Student loan forgiveness program for public servants may soon expand [Video]

The U.S. Department of Education may extend the eligibility of a popular student loan forgiveness program to early childhood educators.

The agency on Thursday announced that it was issuing a request for information on potentially broadening the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program to include workers in early childhood education settings, many of whom report low wages.

“Early childhood educators help young children learn, grow, and thrive,” said U.S. Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal in a statement.

“But they are often poorly compensated, and student debt is a problem,” Kvaal added. “If these educators can access Public Service Loan Forgiveness, we can help our youngest children, their families, and their communities.”

The PSLF program, signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2007, allows certain not-for-profit and government employees to have their federal student loans canceled after 10 years of on-time payments. Including early childhood educators would likely expand the reach of the program to …