The US Department of Education said it would modify the terms of its student loan forgiveness program to help millions of people. The changes will allow more than 550,000 student loan holders to have their debts erased.

Through a program known as Public Service Loan Forgiveness, the government can forgive federal student loan debts of public-sector workers. The program is designed to help people avoid foreclosure. It works by allowing them to get help with their loan payments and billing.

Many people who got into foreclosure after failing to make their monthly payments were only told that they weren’t eligible to receive forgiveness. The Education Department said it would implement a series of actions to restore the promise of the debt relief program.

In a memo sent out by the Department of Education, the agency explained that it would allow certain student loan holders to enroll in the program without having to pay their previous installments.

Those who have consolidated their Direct Loans into the Direct Program will be able to apply for the limited PSLF waiver. Only a small portion of the more than a million people who have enrolled in the program have received forgiveness. Over the past decade, about 5,500 people have seen their debts erased.

This program is a part of an effort to improve the efficiency of the public service loan program, which was established in 2007 by President George Bush. These issues include confusion regarding the types of federal student loans, the correct types of repayment plans, and the eligibility requirements.

For many former public servants, the promise of loan forgiveness is about to change. The Department of Homeland Security has launched an investigation into the processing of applications for the program. It also issued an internal review of the rejected applications.

The agency hopes these actions will help address the problems that have prevented many people from getting the credit they deserve. The announcement also included a pledge to support military and federal employee programs.

Beginning next year, federal employees will be credited for their service under the Public Service Pledge, which is a requirement of the US Department of Education. For active-duty service members, time spent on duty will be credited toward their student loan balances.

The Education Department is planning on launching an outreach campaign to inform students and their families about the program’s various features.

Some in the public have expressed dismay in the action, with some stating that the administration should focus more on a broader measure to help people with their student loans.

Pressure has been growing to simplify the Public Service loan forgiveness program since President Joe Biden took office. Under his watch, the program has been streamlined, but it has also been stalled.

Groups representing teachers and other public-sector employees had urged the previous Trump administration to create a streamlined path to cancel student loan debts. Some members of the Democratic Party have been pressuring President Joe Biden to do more to help student loan holders.

With the continued calls from fellow Democrats for him to step up and address the issue of student loan fraud, Biden has focused on making changes to programs that help people with debt relief.

In response to the pandemic-related moratorium on student loan payments, Biden extended the pause until January 31. Those who were unable to work due to the pandemic are also receiving credit toward their required payments.