PSLF forgiveness - can I submit employment verification again to hit 120 payments faster?

You can absolutely submit another employment certification form (ECF) as soon as you reach 120 qualifying payments. There's no required waiting period between submissions. In fact, it's recommended to submit a new form right when you hit 120 to start the forgiveness process ASAP. The FAFSA message you're seeing is just generic messaging on the studentaid.gov site and has nothing to do with your PSLF progress. You're so close - congrats!

im at 119 payments right now lol, we're in the same boat! they told me over the phone that you can submit as many ECFs as you want. the fafsa thing is just random website stuff, ignore it.

Just went through this process myself. You can submit the employment verification as many times as you want! I actually submitted mine at 117 payments (just like you), then again at 120, and the forgiveness processed within 45 days. One tip: save a PDF copy of your payment history before submitting at 120, just in case anything gets weird in the system. Also, that FAFSA message is completely irrelevant to PSLF - it's just default text on the site.

When I was going thru PSLF last year the most frustrating part was getting actual humans on the phone whenever I had questions. Spent HOURS being disconnected or on hold. My cousin told me about this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a real FSA agent in like 15 minutes instead of the usual 3+ hour wait. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. Total sanity saver for those final verification questions!

PSLF specialist here! Let me clarify a few things: 1. You can submit ECFs as frequently as you need - no waiting period required 2. Once you hit 120 payments, submit immediately to trigger the forgiveness review 3. Average processing time after hitting 120 is 30-90 days currently 4. Your loans will show as "Forgiveness Processing" during review 5. The FAFSA message is irrelevant to PSLF - just standard website text Important: Make sure your employment dates cover the ENTIRE period up to your 120th payment. Any gaps could delay processing. Also, if you're still working at a qualifying employer, I recommend continuing payments (if any are still due) until you receive confirmation of forgiveness, just to be safe.

THE SYSTEM IS SO FRUSTRATING!!!! I submitted my form at 120 payments EXACTLY and it took them SIX MONTHS to process my forgiveness!!!! Keep submitting forms and CALL THEM CONSTANTLY or they'll just let your application sit there. Don't trust their "30-90 days" estimates! And save EVERYTHING because they lost my employment verification TWICE and I had to resubmit. The FAFSA message is just their crappy website being confusing as usual.

i just got my loans forgiven last month after 10 years of payments... best feeling ever!! definitely submit that form as soon as you hit 120, i waited an extra month for no reason and regret it. good luck!!

One thing to watch for - if any of your 117 qualifying payments were made during the COVID payment pause, make sure they're actually counted correctly in your total. I had an issue where some of those months weren't initially counted, and I had to request a manual review. Double-check that your payment count timeline looks right before you submit your final form at 120 payments.

Hey Lukas! You're so close to the finish line - that's exciting! Just to add to what others have said, I'd recommend keeping a detailed record of your employment dates and payment history. When I was going through PSLF, I created a simple spreadsheet with payment dates, amounts, and employment periods just to have everything organized. It really helped when I had questions about specific payments. Also, once you submit at 120 payments, you can check your account regularly - the status will change from "Making Progress" to "Pending Manual Review" and then eventually to "Approved" when it's processed. The waiting is nerve-wracking but you're almost there!

Hey Lukas! Welcome to the community! I'm also working toward PSLF forgiveness and just wanted to say you're doing great by staying on top of your payments and documentation. I'm at 89 payments myself, so I'm a bit behind you but following this thread closely for when I get to where you are. One thing I've learned from lurking in this community is that the closer you get to 120, the more anxious it becomes - but it sounds like you're being really proactive about the process. Best of luck with those final 3 payments, and please keep us updated when you submit at 120! It's really encouraging to see someone so close to the finish line.

Hi Lukas! Welcome to the community! I just went through the PSLF process myself and got my forgiveness approved about 6 months ago. You're absolutely right to be proactive about this - you can definitely submit another ECF as soon as you hit 120 payments, no waiting period required. One tip I wish I'd known: when you submit at 120, include a cover letter or note explaining that this is your forgiveness application (not just routine employment verification). It can help move things along faster in processing. Also, if you're making payments through auto-debit, don't cancel it until you get the official forgiveness confirmation - I made that mistake and it created a small headache. The anxiety is totally normal at this stage! You're so close to the finish line. Keep us posted on how it goes when you hit 120 - this community loves hearing success stories and it helps motivate those of us who went through the same journey. You've got this! 🎉

Hi Lukas! Welcome to the community! I'm new here too and have been following PSLF discussions closely as I work toward my own forgiveness. I'm currently at 102 qualifying payments, so I'm not too far behind you! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - it's reassuring to see so many people confirming that you can submit the ECF as soon as you hit 120 without any waiting period. I had the same concern about timing that you mentioned. The tip about saving a PDF of your payment history before submitting is something I'm definitely going to do when I get to that point. It's so encouraging to see someone just 3 payments away from the finish line! This whole process can feel overwhelming sometimes, but seeing your progress and all the helpful advice from people who've successfully completed PSLF gives me hope. Please keep us updated when you submit at 120 - I'd love to hear how the final process goes. Best of luck with those last few payments! 🤞

