For more than a century, ICMA has stood for one thing above all else: strengthening the local governments that serve our communities. That mission depends on attracting and keeping talented public servants, and increasingly, one of the biggest barriers to that goal has nothing to do with the job itself. It's student debt.

Across the country, 45 million Americans collectively hold $1.7 trillion in student loans, and 63% say they struggle to make their monthly payments. For local government employees, that financial strain can be the deciding factor between staying in public service and leaving for the private sector. That's exactly why Savi and ICMA have partnered to make sure local government employees know what they've earned and how to claim it.

What's Changing on the Policy Side

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) has been law since 2007, built specifically to reward and retain people who choose careers in public service, including the local government professionals ICMA represents. But awareness and execution remain the two biggest obstacles. Nationally, 81% of borrowers who qualify for PSLF never even apply, and of those who do apply on their own, only about 5.48% are approved. Most denials come down to paperwork errors or misunderstandings about how the program actually works, not ineligibility. 

That gap between who qualifies and who actually receives forgiveness is where Savi comes in. 

How Savi Helps ICMA Members 

Every local government employee working full-time for a qualifying public employer is already building credit toward forgiveness, often without realizing it. Savi's free tool helps employees understand exactly where they stand: how many qualifying payments they've made, how many years remain, and which of the more than 150 federal and state programs apply to their specific situation.

For employees who want additional support getting across the finish line, be it enrolling in the right income-driven repayment plan, correcting paperwork errors, or submitting the required employer certification forms, Savi's service automates the entire process. The result: while the national approval rate for PSLF applications sits around 5%, Savi users see a success rate of over 98%.

The Impact in Numbers 

Across the ICMA partner network, the results speak for themselves. On average, member employees who use Savi are finding $40,000 in loan forgiveness and saving over $2,000 per year on their monthly payments. For many, that's the difference between struggling to keep up with debt and building real financial stability while doing the public service work they're passionate about. 

These aren't small numbers for the local governments involved either. Offering Savi as a benefit, whether subsidized or offered as a low-cost voluntary option, has become a meaningful recruitment and retention tool at a time when local governments are competing hard for talent. It costs nothing for a jurisdiction to make the free tool available, and implementation typically takes four weeks or less with no IT lift required. 

Getting Started

If your organization hasn't yet explored what this partnership can offer, now is a good time to start. Whether it's a single employee trying to understand their options or an HR team looking to roll out a new benefit, Savi's team works directly with ICMA members to make the process simple. 

Student debt shouldn't be the reason talented public servants walk away from the work they care about. Through this partnership, ICMA and Savi are working to make sure that's one less thing standing in the way. 

Want to Learn More About How Savi Can Support Your Team? 

• Reach out to Tony Raffa at tony@bysavi.com or visit bysavi.com/partner to get started. 
• And if you will be at the 2026 ICMA Annual Conference in Long Beach:
  • Attend our session on Sunday, October 18, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm: Navigating the Puzzling Landscape of Student Loan Debt for City and Local Government Employees (104A).

  • Come talk with us at the ICMA Hub in the Collaboration Zone.