THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | NEWS 11
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2018
Public interest workers talk loan program changes By DANNY VESURAI and ALEX WONG the daily northwestern @dvesurai, @alexalwwong
Over 28,000 public servants applied for a loan forgiveness program between last September and this April, and only 96 were accepted. The statistic is daunting, but public interest experts and workers said they were confident the numbers only represented a rocky start and would get better. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness forgives student debt for people working in the public sector after they’ve made 120 monthly payments under an income-driven plan. However, applicants are accepted under specific conditions, like working for approved employers and consolidating originally ineligible loans. For Northwestern students interested in pursuing public interest work after school, the program provides a necessary safety net. Emily Powers (School of Law ’15) said she probably would not have attended law school if the program did not exist. Some experts and workers said it’s likely people misunderstood the strict requirements needed to fit the program. Ninety-nine percent of applications were denied because applicants failed to meet requirements or had incomplete forms, an Education Department report found. But requirements have become more transparent and easier to follow in recent years, which will likely allow more applicants to receive loan forgiveness, said David Stern, executive director of nonprofit Equal Justice Works.
Alec Carroll/The Daily Northwestern
Northwestern Career Advancement. NCA Director Mark Presnell cautioned students that PSLF is federally funded and may be entirely scrapped under the current administration.
“This is a new program that’s just getting off the ground,” he said. “We always knew there would be some hiccups because people were learning about how to enroll and how to get in the program.” Stern has worked to familiarize public servants with the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program through the nonprofit, which is dedicated to supporting public servants. He said it’s key for students to be able to pursue public service jobs
while being able to pay off their loans. “(The program) is the gateway,” he said. “It’s the key element to enable people in today’s high debt world.” Powers believes she is on track to receive aid and that understanding the requirements has become easier, as the company in charge of organizing the program updates its website to clarify misunderstandings.
Still, Powers said she called Pritzker’s public interest associate director out of concern after she read the reports on how few applications had been accepted. The program required a lot of “troubleshooting” for Powers to make payments, she said. Mark Presnell, executive director of Northwestern Career Advancement, said the low numbers aren’t surprising given the program’s complexity. “It’s easy for anyone to miss a payment, to end up with an employer that doesn’t qualify,” Presnell said. “Ten years pass, as an alum you’re going to go through multiple employers, and making sure all those benchmarks are hit is pretty challenging.” Although Presnell said he thinks the program works for some students, he cautions students that as a federal program, it may change — or be entirely scrapped — within the 120-month payment plan period. President Donald Trump’s budget proposal for 2018 included eliminating the program to save money. Last year, U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), who chairs the House Committee on Education and the Workforce that oversees the forgiveness program, proposed a loan system overhaul that would eliminate the program. For Powers, public service work is “invaluable,” and she’s grateful that the program has allowed her to pursue this career path. “It’s crucial this country continues to value people who want to do that work,” she said. “It’s tiring and daunting, but it’s very rewarding. At the end of the day, I’m really glad I chose this path.” dvesurai@u.northwestern.edu alexwong2022@u.northwestern.edu
WRESTLING
Following big win, NU prepares for Las Vegas tournament play
After a shocking loss to unranked North Dakota State the week before, No. 23 Northwestern, (1-1, 0-0 Big Ten) tried something different in the lead up to its last game against then-No. 10 Virginia Tech. Upperclassmen led the team on an impromptu prayer circle, emphasizing unity and
strength. It worked. The Wildcats shocked Virginia Tech 20-16 for their first win of the young season. A 19-6 major decision from sophomore Sebastian Rivera put NU up 4-0 to start the dual and the Cats never looked back. Bolstered by the win at Welsh-Ryan Arena, the Cats head to Las Vegas this weekend to participate in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Invitational, their first tournament of the season. Coach Matt Storniolo said he was disappointed in the team’s first result, but excited about the
emphatic way they came back against the Hokies. This weekend’s tournament is different from the matches NU has seen so far because it involves multiple schools in one location. The team won’t be able to study their opponents as thoroughly as they would when prepping for a dual match. They’ll also wrestle more, with multiple battles each day. Senior Conan Jennings has started the season strong for the Cats, picking up two wins in the first two meets. Jennings said the action packed nature of a tournament seldom effects his wrestling style
or practice habits. Storniolo said this weekend’s slate of matches will serve as an important indicator of where NU stands relative to other teams at this point in the season. “When you have a chance to compete in tournaments like this one when the competition is at the highest level, it’s a great litmus test to see where we stack up against the best teams and players in the country this early in the season,” Storniolo said. — Greg Svirnovskiy