1 million Californians qualify for this student loan debt relief. But time is running out.

Nearly 1 million Californians who work in public service are eligible for student loan forgiveness, yet just 10,000 have received it.

Now, they have until Oct. 31 to apply for federal debt relief.

In an announcement that featured remarks by Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta, student loan advocacy groups kicked off a campaign to sign up eligible Californians.

“We’re relying on you employers to be the trusted messengers so we can reach as many borrowers as possible,” said Natalia Abrams of the Student Debt Crisis Center.

Bonta described how the federal student loan relief program, launched in 2007, was targeted by the Trump Administration, which refused to honor most applications for debt relief. Bonta said California took the U.S. Department of Education, under then-Secretary Betsy DeVos, to court over the matter.

While the Biden Administration has been friendlier to student loan relief applicants, it has held in place an Oct. 31 deadline to qualify for past credits.

“Here’s the catch: You need to act, and you need to act now,” Bonta said.

To apply for Public Service Loan Forgiveness, people are encouraged to visit studentaid.gov by no later than Oct. 31.

This story was originally published August 8, 2022 at 11:52 AM with the headline "1 million Californians qualify for this student loan debt relief. But time is running out.."