New Jersey Student Loan Forgiveness Programs

New Jersey offers more student loan repayment assistance programs than most states, all run by the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA). Primary care and behavioral health providers get the biggest awards, and teachers in high-need subjects, nursing faculty, STEM workers, and air traffic controllers have their own programs, with the teacher window closing September 30, 2026. Borrowers outside those fields should start with federal forgiveness programs.

Health Care Professional Loan Redemption Program (HCPLRP)

HCPLRP pays up to $200,000 toward the student loans of primary care physicians, dentists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and psychiatrists who serve two to four years in medically underserved areas (HESAA). Redemptions are paid after each year of service, and doctors can compare the total with federal offers in our breakdown of student loan forgiveness for doctors.

Behavioral Healthcare Provider Loan Redemption Program (BHLRP)

BHLRP pays up to $50,000 for every two years of full-time service at a community behavioral health provider, up to $150,000 for six years (HESAA). Providers who work mainly with children and adolescents can add up to six $5,000 incentive grants, and many eligible employers are nonprofits covered in our nonprofit student loan forgiveness breakdown.

New Jersey Teacher Loan Redemption Program (TLRP)

TLRP redeems 25% of eligible student loan principal and interest each year, up to $5,000 a year for four years, for teachers in high-need fields at eligible schools (HESAA). For 2026–27, the high-need fields are ESL and bilingual education, world languages, math, science, special education, and career and technical education (HESAA). Math, science, and special education teachers can stack it with the federal programs in our teacher forgiveness breakdown.

Nursing Faculty Loan Redemption Program (NFLRP)

NFLRP pays up to $10,000 a year to full-time nursing faculty, and less for part-time faculty, over five consecutive years of teaching at a New Jersey nursing school, for a maximum of $50,000 (HESAA). Faculty at public colleges also work for PSLF-qualifying employers, which our graduate school forgiveness breakdown covers.

New Jersey STEM Loan Redemption Program

The STEM program redeems up to $2,000 a year for up to four years ($8,000) for workers in high-growth STEM occupations, with the state paying $1,000 and the employer matching $1,000 (HESAA). The award is small, so engineers should also check our list of student loan forgiveness for engineering majors.

Air Traffic Controller Loan Redemption Program

New Jersey created this program in a law signed January 12, 2026, and it pays up to $100,000 over four years to air traffic controllers working for the FAA at eligible sites (HESAA). Controllers work for a federal agency, so they can also pursue Public Service Loan Forgiveness on their federal loans.

New Jersey doesn't base its income tax on the federal definition of income, and it excludes canceled debt, including forgiven student loans, from income (The College Investor). HESAA's HCPLRP Q&A says the same about that program's awards: cancellation of debt income isn't subject to New Jersey tax (HESAA).

Federal tax is a separate question, and forgiveness under income-driven plans became federally taxable again on January 1, 2026, when the American Rescue Plan exclusion expired (Taxes And Student Loan Forgiveness). Borrowers expecting IBR or RAP forgiveness can estimate the federal bill with our student loan tax bomb calculator.

HESAA sends HCPLRP participants a 1099 form and tells them to consult a tax advisor about federal tax (HESAA). Read our explainer on the 1099-C and student loan forgiveness before filing.

Does New Jersey Have A Student Loan Forgiveness Program?

New Jersey offers student loan repayment assistance programs rather than broad loan forgiveness. HESAA runs six loan redemption programs for primary care and behavioral health providers, teachers, nursing faculty, STEM workers, and air traffic controllers. Borrowers outside those fields rely on federal programs like PSLF and income-driven plan forgiveness.

How Much Can New Jersey Teachers Get Toward Their Student Loans?

TLRP pays up to $20,000 over four years to teachers in high-need fields at eligible schools, and the current window closes September 30, 2026 (HESAA). Federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness can add up to $17,500, as our teacher forgiveness breakdown explains.

Can New Jersey Doctors And Nurses Get Help Repaying Student Loans?

Primary care physicians, dentists, PAs, NPs, and nurse midwives can receive up to $200,000 through HCPLRP, and psychiatrists can use HCPLRP or BHLRP (HESAA). Nursing faculty can receive up to $50,000 through NFLRP, and federal Nurse Corps options appear in our nursing forgiveness roundup.

What Is The New Jersey Air Traffic Controller Loan Redemption Program?

It's a 2026 program that pays up to $100,000 over four years to New Jersey residents hired by the FAA on or after January 12, 2026 to work at eligible sites (HESAA). Controllers are federal employees, so they can also work toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

Is Student Loan Forgiveness Taxable In New Jersey?

New Jersey excludes canceled debt from income, so forgiven student loans aren't taxed by the state, and HESAA says the same for HCPLRP awards (The College Investor). Income-driven plan forgiveness can still trigger a federal bill, and our tax bomb calculator estimates it.