H.R. 4973: Fulbright Teacher’s Loan Forgiveness Act
Sponsor
Donald Beyer
Democrat · VA-8
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Aug 15, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Your Fulbright year should count toward loan forgiveness
Why it matters
Public Service Loan Forgiveness wipes out a borrower's remaining federal student debt after 10 years of qualifying public service work. The catch is what counts as qualifying. A year teaching abroad on a Fulbright grant currently sits in a gray zone. H.R. 4973 would settle it, making time in the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program or the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program count as public service employment, so that year moves you toward forgiveness instead of stalling the clock.
H.R. 4973, the Fulbright Teacher's Loan Forgiveness Act, is a one-page bill that does exactly one thing.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness, or PSLF, cancels whatever federal student debt you have left after 10 years of full-time work in qualifying public service jobs. The hard part is the word "qualifying." The program is built around employment by government agencies and nonprofits, and a Fulbright teaching grant overseas doesn't fit neatly into that box.
This bill writes the answer directly into the law. Participation in the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program or the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program would be treated as employment in a public service job for loan forgiveness purposes.
It's a definitional fix, not a new program. There's no new pot of money, no separate forgiveness amount, no application deadline, and no income limit. It simply adds those two Fulbright programs to the list of service that counts toward the PSLF clock.
The practical payoff is certainty. A teacher heading overseas would know their Fulbright year counts, instead of finishing the grant and finding out their loan servicer won't credit it.
H.R. 4973 Bill Summary
What H.R. 4973 actually does.
Your Fulbright year counts as public service
The bill treats participation in the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program or the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program as employment in a public service job, the category that qualifies for loan forgiveness.
Two named programs, not every Fulbright grant
Only those two teaching programs are covered. Other Fulbright awards, such as research or study grants, are not named in the bill.
No new program, no new money
The bill doesn't create a new forgiveness benefit or set aside any funding. It changes who qualifies under the existing Public Service Loan Forgiveness rules.
Eligibility written into law, not left to interpretation
Instead of leaving loan servicers and the Education Department to decide whether overseas exchange teaching counts, the bill states directly that these two Fulbright programs qualify.
Who benefits from H.R. 4973?
Fulbright English Teaching Assistants
Recent graduates and teachers placed in classrooms abroad to teach English. The bill names their program directly, so their grant year would count toward forgiveness.
Fulbright Teacher Exchange participants
Experienced U.S. teachers who swap into classrooms in partner countries. Their exchange year would count toward forgiveness the same way their regular teaching job does.
Borrowers pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Anyone carrying federal student debt and counting on 10 years of public service to clear it. A Fulbright year would add to the count instead of pausing it.
Future Fulbright applicants weighing the cost
Teachers and graduates deciding whether to take a Fulbright wouldn't have to treat the year as a gap in their loan forgiveness timeline.
Who is affected by H.R. 4973?
U.S. Department of Education and Federal Student Aid
They would have to treat the two named Fulbright programs as qualifying employment when reviewing Public Service Loan Forgiveness applications.
Loan servicers handling PSLF accounts
Servicers would need to credit Fulbright teaching service when borrowers certify their employment for forgiveness.
Fulbright program administrators
Administrators may need to provide documentation confirming a borrower's participation in either program so the service can be verified.
HR4973 Legislative Journey
House: Committee Action
Aug 15, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
About the Sponsor
Donald Beyer
Democrat, Virginia's 8th congressional district · 11 years in Congress
Committees: Joint Economic Committee, Ways and Means
View full profile →
Cosponsors (5)
All 5 cosponsors are Democrats. Cosponsors represent 5 states: California, District of Columbia, Delaware, and 2 more.
Committee Sponsors
Education and Workforce Committee
0 of 36 committee members cosponsored
No committee members have cosponsored this bill
16 Democrats across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
What laws does H.R. 4973 change?
1 changes
Sections Amended
Section 455(m) of Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e(m))
adding at the end the following: ``(5) Fulbright eligibility
H.R. 4973 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Education and Workforce
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Education
- Introduced
- Aug 15, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Aug 15, 2025
Official Sources
Official Congress.gov page for the Fulbright Teacher’s Loan Forgiveness Act with bill text, status, and cosponsors.
Official Department of Education guidance on Public Service Loan Forgiveness, the existing forgiveness framework this bill would amend.
Official Department of Education fact sheet explaining how PSLF reduces or forgives federal student loans after qualifying public service.
Official federal PSLF employer eligibility tool that shows how qualifying public service employment is evaluated under current law.
Official U.S. Code page for 20 U.S.C. 1087e, the statute section whose subsection (m) the bill amends.
Official GovInfo compilation of the Higher Education Act of 1965, the underlying law amended by H.R. 4973.
H.R. 4973 Common Questions
Does a Fulbright year count toward PSLF?
Not clearly under today's rules, which is the problem H.R. 4973 targets. The bill would treat a year in the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program or the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program as public service employment, so it counts toward forgiveness.
Which Fulbright programs would qualify under H.R. 4973?
Two: the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program and the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program. H.R. 4973 names those two and treats participation in either as a public service job for loan forgiveness.
Do all Fulbright grants count, or just teaching?
Just the two teaching programs named in the bill. Other Fulbright awards, like research or study grants, aren't included. H.R. 4973 covers only the Teacher Exchange and English Teaching Assistant programs.
Does H.R. 4973 create a new loan forgiveness program?
No. It doesn't add a new program or a new pot of money. It changes who qualifies under the existing Public Service Loan Forgiveness rules, adding Fulbright teaching service to the work that counts.
How many PSLF payments could a Fulbright year add?
PSLF wipes out your remaining balance after 120 qualifying payments, roughly 10 years of public service. H.R. 4973 would let your Fulbright teaching months count toward that total instead of leaving a gap in your timeline.
Does H.R. 4973 forgive a specific dollar amount?
No. The bill sets no forgiveness amount and no funding. It only changes which service counts toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness, where the amount forgiven depends on each borrower's remaining balance.
Has H.R. 4973 become law yet?
No. Rep. Don Beyer introduced it in August 2025, and it was referred to the House Education and Workforce Committee with 5 cosponsors. It hasn't passed committee or gotten a floor vote.
Based on H.R. 4973 bill text
H.R. 4973 Bill Text
“To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow participation in certain Fulbright programs to qualify for the repayment plan for public service employees, and for other purposes.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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