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The Ultimate Guide To Student Loan Forgiveness For Teachers

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Student Loan Forgiveness for Teachers

Teachers have the most options (compared to other careers) for student loan forgiveness. That's awesome – but it can also be confusing. With so many programs, and so many requirements, student loan forgiveness for teachers is a complicated subject (get it… subject…sorry, lame teacher joke).

​If you're a teacher, you have four main programs/ways to get student loan forgiveness. You also have a secondary avenue for student loan forgiveness based on your repayment plan.

Given that the average teacher only makes around $38,727 based on Payscale, and that the average student loan debt in 2017 is $37,000 according to The College Board, any help that teachers can get is essential.

Let's break down the four main ways to get student loan forgiveness for teachers, what the other options are, and how to get professional help if you want it.

Quick Navigation
Watch The Video
Option 1. Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
Option 2. Teacher Loan Forgiveness
Option 3. Perkins Teacher Loan Forgiveness
Option 4. State-Based Loan Repayment Assistance Programs
Secondary Ways To Get Student Loan Forgiveness For Teachers
How To Get Professional Help With Your Student Loans​
Final Thoughts

Watch The Video

Option 1. Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) is one of the top ways to get student loan forgiveness. This program allows you to get complete Federal student loan forgiveness after 120 qualifying payments. 

What's great about this program is that it offers the most options for teachers - you don't have to be at a qualifying Title 1 school. Any teacher at any school counts. In fact, any worker at a school counts (librarian, teacher's aid, principal, janitor, etc.).

There are three major requirements for PSLF:

  • ​Certified Employment For 120 Payments - You can find the employment certification form here.
  • Direct Loans - Other loan types (such as FFEL) don't count.
  • Qualifying Repayment Plan - The qualifying repayment plans for PSLF are the Standard 10-year plan, IBR, PAYE, RePAYE, ICR, and certain payments made under the graduated plan.

We have a short online training on Public Service Loan Forgiveness if you want more details or want to ensure you remain compliant with the program.

Option 2. Teacher Loan Forgiveness

Teacher Loan Forgiveness is a program that was started before PSLF, and allowed teachers at qualifying schools to have up to $17,500 of your Direct or FFEL loans forgiven after 5 years.

This program has many more stipulations that PSLF, and also forgives a smaller amount. The major requirements for Teacher Loan Forgiveness are:

  • 5 Complete & Consecutive Years At A Qualifying School - You can find the list of qualifying schools here. The five years must be completed after 1998.
  • Certain Teachers Get Up To $17,500, Others Up To $5,000 - If you're a highly qualified secondary math or science teacher, or special education teacher, you can receive up to $17,500 in forgiveness.

Once you've completed your 5 consecutive years, you can apply for forgiveness under the program. 

**As a side note, you can combine both PSLF and Teacher Loan Forgiveness, just not at the same time. For example, you'd need to work 5 years and do Teacher Loan Forgiveness, then 10 years and apply for PSLF. This doesn't really make any sense because PSLF forgives the entire amount after 10 years. So, if you're considering this route, just go with PSLF.

A circumstance where it might not make sense is if you don't plan on working for 10 years. If you meet the 5 year criteria, and don't plan on teaching any longer, Teacher Loan Forgiveness could make sense.

Another circumstance where it could make sense is if you haven't consolidated your loans and have FFEL loans. Since FFEL loans don't qualify for PSLF, you could do Teacher Loan Forgiveness first, then consolidate your loans and go for PSLF. 

Option 3. Perkins Teacher Loan Forgiveness

If you have Perkins Loans, you can get forgiveness up to 100% of your loan balance if you teach full time at a low-income school or teaching certain subjects.

If you have Perkins Loans, you can see your entire loan balance forgiven over 5 years. The great thing about this program is that it gives forgiveness in increments, so even if you don't make it 5 years, you can at least see some of your loan balance disappear.

Here's how it breaks down:

  • Year 1: 15% Forgiveness
  • Year 2: 15% Forgiveness
  • Year 3: 20% Forgiveness
  • Year 4: 20% Forgiveness
  • Year 5: ​30% Forgiveness

This program also has a lot of stipulations. Here are the key requirements:

  • Must Teach At A Low Income School or Certain Subjects - You can find the list of qualifying schools here.
  • The Qualifying Subjects Include - math, science, foreign language, bilingual studies, and others that have been determined to be in shortage in your state.
  • Private Schools Potentially Eligible - If your school is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, it is eligible under this program.

