The entity that issues the W-2
- SystemUniversal Health Services (UHS)For-profit health system
- Physician groupHospital subsidiaryA regional operating company.
- W-2 employerThe for-profit entityDoes not count, apart from the contractor arrangements.
The name on the door is not the test. The legal employer on the W-2 is.
Fortune 500 company operating acute care hospitals, behavioral health facilities, and ambulatory centers.
Publicly traded for-profit corporation (NYSE: UHS). Does not qualify for PSLF.
Directory entry checked 2026-11-02. The Department of Education decides PSLF eligibility; this page reports the directory's classification.
Example valuesjoinandwise.com/employers/universal-health-servicesAndwise employer directorychecked November 2, 2026amounts entered are masked
Names grouped under this entry
The directory groups these names and brands under Universal Health Services (UHS). A contract, a recruiter email or a W-2 can use one of them without naming the parent:
- UHS
A brand is not a legal entity. The offer letter and the W-2 should name the same legal employer, with the same EIN.
What this means for a contract
The contract may name a hospital subsidiary or a regional operating company. The W-2 entity is that for-profit corporation. A for-profit hospital operator is not a qualifying employer.
The directory lists the entity as for-profit. A for-profit employer is not one of the qualifying routes in 34 CFR §685.219, apart from the two contractor arrangements.
When a for-profit group can still count
34 CFR §685.219(b)(9) treats two contractor arrangements as employment by a qualifying employer: a W-2 issued by an organization that contracts with a qualifying employer to provide payroll or similar services, and a contracted employee in a position that state law does not allow the qualifying employer to fill directly. A for-profit staffing contract that fits neither arrangement is not qualifying employment. The rule is federal; state law decides whether the second arrangement applies.
What to check before you sign
- What is the exact legal entity name and EIN that will appear on the W-2?
- Does the offer letter name the same legal entity as the W-2?
- If the entity is for-profit, which of the two contractor arrangements in 34 CFR §685.219(b)(9) applies?
The same questions apply after a merger or a change of staffing contractor: the brand can stay the same while the W-2 employer changes. A contract that names the hospital as the employer and a W-2 that names a staffing company are two different answers. The directory page lists the full set of questions.
If the W-2 is for-profit
If the W-2 comes from a for-profit entity, payments made during that employment do not count on their own; the two contractor arrangements in the rule are the exception. The loan tool can model the same balance with and without PSLF.
How this page is built
The directory entry is a curated classification, not a Department of Education determination. The rule and the StudentAid.gov tool are the sources that decide eligibility. The editorial policy explains how entries are checked and how a page is retired when its source changes.
How we check information · Medical advisory board · The full directory
Related employers
Sources
- Source34 CFR §685.219checked November 2, 2026https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/subtitle-B/chapter-VI/part-685/subpart-B/section-685.219
- SourceStudentAid.gov PSLF Help Toolhttps://studentaid.gov/pslf/
- SourceAndwise employer directorychecked November 2, 2026
Not legal or financial advice. PSLF eligibility turns on the legal employer, the W-2 and the Department of Education's records. Confirm the entity and EIN with the employer, then check them in the StudentAid.gov PSLF Help Tool.