PSLF Employer Rule Appeal Dropped: Timeline From the Oct. 31, 2025 Rule to the Oct. 21, 2026 Dismissal

The Office of the Maryland Attorney General (AG) said on Oct. 23, 2026 that the federal government dismissed its appeal of the ruling that vacated the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) employer rule. Maryland’s release says the administration “concedes the case, leaving the district court’s ruling in place and resolving the matter in favor of Maryland and the other plaintiff states.” The rule was due to take effect on July 1, 2026. The dated timeline below runs from the final rule to the dismissal, and a free printable version follows it.

What is the timeline from the rule to the dropped appeal?

Date	What happened	Source
Oct. 31, 2025	Final rule published in the Federal Register, with an effective date of July 1, 2026	Federal Register, Vol. 90, No. 209
Tue., June 30, 2026	A federal judge vacated the rule, one day before it was to take effect	U.S. Department of Education notice, July 13, 2026
Wed., July 1, 2026	Scheduled effective date of the rule; Maryland’s AG said the court granted summary judgment, “declaring the rule unlawful and permanently blocking it from taking effect”	Federal Register; Maryland AG, July 1, 2026
July 13, 2026	The Department of Education said it is removing the attestation from the PSLF form	U.S. Department of Education notice
Wed., Oct. 21, 2026	Lawyers for the government and the plaintiffs submitted agreements to dismiss both appeals, as reported	Government Executive, Oct. 23, 2026
Fri., Oct. 23, 2026	Maryland’s AG announced that the administration dismissed its appeal	Office of the Maryland Attorney General

The October 2026 printable calendar shows where the Oct. 21 and Oct. 23 dates fall in the month.

What did the employer rule do?

The final rule changed Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), section 685.219. It excluded from PSLF employers that the Secretary of Education determines engage in specified illegal activities. The Federal Register text says an excluded employer “could regain” eligibility “either (1) 10 years from the date the Secretary makes a determination … or (2) after the Secretary approves a corrective action plan.” The rule states: “These regulations are effective July 1, 2026.”

Who brought the case, and where was it decided?

Maryland’s AG said the ruling came from the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The office describes a coalition of 22 attorneys general as plaintiffs. Government Executive reported that a second appeal was brought by a coalition of cities, nonprofits and unions, and that agreements to dismiss both were submitted on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026.

What changed on the PSLF form?

The Department of Education’s notice of July 13, 2026 is a comment request for the PSLF and Temporary Expanded PSLF (TEPSLF) Certification and Application, which carries Office of Management and Budget (OMB) number 1845-0110. The notice says: “On Tuesday, June 30, 2026, a Federal judge vacated the rule; one day prior to the rule becoming effective.” It adds: “The Department is now removing the attestation from the PSLF form in order to comply with the court order.”

Are all appeals closed?

That is not confirmed here. Government Executive reported that both appeals were being dismissed, and one outlet reported a separate states’ appeal pending. Court dockets were not available to confirm every filing. Maryland’s own release speaks only of the administration’s dismissal of its appeal.

What does this mean for borrowers?

Based on the sources above, the employer rule does not apply, and the PSLF form no longer carries the attestation, according to the Department of Education’s July notice. Other parts of PSLF are not described in these sources, so this story does not change anything else about the program. A few steps that need no new rules:

• Keep your employment certification records.
• Use the current PSLF form on StudentAid.gov.
• Check your loan servicer account for your latest information.

Other government calendar changes this fall are in our story on federal benefits open season dates. The November 2026 printable calendar leaves room to mark your own follow-ups.