Looking for student loan relief? This new program could offer forgiveness in exchange for volunteer work
In an attempt to draw more Americans to volunteer to be first responders, a bill has been introduced in Congress that would forgive their student loan debt.
Across the United States there is a growing problem of fewer volunteer fire fighters and EMT first responders. The situation has been recognized for the past couple decades, which grew worse in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic, and is more acute in rural communities.
In an attempt to reverse the trend and incentivize more Americans to volunteer to be first responders, New York Representative Dan Goldman has introduced legislation that would provide them with federal student loan debt forgiveness. “Volunteer firefighters and EMTs risk their lives every day to keep us safe, yet they’re too often denied the recognition and support granted to other public servants,” said the democratic congressman in a press release.
Federal student loan debt forgiveness in exchange for volunteer work
The bill introduced on Wednesday is called Helping Emergency Responders Overcome Student Debt (HEROES) Act of 2025. It proposes expanding eligibility for loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program to include volunteer firefighters and volunteer EMTs.
The PSLF program currently allows certain federal student loan borrowers to have their debt forgiven after making 120 timely qualifying monthly payments, the equivalent of 10 years’ worth, while working full-time for a qualifying employer. Under the HEROES Act of 2025, first responder volunteers would also have access to this debt relief program.
According to the US Fire Administration, nearly 70% of fire departments in the United States are wholly volunteer compared to less than 10% that are career. Of the remaining, over 15% are mostly volunteer.
“One of the biggest challenges facing volunteer response agencies is the critical need to attract new members,” says the Firefighters Association of the State of New York (FASNY). “Including volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program would be an effective addition to their recruitment toolbox.”
“It would also assist them in retaining existing volunteers, who often work several jobs in addition to volunteering,” added the FASNY.
While the congressman’s office did not say how much including volunteer first responders in the debt relief program would cost, it states that volunteer fire fighters save local communities nationwide an estimated $47 billion annually.
“As the number of volunteer firefighters and EMTs continues to decline, we must prioritize the first responders who keep communities across our city, state, and country safe,” said Goldman.
“Those who put their lives on the line deserve nothing less than the full support and resources afforded to all public servants,” he added.
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