Sponsors (5)
The bill expands access to federal student loan relief for volunteer firefighters and EMTs and creates clearer federal rules and verification—helping volunteers and local services—while imposing new administrative burdens, leaving some volunteers vulnerable to exclusion depending on chosen hour thresholds, and modestly increasing federal program costs.
Volunteer firefighters and volunteer EMTs (and the students among them) can count qualifying volunteer service toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness and may be treated as full‑time for federal student loan benefits if they meet the new minimum-hour standard, expanding access to loan relief and reducing student debt for qualifying volunteers.
Borrowers, volunteer organizations, and state/local officials gain clearer federal definitions, an administratively set minimum volunteer‑time threshold, and required tracking/verification processes, producing more predictable eligibility rules and clearer documentation that should reduce disputes over loan forgiveness.
Local fire, EMS, and public safety organizations—especially in rural areas—are likely to have stronger volunteer recruitment and retention because volunteers receive a tangible financial benefit tied to their service.
State and local governments, volunteer organizations, Department of Education staff, and volunteers will face added administrative work and verification responsibilities to document volunteer hours and eligibility, creating costs and potential delays in determinations.
Volunteer firefighters and EMTs who perform substantial service but do not meet a Secretary‑set minimum‑hour threshold could be excluded from qualifying as full‑time for loan benefits, leaving some volunteers without expected relief.
Borrowers and volunteers could face inconsistent treatment across jurisdictions because ambiguities about acceptable certifying organizations, acceptable types of service, or how hours are counted may lead to uneven application of the rules.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Allows qualifying volunteer firefighter and volunteer EMT service to count as full-time public service for federal student loan forgiveness, subject to Secretary-defined hour thresholds and verification.
Official title: To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to include service as a volunteer firefighter or volunteer emergency medical technician as a public service job for purposes of eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 1, 2025 by Daniel Goldman · Last progress May 1, 2025
Expands federal student loan forgiveness eligibility to count qualifying volunteer service as a first responder toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). It adds volunteer qualified firefighters and volunteer emergency medical technicians to the list of qualifying public service employment and directs the Education Secretary to define minimum volunteer-time thresholds and create tracking and verification rules after consulting public safety organizations. The change lets volunteers who perform emergency response services for recognized fire departments, ambulance services, healthcare facilities, or public safety organizations—but who are not full-time employees of those entities—count their volunteer time as if it were full-time public service for loan forgiveness, once the Secretary issues implementing regulations.