Currently, in order to receive credit towards public service student loan forgiveness an individual must first either have federal direct loans or consolidate loans into the federal direct program.
Some individuals may only plan to work temporarily in a qualifying public service position, and therefore choose not to consolidate in the federal direct loan system believing the existing terms of their student loans to be more favorable. If these individuals, then choose to stay in a qualifying public service position, they do not receive any credit for their earlier service. They only receive loan forgiveness credit for the time after they consolidate loans in the federal direct loan system. This is unfair and should be fixed.