Hi Lukas! Welcome to the community! I'm also new here and working toward PSLF forgiveness myself. I'm currently at 95 qualifying payments, so seeing someone at 117 is really inspiring! Everything everyone has said about being able to submit your ECF immediately at 120 payments is spot on - there's definitely no waiting period. I've been researching this extensively as I get closer myself. The advice about saving a PDF of your payment history is excellent too. I just wanted to add that if you haven't already, it might be worth double-checking that all your loan types are eligible for PSLF (Direct Loans only) and that your payment plan has been qualifying throughout. I had a friend who discovered at payment 115 that a few months were on the wrong payment plan and didn't count. You're so close to the finish line - just 3 more payments! This community has been such a great resource for navigating the final stages. Please definitely keep us updated when you submit at 120. Success stories like yours (soon to be!) really help motivate those of us still working our way there. Good luck! 🎉

Hi Lukas! Welcome to the community! I'm also relatively new here and working toward PSLF myself. I'm currently at 87 qualifying payments, so seeing someone at 117 is incredibly motivating! Everyone has given you such great advice already - I just wanted to echo that you can absolutely submit your ECF immediately when you hit 120 payments. No waiting period at all. I've been preparing for that moment myself and have learned so much from this community. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you might want to consider calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center (1-800-4-FED-AID) a few days after you submit your final ECF just to confirm they received it and that it's in the queue for processing. Sometimes the online portal can be a bit delayed in updating status. You're so incredibly close to the finish line - just 3 more payments! This whole PSLF journey has been such a marathon, but you're almost at that amazing moment when those loans disappear forever. Please definitely keep us posted when you submit at 120 and throughout the final review process. Success stories like yours (very soon!) give hope to all of us still working our way there. Congratulations on making it this far, and best of luck with those final payments! 🎉

Hi Lukas! Welcome to the community! I'm also new here and currently working toward PSLF myself - I'm at 78 qualifying payments right now. Seeing someone at 117 payments is so inspiring and gives me hope that I'll get there too! Everyone has already given you fantastic advice about being able to submit your ECF immediately at 120 with no waiting period. I just wanted to add my congratulations on making it so far in this process. From everything I've read here and researched on my own, it sounds like you're handling everything perfectly by staying proactive and keeping track of your progress. The anxiety you mentioned about making sure everything processes correctly is so relatable. Even though I'm still 42 payments away, I already find myself worrying about the final steps! But reading all these responses from people who have successfully completed PSLF is really reassuring. I'll definitely be following your journey closely as you hit those final 3 payments and submit for forgiveness. Please keep us posted - your experience will be incredibly valuable for those of us still working our way there. You're almost at the finish line after what I'm sure has been a long journey. Congratulations and best of luck! 🎉

Hi Lukas! Welcome to the community! I'm also new here and working toward PSLF myself - currently at 93 qualifying payments. Seeing someone just 3 payments away from the finish line is incredibly motivating! Everyone has already given you excellent advice about submitting your ECF immediately at 120 with no waiting period required. I just wanted to add that you might want to screenshot or print your payment tracker page right before you submit at 120, in addition to saving that PDF of your payment history that others mentioned. Having multiple forms of documentation never hurts with this process. The anxiety you're feeling is so normal - I'm already starting to feel it myself as I get closer! But reading all these success stories from people who've completed PSLF gives me so much hope. You've made it through 117 payments already, which is amazing dedication over nearly 10 years. I'll definitely be following your progress closely as you hit those final payments and submit for forgiveness. Please keep us updated throughout the process - your experience will be so valuable for those of us still working our way there. You're almost at the finish line after such a long journey. Congratulations on making it this far! 🎉

Hi Lukas! Welcome to the community! I'm also new here and currently working toward PSLF myself - I'm at 84 qualifying payments right now. Seeing someone at 117 payments is so encouraging and really helps me visualize the light at the end of the tunnel! Everyone has already given you such comprehensive advice about being able to submit your ECF immediately when you hit 120 with no waiting period. I just wanted to add my voice to say how inspiring it is to see someone so close to forgiveness after what must have been years of dedication to this process. The anxiety you mentioned about wanting everything to process correctly really resonates with me. Even though I still have 36 payments to go, I already find myself worrying about the final steps and making sure I don't mess anything up! But reading all these responses from people who have successfully completed PSLF is incredibly reassuring and gives me confidence that the system does work when you follow the right steps. I'll definitely be following your journey closely as you complete those final 3 payments and submit for forgiveness. Please keep us posted throughout the process - your experience will be invaluable for those of us still working our way there. You're almost at the finish line after such a long commitment. Congratulations on making it this far, and best of luck with everything! 🎉

Hi Lukas! Welcome to the community! I'm also new here and working toward PSLF myself - currently at 101 qualifying payments, so we're almost in the same boat! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful. It's so reassuring to see multiple people confirming that you can submit your ECF immediately when you hit 120 with no waiting period. I had the same question about timing that you did, so this thread has been perfect timing for me too! The tips about saving PDFs, taking screenshots, and including a cover letter with your final submission are all things I'm definitely adding to my checklist for when I get there. It's amazing how this community shares such practical, real-world advice from people who've actually been through the process. You're so close to the finish line - just 3 more payments after years of dedication! I'll definitely be following your progress and would love to hear how the final submission and review process goes. Your experience will be incredibly valuable for those of us just behind you. Congratulations on making it this far, and best of luck with those final payments! 🎉