3 FAH-1 H-3820
Student Loan Repayment Program (slrp)
(CT:POH-283; 07-29-2024)
(Office of Origin: GTM/ER/WLD)
3 FAH-1 H-3821 The Application Process
(CT:POH-239; 08-13-2020)
(State only)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service)
a. Civil Service and Foreign Service employees, other than Consular Fellows, who wish to be considered may only apply online during announced open season application periods and must submit all required information and supporting documentation in order to be considered.
b. Consular Fellows must apply and be approved for the SLRP prior to entry on duty (EOD) as a Consular Fellow. Consular Fellows who have been approved for the SLRP must also submit a SLRP verification form and execute a service agreement via the online SLRP portal within a reasonable period of time following EOD in order for payment processing to be initiated.
c. The GTM website is the best source of SLRP program information. The Office of Employee Relations (GTM/ER) also recommends that career-type employees subscribe to the SLRP Listserv and Consular Fellow employees subscribe to the CFP-SLRP Listserv. The respective Listservs act as bulletin boards to enable (GTM/ER) to post messages of general interest regarding the program. To subscribe, go to Listserv Archives on the A/LM website and scroll down until you reach the respective SLRP list and then follow the instructions.
3 FAH-1 H-3821.1 Application Periods
(CT:POH-283; 07-29-2024)
(State only)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service)
a. The online applications for Civil Service and Foreign Service employees, other than Consular Fellows, will only be reviewed and processed during announced annual “open season” application periods and will not be active at times other than during those announced periods.
b. Eligible Consular Fellows must apply and be approved for SLRP prior to entering on duty as a Consular Fellow. There is no open season application period for Consular Fellows. Newly hired Consular Fellows are encouraged to submit the online SLRP verification form and electronically-signed service agreement as early as possible after entry on duty (EOD) via the online SLRP portal. Consular Fellows may re-apply for SLRP incentives on an annual basis no sooner than 365 days after the date on which the employee signed their initial service agreement or submitted the most recent online application, whichever is later in time.
c. Application periods and additional information will be widely announced by Department Notices and cables.
3 FAH-1 H-3821.2 Annual Application Requirements for Current Department Employees
(CT:POH-283; 07-29-2024)
(State only)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service)
a. The purpose of the application and database collection system is to determine employee eligibility for the SLRP.
b. Civil Service and Foreign Service employees, other than Consular Fellows, must annually:
(1) Submit an application through the online system during the announced “open season” application period. The online application is available by logging into the HR Portal and clicking on SLRP;
(2) Provide supporting loan documentation annually with each application as well as any other requested supporting documentation to (GTM/ER). Applications submitted without all required or requested supporting documentation will remain incomplete and ineligible for consideration; and
(3) Review and sign a SLRP Service Agreement. See 3 FAM 3824.1 for more information.
b. Eligible Consular Fellow employees as described in 3 FAM 3823, paragraph b, applying for a second or third year of SLRP incentives must:
(1) Submit an application through the online system no sooner than 365 days after the date on which the employee signed their initial service agreement or submitted the most recent online application, whichever is later in time, as described in 3 FAH-1 H-3821.1. The online application is available by logging into HR Online and clicking on SLRP;
(2) Provide supporting loan documentation with each application as well as any other requested supporting documentation to (GTM/ER). Applications submitted without all required or requested supporting documentation will remain incomplete and ineligible for consideration; and
(3) Review and sign a SLRP Service Agreement. See 3 FAM 3824.1 for more information.
3 FAH-1 H-3821.3 Pre-Entry on Duty Application Required for Prospective Consular Fellows
(CT:POH-186; 03-22-2017)
(State only)
(Applies to Prospective Foreign Service Consular Fellows)
Prospective Consular Fellows must apply and be approved for the SLRP recruitment incentive prior to their entry-on-duty (EOD) date. Consular Fellow candidates must:
(1) Request, complete, and submit the SLRP Application Package prior to EOD as a Department of State Consular Fellow. The SLRP Application Questionnaire and all required supporting Federal loan documentation must be submitted to (GTM/ER)/WLD for review and approval prior to the prospective employee’s EOD;
(2) Submit a completed SLRP Application Package and all required supporting documentation no later than 2 weeks prior to the employee’s EOD date in order to allow for a reasonable review period by (GTM/ER)/WLD;
(3) Applications that are incomplete, including applications that are missing any supporting documentation requested by (GTM/ER)/WLD or that have not been approved by (GTM/ER)/WLD for any reason before the date of the Consular Fellow’s entry on duty, are automatically considered “not approved”; and
(4) Prospective Consular Fellows who do not receive notification of their approval for SLRP prior to their EOD date will not be eligible to receive the SLRP recruitment incentive for the duration of their employment as a Consular Fellow.
