Debt Clinics

Need Help Managing Your Student Loan Debt?  

Over 12 million people in the United States are struggling to make their monthly student loan payments, and millions more see economic and personal opportunities pass as they prioritize paying down their debt. Does this sound like you or someone you know?  

Many of these people may qualify for free federal programs that can help reduce their monthly payments and eventually lead to student loan forgiveness, but these lifeline programs are significantly under-enrolled. In an effort to help our members get access to these programs, United University Professions and the American Federation of Teachers are proud to host a Student Debt Clinic which will provide information on how to enroll in Income-Driven Repayment plans and Public Service Loan Forgiveness.   

 We will be offering virtual Members Only Student Debt Clinics on the following dates:    

  • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 2025 · 11:30 PM – 1:00 PM VIA ZOOM
  • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2025· 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM VIA ZOOM

To attend one of the virtual Members Only Student Debt Clinics, you must pre-register here: http://go.aft.org/StudentDebtClinicRSVP.

From the “student debt clinic” drop-down menu, please select the UUP clinic that you are interested in attending – they are labeled “UUP [Virtual Student Debt Clinic] [date] [time].” In the affiliate field, type in the full name of our local (United University Professions), and it will autofill after a few keystrokes.

Registration is first come, first serve, and we must cap attendance for a single clinic at 75 participants in order to ensure that we are able to provide maximum assistance to attendees. Registration will close 48 hours prior to the virtual clinic. Webinar login information will be provided prior to the clinic to all who register. [If you can’t make one of these virtual clinics, don’t worry – we’re planning on offering them every payday. If you want to help host a chapter-specific virtual clinic, please let us know!]  

Managing your student loan debt is the first step in taking on the inequities which plague our system of higher education, and we look forward to seeing you at the virtual Student Debt Clinic and working together to find a collective solution to the problems of student debt and college affordability!  

Register now!

UUP 2025 Advocacy Day

Save The Date: February 25, 2025

Meet with members of the New York State Legislature to show support for the 2025 UUP Legislative Agenda. If you are interested in attending our 2025 Advocacy Day, click on https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf7r5P9NSiD9F8CbNIEf60xhZc4nPumEZBYP0cV4a4waZK4IQ/viewform to register and fill in the form. We will send a reminder and registration link to you closer to the event. Our Advocacy Day will be February 25, 2025 in Albany. 

Family Leave and Work-Life Services Guide

The new UUP Family Leave and Work-Life Services Guide is posted on the UUP website.

UUP’s new 2022-26 contract with NYS contains new family leave provisions, providing members with many options for fully paid, partially paid, and unpaid leave for family care. It covers leave for birth, adoption, foster care placement, sick relative care (including elders), the death of family members, and assisting family members on active military duty.

The Guide also includes information about the following:

  • “tenure” clock stop provisions for Professionals and Academics;
  • NYS Work-Life Services programs negotiated by UUP;
  • Possibilities for flexible work arrangements;
  • Support services and member benefits programs provided by UUP and our affiliates (New York State United Teachers, American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association).