Leading 10 Student Loan Forgiveness Programs

Millions of people have student loan debt, and the amount of debt continues to rise. As of 2021, the average student loan balance was $39,487. Such a large balance can be overwhelming, and it may seem impossible to pay off your loans.

Depending on the type of loans you have, you may be eligible for partial or full student loan forgiveness. A significant portion of your debt could be eliminated through programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness or Teacher Loan Forgiveness.

What is Student Loan Forgiveness?

When you take out student loans, you must sign a promissory note stating you will repay your loans with interest. However, some borrowers can qualify for student loan forgiveness, and you won’t be required to repay the full balance of your debt.

Loan forgiveness is usually awarded after you make a certain number of payments over a certain period of time, work in a specific field, or complete other types of service.

What Are The Best Student Loan Forgiveness Programs?

You may be surprised to find out that there are many student loan forgiveness programs. Loan forgiveness may be available from the federal government, states, or government agencies. Here are the top 10 student loan forgiveness programs: 

1. Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

Loan Type: Federal

PSLF provides loan forgiveness to borrowers with federal student loans that work for non-profit organizations or government agencies. To qualify for forgiveness, you may work for an eligible employer full-time for at least ten years. You must also make 120 monthly qualifying payments toward the loans. 

You can submit an application for forgiveness at the end of 10 years of full-time employment. If your application is approved, the entirety of your remaining loan balance is eliminated. You can use the Office of Federal Student Aid’s PSLF Help Tool to determine if your loans and employer are eligible for PSLF. 

2. Student Loan Forgiveness via Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) Plans

Loan Type: Federal

If you have federal student loans, you can take advantage of IDR plans to make your monthly payments more manageable. When you enroll in an IDR plan, the government recalculates your payments based on a longer loan term and a percentage of your discretionary income. There are four options:

• Income-Based Repayment (IBR)
• Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR)
• Pay As You Earn (PAYE)
• Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE)

Depending on your plan, you must make payments for 20 or 25 years. The government will automatically forgive the remaining amount if you still have a balance at the end of your new loan term. 

3. Teacher Student Loan Forgiveness

Loan Type: Federal 

Federal loan borrowers that become teachers may be eligible for the Teacher Loan Forgiveness program. Under this initiative, teachers can qualify for up to $17,500 in forgiveness of Direct subsidized and unsubsidized loans. 

To qualify for student loan forgiveness for teachers, borrowers must work for five full and consecutive years in a low-income school or educational service agency. 

4. NURSE Corps Loan Repayment Program 

Loan Type: Federal and Private

Under the Health Resources & Services Administration NURSE Corps Loan Repayment Program, registered nurses, advanced practice registered nurses, and nurse faculty can qualify for loan repayment assistance of up to 85% of their unpaid nursing education debt. 

In exchange, you must work as a nurse or nurse faculty member at an eligible facility. Participants receive 60% of the loan repayment program after two years of service. They can participate for an additional year to get an additional 25% of loan repayment assistance. 

This program provides student loan forgiveness for nurses that have either federal or private student loans. 

5. Federal Perkins Loan Cancellation

Loan Type: Federal

If you have Perkins student loans and work in a public or nonprofit elementary or secondary school, you could qualify for forgiveness of up to 100% of your outstanding loan balance. 

To qualify, you must meet one of the following criteria: 

• You teach in a school serving low-income families
• You are a special education teacher
• You teach in the fields of math, science, foreign languages, or bilingual education 

Every year that you teach at an eligible school, a portion of your debt is forgiven: 

• 15% per year for the first and second years of service
• 20% per year for the third and fourth years of service
• 30% per year for the fifth year

6. The Military College Loan Repayment Program (CLRP)

Loan Type: Federal

The Military CRLP is a recruitment tool for the U.S. military that provides student loan forgiveness for newly-enlisted military personnel. Depending on which branch of the military you join, you may be eligible for $10,000 to $65,000 of loan forgiveness. 

You receive a portion of the total loan forgiveness amount available for each year of completed service, and the government makes the loan payments directly to your student loan servicer. 

7. Active Duty Health Professions Loan Repayment Program (LRP)

Loan Type: Federal and Private

The Active Duty Health Professions LRP is a loan forgiveness program for new active duty military personnel. Eligible borrowers can receive up to $40,000 in loan forgiveness (minus federal income taxes). To qualify, borrowers must be licensed healthcare professionals and sign a written agreement to serve on active duty providing medical care.

8. State-Sponsored Student Loan Forgiveness

Loan Type: Federal and Private

Some states operate their own loan forgiveness or loan repayment assistance programs to encourage workers to live and work within the state. Typically, these programs have a work commitment in exchange for loan repayment assistance and are geared toward professionals working in high-need fields, such as healthcare or education. 