The difficult part of Perkins loans is that they are administered by your college where you received the loan. In order to apply for forgiveness, you need to reach out to your loan servicer or the financial aid office where you received the Perkins Loan.

Option 4. State-Based Loan Repayment Assistance Programs

45 states and the District of Columbia all offer state-based student loan repayment assistance programs. These programs are designed to help states staff teachers in areas or programs where they have shortages. 

We have a complete list of state-based student loan forgiveness programs here: Student Loan Forgiveness Programs By State.

It's important to note that, while you may qualify for multiple programs, you cannot overlap programs. For example, if you qualify for a state-based program, you cannot qualify for PSLF at the same time - you would need to do it sequentially. 

That's why it's important to look at the value of the state-based program and your own situation prior to signing up for any program.

Secondary Ways To Get Student Loan Forgiveness For Teachers

Beyond these student loan forgiveness programs, there are "secret" student loan forgiveness options that most teachers don't realize. These are secondary ways to get loan forgiveness if something doesn't work out with the above programs (for example, you might stop teaching or working before you qualify).

This "secret" is that all income-based repayment programs (IBR, PAYE, RePAYE, ICR) all include student loan forgiveness on any remaining balance after the repayment period (typically 20 or 25 years). These programs ​are automatically part of your repayment plan, and you don't have to do anything to sign up (other than continue to maintain eligibility on the repayment plan).

So, if you​ somehow don't qualify for one of the forgiveness programs listed above, hope is not lost. It will just be a longer process, but you can still potentially get loan forgiveness.

How To Get Professional Help With Your Student Loans​

It's important to note that you can do everything with your student loans yourself for free. StudentLoans.gov has a lot of great resources and online applications where you can apply for these programs. However, some people may want to pay for professional help with the student loan debt.

​If you don’t qualify, refinancing your student debt presents an alternate opportunity to save thousands. Credible enables you to fill out one form and look at personalized offers from multiple lenders.

If you're not quite sure where to start or what to do, consider hiring a CFA to help you with your student loans. We recommend The Student Loan Planner to help you put together a solid financial plan for your student loan debt. Check out The Student Loan Planner here.

Final Thoughts

Student loan forgiveness for teachers is a real thing. Teachers have more options for student loan forgiveness than pretty much any other profession. If you're a teacher, you need to be taking advantage of these programs to get out of student loan debt. 

It's essentially free money you're ignoring by not taking action. If you need help, reach out! There are lots of ways to get help to ensure you get the student loan forgiveness you deserve.

Filed Under: Student Loans Tagged With:
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Comments

  1. Hello! I am wondering if these options apply to those with a cosigner who is a teacher in a low-income area. My mom has been a teacher for 15+ years in a low income area and she was the cosigner for several of my brother’s student loans. Would that make his loans qualified for any of these programs? Or does it need to be the actual borrower who is a teacher?

    Reply

  2. This guide is really helpful. Thanks for sharing. Hopefully I can pay up my student loan soon.

    Reply

  3. This is a scary process. It’s difficult to trust any one. I am always so skeptical of corporations saying they can help you. I was in touch with someone today whose fee is $895. I’m looking into if the Doan Solutions is a quality company.
    Help…my college education is drowning me in finances.

    Reply

  4. I consolidated my loans in 2005 but took out original loans prior to the 1998 date for the Teacher Forgiveness Loan. Which date will they look at in order to see if I qualify for the forgiveness?

    Reply

    • Since you had an “outstanding balance” in 1998, that will prevent you from getting Teacher Loan Forgiveness.

      If you still are struggling to repay your loans, and are looking for forgiveness options, consider Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

      You can re-consolidate your loans today, so you have a qualifying Direct loan.

      Then, you would just have to meet the other criteria:
      – Qualifying Repayment Plan
      – 120 payments while working at a qualified employer

      Reply

  5. My husband and I consolidated our loans together right after college. At the time (mid to late 1990’s) that “disqualified” us for forgiveness options according to Nelnet. I have taught special education in a title one public school for 10 years. Do we have new options?

    Reply

    • Ugh, spousal consolidation was the worst thing ever – and it’s gone for a reason. Sadly, there isn’t much you can do. You don’t have any forgiveness options and you can’t re-consolidate. You also are limited in your repayment plans as a result of the consolidation.

      Reply

  6. Hello,

    I have been paying $300 a month onfor close to ten years now. It’s still not even close to being paid off. I recently got a part time position as a Art Teacher at a low income school. Is there anything out there for me to lower or forgive my loans?

