. He believes another 20 months of service at a public charter school might qualify when he submits the paperwork.

“I was delighted,” Nash said after receiving notification from the program. “It was a total boost. I’m now looking at possibly two and a half more years and I can be out from under this debt and not have to worry about it anymore.”

An estimated 550,000 public-service workers nationwide who’ve already registered in the system will now see their progress toward PSLF grow by an average of 23 monthly payments. Another 27,000 borrowers could receive

$2.82 billion in forgiveness if they certify additional periods of employment.

Borrowers must apply through a limited waiver, available through Oct. 31, 2022, which makes it important for anyone interested to enroll now—even before reaching the 10-year mark, said MEA UniServ Director Christine Anderson, who also runs webinars for MEA members on how to apply.

“Get everything in right now,” she advises. “The program up until now has been set up for your failure, but now it’s set up for you to succeed. This is a one-year window for those who have been denied or haven’t even tried because they had the ‘wrong’ type of loan or payment plan.

“They’re even offering rebates. So if you’ve made more than 120 payments, they’re sending you money back on those extra payments.”

For MEA member Charles Miller, who has been teaching and paying on student loan debt for 20 years, the changes mean he should now be immediately eligible to have close to $17,000 forgiven from his original total of $51,000.

“It really is kind of—I hate to say game-changer, but it really is,” the Fenton science teacher said. “I can’t begin to put into words what it does for me after so many years where every financial choice came with

Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

The new changes might help you if:

✔  You have federal student loans AND work full-time for a

school district or institution of higher education AND

✔  You have Direct Loans OR You consolidate into the Direct

Loan Program by Oct. 31, 2022

What you need to do before Oct. 31, 2022:

✔  Go to studentaid.gov/pslf, login with your Federal Student

Aid ID (or create one if you do not have one) and make sure your contact information is up to date so the U.S. Department of

Education can communicate directly with you. ✔  Sign up for your NEA Member Benefits at neamb.com to get free access to Savi, an interactive tool that helps educators easily access loan forgiveness and repayment plans they qualify for to save the most money in the long run.

Need help?

Talk with your MEA UniServ Director to schedule an online training for your local or coordinating council!

For MEA member Geoff Nash, an elementary teacher in Allegan, the changes immediately moved him years closer to getting rid of his student loan debt. “I was delighted; it was a total boost,” he says.

this burden of, ‘Well, I’ve got to make sure it fits within this budget.’”

Next Miller would like to see a loan forgiveness program address the educator shortage by offering forbearance for 10 years and then forgiveness—with repayment required for those who leave before that.

“Whatever we can do for those new folks in the classroom to lighten their load, it’s imperative we do so,” he said, noting his school will likely go all year with an open science teaching job. “If we’re going to continue attracting top talent and keep the people we have, we’ve got to get more creative.”

Introducing the new MESSA mobile app

At MESSA, we know our members work hard to take care of our kids and our schools, going above and beyond every day. We strive to simplify your life whenever we can, and we want to make it easy for you to access your MESSA benefits information, no matter where you are.

That’s why I’m excited to announce the launch of the brand-new MESSA app.

The MESSA app makes it easy to check the status of your deductible and access your statements and claims. You can also use the MESSA app to connect with our East Lansing- based Member Service Center via live chat or voice call.

If you find yourself at the doctor’s office or pharmacy without your MESSA card, you can use the app to pull up a virtual MESSA card.

The app also links you to MESSA’s “Find Care” tool, helping you find an in-network provider, facility or pharmacy whenever you need it.

To download the MESSA app, search for “MESSA” in the App Store or Google Play or visit messa.org/MESSAapp.

By Ross Wilson, MESSA Executive Director

MEA Scholarships—Apply Now

The MEA Scholarship application is now open. Interested applicants can find it online at mea.org/ mea-scholarship. The application deadline is Feb. 17, 2022. Questions can be directed to Barb Hitchcock at bhitchcock@mea.org or 517-333-6276. To be eligible for the MEA Scholarship, applicants must be a dependent of an MEA member or MEA-Retired member in good standing and graduating from a Michigan high school that has an MEA bargaining unit.