For example: 

• Texas Physician Education Loan Program: In Texas, physicians that work in outpatient settings in designated healthcare shortage areas can qualify for up to $180,000 in loan repayment assistance.
• Minnesota Rural Veterinarian Loan Repayment Program: Veterinarians that work in designated rural areas, and that care for food animals at least 50% of the time, can qualify for up to $75,000 in loan repayment assistance. 

To find out if your state offers loan repayment programs for your field, visit your state education agency. Or you can also get student loan forgiveness for moving if you’re willing to relocate to another state. 

9. Law School Loan Repayment Assistance Programs

Loan Type: Federal and Private

If you attended law school, you might be eligible for loan repayment assistance through your university. Some schools will forgive a portion of borrowers’ debt if they practice law for non-profit or government offices. 

For example, the Washington College of Law at American University operates the Public Interest LRP. Alumni of the school that work for non-profit organizations, government agencies or offices, or in judicial roles can qualify for loan repayment assistance. There is an income restriction; borrowers must make less than $75,000 per year. 

Contact your school’s alumni association or law department to see if it has a student loan forgiveness program for lawyers. 

10. The John R. Justice Student Loan Repayment Program

Loan Type: Federal 

Lawyers that work as a state or local prosecutors, public defenders, or are full-time employees of a non-profit legal aid clinic can qualify for repayment assistance through the John R. Justice LRP. 

The states handle the program, so available forgiveness amounts can vary. Generally, a portion of your debt is forgiven based on each year of full-time service in a qualifying position, and there is usually an income limit. 

Biden Administration’s Student Loan Forgiveness

Loan Type: Federal 

In August, the Biden Administration introduced a new one-time student loan forgiveness program for low- and middle-income borrowers. Under Biden’s student loan forgiveness program, federal loan borrowers could get $10,000 of loan forgiveness. If the borrower has received a Pell Grant, they could receive up to $20,000 of loan forgiveness. 

The new loan forgiveness program isn’t automatic. There will be an application that borrowers must complete, and it should be available in October 2022. 

Student Loans Discharge Programs 

Loan Type: Federal 

You may be eligible for loan discharge in certain circumstances if you have federal student loans. Loan discharge eliminates the need to repay your debt, and it’s usually granted based on extenuating circumstances, such as a major disability. Discharge options include: 

• Closed School Discharge: If you have federal Direct, FFEL, or Perkins loans and your school closed while you’re enrolled or a few months after you withdraw, you may be eligible for discharge of your federal student loans. 

• Borrower Defense to Repayment Discharge: If you have federal loans and your school misled you, engaged in misconduct, or violated state laws, you could be eligible for loan discharge. 

• False Certification: If your school falsely certifies your federal student loan eligibility, you may qualify for loan discharge. 

• Total and Permanent Disability Discharge (TPDD): If you become completely and totally disabled — and are unlikely to recover — you can apply for discharge through TPDD. 

 

Can Student Loans be Forgiven Through Bankruptcy?

In most cases, student loans cannot be forgiven or discharged through bankruptcy. It’s rare for student loans to be eliminated during bankruptcy proceedings, but it is possible in special circumstances. To qualify, you must prove to the court that repaying the loans would cause undue hardship and your situation is unlikely to improve. 

Bankruptcy proceedings can be time-consuming and, because they usually involve lawyers, can be expensive. 

Refinance Student Loans if You Don’t Qualify for Loan Forgiveness

Not everyone will qualify for the best student loan forgiveness programs. If that’s the case, another option for managing your debt is to refinance your student loans. Having a reliable source of income and good credit is one of the best ways to pay off student loans faster. And you can refinance both federal and private student loans. 

Borrowers with good to excellent credit and stable income could potentially qualify for lower student loan interest rates, helping them save money and pay off their loans faster. And one of the benefits of student loan refinancing is that it allows you to combine your loans into one account. Once you refinance, you will have only one loan and one monthly payment. 

However, make sure you understand how refinancing works. If you have federal loans, refinancing will transfer them to a private lender, and you’ll no longer be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs or IDR plans. 

To decide that student loan refinancing is right for you, you can explore your loan options and calculate your potential savings with the student loan refinance calculator. 

The post Top 10 Student Loan Forgiveness Programs appeared first on Education Loan Finance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which apps allow you to borrow money instantly?

Asking around is the best way to locate an app that allows you to borrow money. It is possible that your friends are already using the app.

If not, then check out the reviews on sites such as Trustpilot. They often give a review of the app and its features.

You can also search online for “app + borrow money” to see what results you get.

Google Trends is also available. The search term “instant loan” returns a list with popular instant loan apps.

 

How is the interest on a payday loan calculated?

