NASW and our advocacy partners secured an important legal victory protecting the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program for social workers and other public service professionals. On June 30, 2026, a federal court struck down a Department of Education rule in National Council of Nonprofits et al. v. McMahon et al. that would have restricted access to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program based on the nature of an employer's work. The ruling preserved existing PSLF eligibility for social workers employed by qualifying nonprofit and public sector organizations. NASW joined the lawsuit as a plaintiff, working with chapters and members to demonstrate how the proposed changes threatened loan forgiveness for social workers and would have harmed social workers and the communities they serve. The court ruled that the Department exceeded its authority by imposing restrictions not authorized by Congress, preserving existing access to PSLF for eligible borrowers.

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