FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 11, 2022

Contact: [email protected]

Gov. Whitmer Celebrates OK2SAY Program that Helps Keep Schools Safe

Annual report shows Michigan State Police logged over 6,200 tips from OK2SAY in 2021

LANSING, Mich. — Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer reviewed the annual report from OK2SAY, a school safety program run by the Michigan State Police (MSP) that empowers Michigan students, teachers, and staff to help protect school safety by confidentially reporting threats, violent behavior, or mental health crises. In 2021, OK2SAY logged over 6,200 tips, a 67% increase compared to 2020.

“Every kid deserves to feel safe at school, and I am proud of the successful OK2SAY program that offers students a confidential way to report threats and talk about their mental health,” said Governor Whitmer. “I am so grateful to the MSP for ensuring this program runs smoothly. I will work with anyone to keep our kids safe at school, and I am proud of the historic, bipartisan efforts we have made in our students and schools to help them thrive both in and out of the classroom. Let’s keep working together to help kids be kids.”

“OK2SAY is a violence prevention tool in place in Michigan for more than eight years and remains steadfast in its mission to help keep students safe,” said Col. Joe Gasper, director of the Michigan State Police. “The program provides a much-needed safety net responding to and preventing numerous individual and community crises.”

OK2SAY Annual Report

The 2021 Annual Report shows that OK2SAY received 6,255 tips spanning 30 categories, with the top three types of tips being:

Michigan law requires every public and nonpublic school to provide the MSP with at least one school official’s emergency contact information biannually. This information allows OK2SAY to efficiently communicate with school personnel when a tip is received. The form for schools to update their contact information can be found here.

OK2SAY is housed within the Office of School Safety.

Student Safety Investments 

In July, Governor Whitmer signed a bipartisan education budget that will make the highest state per-student investment in Michigan history to improve every kid’s in-class experience, invest $250 million in school infrastructure, fund $10,000 scholarships for 2,500 future teachers every year, and send schools dedicated per-student funding to bolster school safety and expand on-campus mental health resources.

The dedicated $210 million school safety dollars allocates $25 million for schools to hire more on-campus school resource officers. The school safety dollars will also create an intervention system for at-risk students that brings together law enforcement, schools, and mental health professionals, and establish a school safety commission.

In June, Governor Whitmer signed legislation that fully funds risk assessments and critical incidence mapping at every school in the state to help protect students and create safety plans in the event of an emergency. The legislation will deliver necessary resources to Oxford Community Schools and every district across the state to support students, improve public safety and provide effective law enforcement solutions.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 11, 2022

Contact: [email protected]

Gov. Whitmer Announces an Estimated 148,000 Michiganders May Qualify to Have Student Loans Forgiven Under Federal Program

Over 6,000 Michiganders have saved $358 million through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program

LANSING, Mich. — Governor Gretchen Whitmer is encouraging Michiganders working in public service to review the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program to see if they qualify for federal student loan relief no later than October 31, 2022. Thousands have already utilized the program to pay off their debt, and over 148,000 more Michiganders may be eligible due to the recent PSLF waiver.

“I’m grateful to the countless, dedicated public servants across Michigan that spend their days making our state a better place to live. Whether you are a service member, firefighter, health professional, teacher, social worker, librarian–-the list goes on—thank you for your service,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “Tens of thousands of Michiganders may qualify for this loan forgiveness program, which will help ease the burden of student debt and put money back in people’s pockets. I encourage Michiganders to review the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and see if they are eligible to have their remaining student loan debt forgiven.”

“The State of Michigan employs nearly 50,000 people across the state. We’re working hand-in-hand with employees to help them take full advantage of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program,” said Liza Estlund Olson, director of the Office of the State Employer. “By highlighting recent changes to this federal program, we urge borrowers to take a second look to see if they qualify for student loan relief and encourage more Michiganders to join the public sector workforce.”

“As a son of teenagers just trying to get by, we didn’t have much. My single mother did everything she could, but other than a small Pell Grant, I had no help to afford college. Loans were the only way to get the education that no one in my family had. I’ve devoted my career to the service of others both in the non-profit and public sector, and I was excited when I first learned about the expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program,” said Bryan Van Dorn, a state employee from East Lansing. “When I tried to apply for Public Service Loan Forgiveness back in 2010, the program wasn’t the right fit for my situation. So we just kept making loan payments. Chipping away at interest. Hardly making a dent. Last fall the rules changed and each of the payments I had made for the proceeding 10 plus years that were previously ineligible were deemed eligible. So I applied again under this temporary relief. Some paperwork, processing time, and anxious anticipation later, the remaining balance is now zero. Having these loans forgiven all but guarantees that my daughter won’t have to shoulder the same burden.”

“After working as an educator for over 20 years, doing what I absolutely love, I was blessed to have my student loans forgiven years sooner than expected. I am so thankful that I applied for the PSLF program years earlier and followed through each year with the recertification process,” said Erika Carpenter an educator of 23 years in Southfield. “This has helped open additional opportunities for me and I would encourage all educators to take the time to apply. Teachers should not have student loans, especially when we do not get the income we deserve. We teach the world!”

“As educators, we pursue a bachelor’s and master’s degree, masters plus thirty, student teaching without pay and years of continuing education every five years for recertification – all of which has been an investment in my career and the students I enjoy teaching,” said Nikoji Smith, an educator of twenty plus years in Southfield. “I applied for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program and was grateful that something actually existed for educators. We are the most underpaid but yet we build the foundation for the doctors, lawyers and judges. I made my monthly payments and figured this would be forgiven by the time I retire. Imagine my surprise when I saw ‘paid in full’. I would encourage all educators to apply for the PSLF. I’ve had many conversations with my colleagues on the ease of the application and yearly recertification process. It feels good knowing that more of my colleagues’ loans are being forgiven as well. For educators, it feels like winning the lottery. This has truly been a blessing!”

Public Service Loan Forgiveness Background

Until October 31, 2022, the U.S. Department of Education is offering public servants working in government and eligible non-profits a second chance to qualify for student loan forgiveness. An estimated 154,000 public service workers in Michigan could be eligible for student loan debt relief under the PSLF waiver. According to the Office of Federal Student Aid’s June report, over 6,000 Michiganders have taken advantage of the PSLF waiver and have had $358 million in loans forgiven.

The recent changes to the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program allow previously ineligible borrowers – those with a non-Direct loan, who are not enrolled in an income driven repayment plan, who have missed a repayment, or made a partial repayment in the past – to receive credit toward loan forgiveness for the years they worked in government or a qualifying non-profit.

If borrowers have questions regarding their individual situation, they can visit studentaid.gov/pslf/ or call FedLoan Servicing at 1-855-265-4038.

Congress created Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) to recruit and retain top talent in the public sector workforce. If an individual works for federal, state, local, or tribal government or a qualifying non-profit for 10 years, makes 120 full, on-time loan payments, and submits all required paperwork, the federal government forgives all of their remaining student loan debt.

Though PSLF was established in 2007, it has faced implementation challenges. Prior to the PSLF Waiver, only 2.1% of eligible borrowers had been approved for loan forgiveness. The recent PSLF program overhaul is the U.S. Department of Education’s attempt to deliver on the program’s promise and thank the public service workforce for their dedication and support.

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness: Champions Toolkit is available for employers and professional associations to help them amplify the PSLF waiver opportunity and connect borrowers to resources. The toolkit includes sample email correspondence and social media posts. It is available for download here.