3 FAH-1 H-3821.4 Consular Fellow Action Required Subsequent to Entry on Duty
(CT:POH-186; 03-22-2017)
(State only)
(Applies to Foreign Service Consular Fellows)
a. As soon as possible after entry on duty (EOD), Consular Fellows must complete the online SLRP incentive verification form and electronically sign a 3-year Service Agreement via the SLRP portal. The Consular Fellow’s 3-year service commitment will begin as of the date on which the signed service agreement is submitted. It is recommended that Consular Fellow employees initiate this online action promptly after onboarding because delays in the online submission and the initial 3-year service commitment period may limit the employee’s eligibility for future SLRP incentives. See 3 FAM 3824 and 3 FAM 3824.1.
b. For Consular Fellows approved for the SLRP incentive prior to their EOD, no additional supporting documentation need be submitted when electronically verifying loan information unless there is a change in loan servicer(s) or a significant increase or decrease in the loan balance(s).
3 FAH-1 H-3822 The Application Review Process
(CT:POH-186; 03-22-2017)
(State only)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service)
After submission of a completed online application and required supporting documentation, the Bureau of Human Resources, Office of Employee Relations ((GTM/ER)), will:
(1) Verify that each applicant is not in leave-without-pay (LWOP) or other unpaid status in accordance with 3 FAM 3825.3 and is:
(a) A Civil Service employee encumbering a pre-qualifying position during the “open season” application period;
(b) A Foreign Service employee encumbering a position at a pre-qualifying post during the “open season” application period; or
(c) A Consular Fellow who applied to the Consular Fellows Program in response to a vacancy announcement or through the Gateway application process or who positively responded to a Consular Fellow Letter of Interest, on or after May 3, 2016;
(2) For Civil Service employees, request that the Bureau of Global Talent Management, Office of Civil Service Talent Management (GTM/CSTM), verify that the applicant has received at least a fully successful rating on their most recent performance evaluation report;
(3) For Foreign Service employees, other than Consular Fellows, determine from the Bureau of Global Talent Management, Office of Performance Evaluation (GTM/PE), if any employee has been referred to the Performance Standards Board directly (but not as a result of the automatic referral of two low rankings in 5 years);
(4) For Civil Service and Foreign Service employees, other than Consular Fellows, determine from the Bureau of Human Resources, Office of Employee Relations, Division of Conduct, Suitability and Discipline (GTM/ER)/CSD), if any applicant has had disciplinary action resulting in a suspension of more than 5 days during the past 2 years;
(5) For Consular Fellow employees, determine if any employee applying for a second or third year of the SLRP incentive has received a rating of satisfactory on their most recent performance evaluation report; and
(6) Maintain an online system that tracks all aspects of employee eligibility, including but not limited to, basis for eligibility, types of qualifying loans, amount of current loan balance(s), list of lenders, amount of lump-sum funding obligated, service agreement commitment dates, etc.
3 FAH-1 H-3823 The Payment Process
(CT:POH-186; 03-22-2017)
(State only)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service)
a. Payments (when funding permits) are made only once a year for each eligible employee. The announcement of the annual lump-sum amount is released as soon as possible.
b. The Comptroller and Global Financial Services(CGFS) (Payroll) will:
(1) Process the incentive as a supplemental payment. For clarification of agency tax requirements, see the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) website;
(2) Pay the employer’s share of Social Security and Medicare taxes;
(3) Withhold and pay appropriate Federal and State tax (using the flat-rate method) and employee’s share of Social Security and Medicare taxes;
(4) Instruct the Department of Treasury to process payments via either electronic-fund transfers or checks to employees’ respective lenders or loan servicing organizations;
(5) Report the amount of the gross and net payment, taxes, and other withholdings, to the employee through their Earnings and Leave Statement; and
(6) Record the Student Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) payment as a supplemental payment on each qualified employee’s Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement.
3 FAH-1 H-3824 through H-3829 unassigned