    Reply

  7. Hello
    My wife is a high school science teacher in MD. She has found out she quilfies for the 120 payments forgiveness. But can she do the 2 year 17500 forgiveness first which will help save some money if it’s paid to maybe one or two loans? Or will it disqualify her in some way?

    Reply

  8. Thank you for all of the great advice. I have recently begun subbing and the same school i taught for three years prior. Can i still eventually apply for a loan forgiveness??

    Reply

    • Are you working full time? For PSLF, you must have full time public service employment.

      However, it doesn’t have to be contiguous. Each of the 120 payments is counted individually, so if you go back to full time work, you can pick up where you left off.

      Reply

  9. I am a teacher and have been teaching(Math) at a secondary school consecutively for 5 years at a Title 1 school and want to apply for the loan forgiveness program. Can you please send me the link to submit my application or guide to the correct site.

    Reply

  10. I am a full time high school math teacher and I am having trouble looking at some of these sites. I live in Florida but some of the sites come up blank when you search for low income schools in Florida. Any suggestions?

    Reply

    • Talk your your school district about which are Title 1 schools. Sorry the Department of Education doesn’t maintain their website anymore.

      Also, remember, PSLF is better than Teacher Loan Forgiveness everyday.

      Reply

  11. I am a Spanish teacher. I have worked at a Catholic School for 4 years full time before being picked up by a Charter School to be resourced out to all the Catholic Schools in the area. I have been with them for the now 3 years at full time. So I have been working 7 years straight full time. Does these years count for anything? Can I apply for the PSLF after ten years?

    Reply

    • Yes, if you can certify your employment in public service (which this sounds like it is), then you’re potentially 7 years towards forgiveness.

      Remember, you need to certify your employment, have Direct student loans, and have been on a qualifying repayment program this entire time as well.

      Reply

  12. Hi , two questions:
    1) How long does this process take I will qualify in June 2018 this year? 2) When you are ready for the $ distribution do they pay you or the loan directly?

    Thank you

    Reply

    • Hi Sean,

      1. What process? PSLF? If you’ve made 120 payments, it typically takes another 1-3 months to process and see your loan forgiven.
      2. When you are approved for forgiveness, it goes to the loan directly.

      Reply

  13. Hi,

    For student loan forgiveness – do you know if the 5 consecutive years of teaching at a qualified school have to be at the same school or can it be at different qualifying schools (i.e. three years at one, two at another)?

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • The application states that you can use multiple schools if you can get their administrators to certify it.

      Reply

  14. I’m a math teacher at a title one high school and I started my master program on my third year of teaching. To pay for my graduate classes I took out a direct unsubsidized loan. So after teaching for five straight years, will the loan that I took out to pay for my graduate classes be forgiven? I’m planning on applying for the teacher loan forgiveness. All my loans will combine to $16,500.

    Reply

    • As long as you meet the criteria, yes. And the 5 year clock starts when you’re done borrowing, not when you started.

      Reply

  15. I am a full time teacher finishing up year 5. I teach agriculture education, which is very science based. For the first two years of my career I taught Horticulture as a general science credit class for my students but for the last three I have taught at a school that doesn’t give science credit for Horticulture. Would I qualify as a science teacher and receive up to $17,500 or the $5,000 level?

    Reply

    • Great question – I think you would need to ask your administration if Horticulture falls under science or elective (or maybe you already know). If it falls under science, then you should be good.

      Reply

  16. Would a newly hired university faculty qualify for any loan forgiveness? I am a Realtor helping newly graduated students who are relocating for their job to find a home within a reasonable distance from the university. Their huge student debts are preventing them from buying a home.

    Reply

  17. Hi,
    I am an elementary school teacher for a public school district in Vancouver, Washington. My school is considered a high-poverty school, and has been a title-one school for some of the years I’ve taught here. This week, on June 15th, 2018, I am completing my 20th year, all at the same school.

    About 3 years ago I applied for the Teacher Loan forgiveness, and the PSLF, and was denied both. I had gone over both applications with a fine tooth comb prior to applying for the loan forgiveness . .Our head secretary, and principal who signed that we were indeed, a title school at the time both thought I’d qualify. Is it possible a mistake was made? , and perhaps I did qualify? I am applying “again” for the PSLF because when I called studentaid.gov (a month or so ago), I was practically told I’d qualify. So I figured I’d try again. It’s been a month and I haven’t heard anything yet. I’ve been paying on this consolidated loan since 2005, or 2006? Loan was $41,000 then, and now, it’s June 2018 with a $9,100 balance. Always Auto payments, so I have Never been late. I didn’t even bother with the Teacher loan forgiveness program. Too complicated. Any advice? Thank you!

