HARRISBURG, PA – With the April 30 deadline fast approaching, Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry is urging state residents with eligible student loans to take immediate steps to benefit from adjustments to the federal loan forgiveness program. This adjustment could lead to significant credit towards loan forgiveness, and in some cases, complete eradication of the remaining balances for those with Perkins, Health Education Assistance (HEAL), or commercially-held Federal Family Education (FFEL) loans.

By consolidating these specific loans into the Direct Loan Program by the end of April, borrowers will qualify for the Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) programs, including the newly introduced SAVE program, which could drastically reduce their debt. This move is especially timely as federal student loan payments are set to resume.

Attorney General Henry highlighted her office’s achievements in securing over $205 million in student loan cancellations since 2020 and reaffirmed her commitment to assisting Pennsylvanians in navigating these beneficial programs.

For those in public service or non-profit sectors, or borrowers with less than $12,000 who enroll in the SAVE plan, as few as ten years of payments could lead to total forgiveness under the Public Student Loan Forgiveness program. Moreover, actions taken before the deadline might allow for the retroactive counting of payments towards loan forgiveness, even for periods when payments were not required.

To aid borrowers, Attorney General Henry’s office is dispatching notifications to over 30,000 individuals likely to benefit and encourages all eligible borrowers to research their loan types. Steps include visiting the Federal Student Aid website or contacting the U.S. Department of Education, applying for loan consolidation into a Direct Loan, and enrolling in an IDR plan.

For further guidance, borrowers are recommended to visit the PA Office of Attorney General’s dedicated web page on this limited-time forgiveness opportunity.

Phil Stilton Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.