Structuring Student Loan Repayment Benefit Programs: IRS Guidance, Applicable Rules, Key Planning Considerations
CARES Act, Offering Repayment Within 401(k) Plans, and Available Options Outside of Retirement Plans
Note: CPE credit is not offered on this program
Recording of a 90-minute premium CLE webinar with Q&A
This CLE course will guide employee benefits attorneys on structuring student loan repayment benefit programs. The panel will discuss recent legislation, IRS guidance, applicable rules, and important design considerations for employers, including the challenges in offering a student loan repayment program in connection with a 401(k) plan.
Outline
- Offering student repayment within a 401(k)
- Design options outside of a 401(k) plan
- Administrative hurdles and pitfalls to avoid
- Best practices for employee benefits counsel and plan sponsors
Benefits
The panel will review these and other key issues:
- What options are available to employers to provide student loan repayments as an employee benefit?
- What is the most recent IRS guidance and federal legislation impacting student loan repayment benefit programs?
- What are the challenges and structuring considerations for offering a student loan repayment program in connection with a 401(k) plan?
- What legislation is being considered by Congress?
Faculty

Susan B. Niver
Special Counsel
Schulte Roth & Zabel
Ms. Bernstein is special counsel in the New York office of Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP, where she has been advising... | Read More
Ms. Bernstein is special counsel in the New York office of Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP, where she has been advising employers and plan sponsors on ERISA, employee benefits and executive compensation for over 25 years. She served as the Chair of the IRS Advisory Committee on Tax Exempt/Government Entities and co-chair of the Employee Benefit and Compensation Committee for the New York State Bar Association. A recognized thought leader, Ms. Bernstein is a frequent speaker on employee benefits and executive compensation and has authored numerous articles of interest to employers. She is also a member of the IRS Pension Liaison Group and was named one of Employee Benefit Adviser’s Most Influential Women in Benefit Advising. Ms. Bernstein holds a J.D. from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, received her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.
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Ian L. Levin
Partner
Schulte Roth & Zabel
Mr. Levin’s practice concentrates on executive compensation and employee benefits, including the fiduciary and... | Read More
Mr. Levin’s practice concentrates on executive compensation and employee benefits, including the fiduciary and plan asset requirements of ERISA. He regularly advises client regarding the formation and ongoing compliance of private equity and hedge funds; the administration, management and investment of employee benefit plans; and compliance with ERISA’s various prohibited transaction rules and exemptions. Mr. Levin's practice also focuses on the employee benefit aspects of mergers and acquisitions, representing both executives and companies with respect to the negotiation and drafting of executive employment agreements and advising companies on the design, establishment and operation of virtually all types of employee benefit arrangements ranging from cash incentive, equity, deferred compensation and change-in-control arrangements to broad-based retirement and welfare plans.
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