    Reply

    • You can’t have both Teacher Loan Forgiveness and PSLF at the same time. That could have been a problem if you applied for both.

      The big derailers I see, especially if you have old student loans, is you don’t have Direct Loans (you have FFEL loans).

      Are you sure you meet all the criteria for PSLF:
      1. Direct Loans
      2. Income-Driven Repayment Plan
      3. Qualifying Employment (this you’ve said)

      Reply

  18. Hello, I am newly graduated college student trying to understand my options. I am wondering if any of the loan forgiveness programs require you to be working at the same school for the entire time you are paying off your loans to qualify. Say for instance I want to change schools but they are both title 1 schools, will I still qualify after 5 years or 10 years depending on the program I choose?

    Reply

    • First, unless you have only $17,500 in debt (or very close to it), then don’t even consider teacher loan forgiveness. Look at PSLF, as it’s the better deal. For PSLF, you can work a bunch of places, you just need to have 120 months of full time employment in the public sector (along with the other requirements).

      Reply

  19. I consolidated my federal student loans a few years ago and now they say my total payments restarted then? I am a public school teacher with $50,000 in federal student loans.

    Reply

      • Thank you so much for replying. I have $50,000 in federal student loans. As a teacher I was required to obtain a Masters and had no other way to pay for it.

        Can I appeal that I did not know that consolidating my loans would reset PSLF?
        I am also dealing with cancer and am near retirement age.

        Please advise

        Reply

  20. If I have not consolidated my loans into “Direct” Loans yet, does that mean that all prior loan payments made do not qualify toward the 120 payments for PSLF?

    Currently, I have 3 consecutive years teaching special education at a school that is listed on the Teacher Cancellation website.
    Do you think it would make the most sense for me to FIRST apply for the 3-year teacher loan cancellation.
    THEN, to consolidate my loans into DIRECT loans and begin repayment towards my 120 PSLF ?

    Also, my loans have been on IBR for the past five years.

    Thank You!!!

    Reply

    • It really depends on what the balance of your loans is, what your payment is, how much forgiveness you can get.

      You’re correct – non direct loans don’t count towards PSLF. However, there is a backdoor to get qualified, but it only helps if you’re close to getting forgiveness.

      You can do Teacher Loan Forgiveness, then PSLF, but you might not see much forgiveness on PSLF depending on your balance and payment. You’d want to do the math and see which makes more sense.

      Reply

  21. Hello,
    I am starting my 6th year teaching Special Education in a Title One school. I have been on the IDR repayment plan. Will that one qualify for the PSLF plan?

    Reply

    • Remember, PSLF has three requirements:
      1. Direct Loans (check this – you didn’t mention it)
      2. Public service employment (sounds like you qualify)
      3. Income-driven repayment (sounds like you qualify)

      Then, submit the certification form for all years of teaching that qualify. If you’ve been at the same school, should be easy enough. If you’ve moved around, you need to track down those old HRs.

      Reply

      • Hello,
        Yes, sorry I do have direct loans. My next questions are about when to apply-do we apply before the 10 years starts or after we have completed all 10 years? Also, do the 120 payments start over each time you have a missed or late payment? I ask because when reapplying for IDR, there was a hiccup in the application process and while I was able to have them help resolve it, I did not make payments during the time (as they wanted $1200 per month).
        Thank you!

        Reply

        • You want to certify your employment every year. No mandatory, but recommended. Then, once you reach 120 qualifying payment, you apply for forgiveness.

          Each payment is counted individually – you can have gaps. The goal is get to 120 qualifying payments.

          Reply

  22. Hi! I need help with this. Have worked for a public school for over 20 years and have been paying my son’s student loan for the past 10 years I was surprised to learn that I do not qualify for the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program, in fact, my bill says PSFL 0 years when I have paid for almost 10 years already-Could you shine some light in this case? Thanks !