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MEA member Leah Porter of Holt was named Michigan Teacher of the Year last spring, prompting her district to assign her a co-teaching role and grant full release for MTOY duties in a tumultuous year.

What have you been doing

this fall? “I am visiting as many places as I can, which is challenging with COVID, but I want to be informed and I feel it’s my obligation. What I have seen is a perfect storm that is so exhausting for every layer of people working in education and with no relief in sight. But while everywhere is going through the same struggles, I’ve also witnessed countless moments of educators doing what they do best. Putting students first, working to create learning opportunities that meet the needs of their students, and showing authentic care and connection. Despite all of the challenges, we have an incredible teaching force in Michigan. I am proud to be a part of it.”

What is that perfect storm

you’re seeing? “The number of vacant positions in every district is huge. Not having enough subs means teachers and other support staff are subbing all the time, often during planning time and breaks, to provide any sort of normalcy in a day. We have more kids back in classrooms, and the academic needs are very large. The social-emotional needs are huge. Districts have money from the COVID-relief packages, but they can't find people to fill positions to help. Meanwhile, the third grade reading law comes into full effect this year, and state assessments and the whole evaluation system add more pressure on top.” What effect is it having? “For anyone working in a school, their job is so much more difficult. We had a lot of these problems before March of 2020, and we were starting to have staffing problems, but we were keeping it together. Now the pandemic put all of it in a pressure cooker, and that pressure cooker is releasing. I fear we're putting a bandaid on a breaking dam, and we're going to see the impact of all these decisions we're making right now for years. It is heart-wrenching to have phenomenal educators across the state, people who love this profession as much as I do, and so many feeling overwhelmed and saying they don’t know how much longer they can do this.”

What would you change with

a magic wand? “The last 10 years in Michigan have been incredibly difficult in education, especially in funding and how schools have had to strip down to bare bones. First off, every position would be staffed. We would have far more social work, counseling, behavior specialists to support the trauma that kids have been going through and to support educators. Lowering class sizes. Cutting any standardized testing of kids and evaluation on teachers this year. We were all exhausted coming into this year, but we could be in a different place if we could trust teachers as professionals and give them autonomy to see kids, get to know them, and teach at a pace that is needed.”

What about learning gaps

and catching kids up? “I hear a lot about acceleration with children who’ve had all these academic hurdles because of the pandemic—and how do we get them over those hurdles. We don’t get there without looking at the kids in front of us and prioritizing them and their needs. None of the rest of it matters. If we were taking the time to prioritize them, teachers could build classrooms around their needs. But because of these other pressures and what they have to teach every day, that feels like an impossible task.”

What are your hopes and

worries for the future? “I am so grateful the teacher shortage is a priority in the [Michigan Department of Education’s] strategic 10-year plan, and we are having important conversations around ways to navigate the shortage for the future. But I worry about the staff in the thick of it right now. My fear is if we don’t address that as soon as possible—like right now—we’re going to have a worse shortage before the end of this school year. And going forward, we need to fight to maintain this level of funding. Just imagine if we did—the power that would have on the lives of children right in front of us and for future generations of children coming through our public schools. We’re talking about the future of our state, our nation. We have to do all we can to fight for them.”

Investing in your future

Most people have financial goals beyond simply saving for retirement or a child’s college education. A first home, a memorable vacation, a new car or boat, a larger house for a growing family -- each takes effective financial planning. Choosing the right investment s strategy can be a complex issue. MEA Financial Services has a wide range of investment products, specifically selected and tailored to help meet your goals and to develop a balanced portfolio.

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WE KNOW THIS IS A TOUGH TIME.

We’re here for you.

As a nonprofit founded and governed by public school employees, we at MESSA understand the challenges and stressors facing educators and school support staff — especially these days. Here’s what we’re providing to give you peace of mind:

• Excellent mental health coverage for you and your dependents.

• Complimentary access to MyStress Tools to help you manage stress and anxiety.

• Free wellness programs to help improve your physical and mental health.

Learn about these and other member-exclusive programs at messa.org or call us at 800-336-0013. We’re here to help.