When customers require cash quickly and have poor credit, payday loan are an option to short-term financing.

These loans typically have an interest rate of 300% to 1000%.

Interest rates on payday loan are usually based on the borrower’s credit score as well as their repayment capacity.

The higher the credit score, the lower the interest rate.

Borrowing money should be avoided if your monthly income falls below $1,000.

If your monthly income falls within these limits, it is worth looking into other forms of financing such as personal loan.

Consider looking at other options such as auto loans, bank accounts, credit cards and bank accounts if you earn more that $1,000 per month.

 

What loans can someone with bad credit get?

Many people are turned down for mortgages simply because they don’t possess perfect credit. However, if you are willing to take on a home loan for someone who has had problems paying back the money, then many options are available to help them become successful homeowners.

A person may be eligible to borrow low-interest rates based on income. People with poor credit histories can often find a way of paying off their debts at affordable rates through adjustable-rate mortages (ARMs).

Programs such as the USDA Rural Development Loan Program offer loans to those who live in areas outside of major cities. These loans can be used by rural residents without access to capital markets. The program offers long-term fixed-interest rates of 3% to 6%.

Specialized commercial lending companies specialize in lending low-income borrowers loans. These companies often work with community development agencies or local banks. Some companies have very low or no fees.

 

Statistics

• If you’re preparing your bank account for the charges that WeLoans will cost to find a lender, put that thought aside because it’s 100% free. (abcactionnews.com)
• By comparison, APRs on credit cards can range from about 12 percent to about 30 percent. (consumerfinance.gov)
• In California, for example, a payday lender can charge a 14-day APR of 460% for a $100 loan.6 Finance charges on these loans also are a significant factor to consider, as the average fee is $15 per $100 loan.1 (investopedia.com)
• Those protections include a cap of 36 percent on the Military Annual Percentage Rate (MAPR) and other limitations on what lenders can charge for payday and other consumer loans. (consumerfinance.gov)
• For example, CashUSA’s payday loan APRs range from 5.99% to 35.99%, placing them well within the averages for most major lines of credit, including credit cards and bank loans. (timesunion.com)

External Links

consumerfinance.gov

• • What are my rights as a military lender?
    

 

• • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
    

 

consumer.ftc.gov

• • Consumer Advice
    

 

How To

Types of emergency loans that are available to people with bad credit

There are many loans available for emergencies for bad credit. So you need to decide which one best suits your situation. Here we explain some of the most common emergency loans for people with bad credit.

1. Private Money lender (PML), Loan. A PML Loan is a short-term loan offered by private lenders. They offer flexible repayment options and competitive rates. The downside is that they limit loans to PS25,000 per household.
2. Merchant cash advance loan. A merchant cash advance loan is a type of business loan that allows a business to borrow money for future sales from its website or stores. Their advantage is that they offer longer terms than private lenders and don’t require any collateral – although this means that repayments must be paid off immediately if there isn’t enough profit.
3. Payday Loan. Payday loan companies offer short-term loans for small amounts. Repayment is usually due after your next payday, although these days, most payday lending providers allow borrowers to roll over their loans several times. High-interest rates are charged on repayments, which can range from 400% up to more than 1,000%.
4. Personal Loan Personal loans are similar to payday loans but are offered by larger institutions. Personal loans have higher interest rates, a lower minimum payment requirement, and more strict eligibility requirements.
5. Bank Guarantee Loan. Bank Guarantee Loan. A bank guarantees loans so that you won’t have to worry about not being able to repay the loan. Once you have established that you live in the area and work there, you can apply to a bank guarantee for a loan.
6. Car Title Loan. Car title loans involve borrowing money from a company that owns your car’s title. The process is straightforward: hand over your keys to your vehicle and sign paperwork. Once your application has been approved, wait for the lender’s approval. Once you have been approved, they keep your title as security.
7. Personal Lines Insurance Policy Policy loan. When applying for a personal lines insurance policy loan, you can use life insurance you have as collateral. Your insurer will create a new policy for you with a different beneficiary. Your current beneficiaries will not receive any money. You must show proof of income to be eligible for personal lines insurance loans.
8. Small Business Administration loan. SBA Loans are available for individuals, families, businesses and non-profit organizations. SBA loans can only be obtained if you meet the financial requirements and prove you are able to repay the loan.
9. Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC). This is the process of taking out a home equity credit line. It allows homeowners over 18 years old who live on their property full-time or those under 25 years old who intend to live there within six months to quickly access a large amount of money.
10. Commercial Real Estate Mortgage (CREM). Commercial real estate mortgages are used to finance commercial properties such as shopping centers and office buildings. CREMs also include tax lien, which aid banks and other creditors in recovering debts from delinquent payers.