Executive Presbyter eliminated six-figure student loan debt through EdAssist

“It’s been really transformative for me and my family,” says the Reverend Denise Pass, Executive Presbyter, Presbytery of Plains and Peaks, of her experience with the EdAssist program.

In partnership with the Presbyterian Mission Agency, the Board of Pensions offered EdAssist through PeopleJoy to help those with federal student loan debt determine eligibility for the Public Student Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program and to assist in the application process.

After working with PeopleJoy to apply for PSLF, Rev. Pass was forgiven $125,000 in student loan debt. “Instead of owing $125,000 in debt from being in seminary, I now owed zero,” eliminating a $1,000 per month payment, she said. “That was due to the Board hearing our need for seminary student loan debt relief and finding an agency … to shepherd us through the process.

“I am so grateful to the Board of Pensions for facilitating that,” she added.

The EdAssist program has helped many PC(USA) pastors with seminary debt, like Rev. Pass, to take advantage of the PSLF program. PeopleJoy provided an assigned case worker who assisted with managing paperwork, gathering documentation, and reviewing and determining if loans qualified under the program.

“It really matters — all of the work that gets done behind the scenes that none of us ever see; people sitting in rooms and offices, making decisions, tracking down contracts, trying to understand federal legislation, and setting up informational webinars with PeopleJoy,” said Rev. Pass. “These are some of the foundational building blocks” where real change and impact can occur.

The Board provides additional debt relief programs as well as assistance for emergencies, adoption, transition to college, and more.