    Reply

    • There are three criteria for PSLF, and you likely don’t meet one or more:
      1. Direct Loans (given the age of your loans, it’s likely you have FFEL loans, not Direct Loans)
      2. Qualifying Repayment Plan (what plan are you on – only income-driven repayment plans qualify)
      3. Qualifying employment

      Reply

  23. My daughter is in her last year of getting her elementary education degree. We were going to set up payments to go ahead and start paying on her loan. Will this dismiss her in anyway from applying for the loan forgiveness later on?

    Reply

    • Why are you setting up a payment plan for your daughter (or are you paying the loan)? Or is it a Parent PLUS Loan in your name?

      If you want her to qualify for loan forgiveness, you need an income-driven repayment plan for her.

      Reply

  24. I am a highly qualified math teacher beginning my third year teaching in a title 1 public school. Prior to accepting this position, I worked as an adjunct math professor at a NYS accredited community college for 8 years earning 6 years of service credit in the NYS teacher’s retirement system. Could any of this time as an adjunct count toward my 5 years for teacher loan forgiveness or must I wait until I reach 5 years in my current job? Thank you for any advice you can give me.

    Reply

    • Was your employment at any point considered full time (30 hours per week)? If so, a better route might actually be PSLF – you’d have 3 years at your current school plus time as a professor?

      If not, no, that past non-full time employment doesn’t count.

      Reply

  25. For the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program, do you have to work at the same Title 1 school for 5 years in order to qualify? Or can you work at one school for 2 years that qualifies and then get a new job at a different title one school?

    Thanks for your help.

    Reply

  26. Hi
    I hope you are still answering on this feed! I am having trouble figuring out if I will qualify for PSLF while working at a Catholic School. I have a year at a public school under my belt, but recently switched to a Catholic elementary school. Do you happen to know if Catholic school teachers can still qualify for PSLF?
    Thank you

    Reply

    • If you perform full time teaching duties, you should be fine. However, if you’re part time teaching and do part time work in other areas of the church, then no.

      Reply

  27. Hey Robert, I appreciate you answering questions, it has been helpful reading them. I have a question regarding new loans and PSLF. I have undergraduate loans that currently have around 40 qualifying payments on them and total close to 50K from 2005-2010. I recently finished grad school for administration but am still teaching. I took on around 20K in new debt from 2016-2018 at an average of 5.75% with these loans. Would you recommend consolidating and entering repayment on these new loans or entering them into the PSLF? It seems entering them into the PSLF could be a mistake if I secure a higher paying administration job within the next couple of years and my payment skyrockets because of this. Right now I am paying $57/month with a wife and two kids for my undergrad loans from 2005-2010.

    Reply

    • Hi Jake,

      PSLF has nothing to do with your repayment plan. You definitely need to enter repayment on the loans – and it never hurts to select an income-driven plan that qualifies you for PSLF. Even if your income rises a bunch, your income driven payment will never rise above your standard plan payment amount. So, either way, you win. If you qualify for PSLF, then always certify your loans.

      Also, consolidation for the new loans doesn’t matter (it’s a personal preference if you want a single loan or multiple), but whatever you do, DO NOT CONSOLIDATE your older loans into these new ones. If you do, you now have a new loan, and you lose all the 40 previously qualifying payments.

      Reply

      • Wow, that helps a TON! I do not know why I was making it so confusing for myself, but you cleared it up nicely for me. I appreciate you taking the time to read my question and respond, it helps tremendously. Thanks again!

        Reply

  28. Do any of these apply to high school English teachers? I see math, science, foreign language, and special ed, but I don’t see English or any social studies anywhere…

    Reply

    • Option 1 – Public Service Loan Forgiveness, applies to all teachers who teach in public school and non-profit schools.

      Reply

  29. Had 5k forgiven in 2008 for teaching 5 years in a low income school. That paid off my bachelors student loans. Went back for my Masters and completed it in 2013. Loan period was 2011-2013. Anyway to get anymore forgiven? Thanks

    Reply

    • If you’re still teaching, PSLF is a great program. You potentially qualify as a teacher, you just need to meet the rest of the criteria (loan type and payment plans).

      Reply

  30. Hi Robert,
    Thanks for all your answers! I teach full-time at an eligible HS for the 5-yr forgiveness program. I teach business courses, 2 of which are math courses. So, I’m a full-time teacher that teaches math, but not a full-time math teacher. Would I be eligible for $5000 or $17500 of forgiveness? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Are you classified as a math teacher? If so, the higher amount. If not, the no. It’s a discussion you need to have with your principal. Might be able to make something happen.

      Reply

  31. I just started my 6th year teaching science at a title I secondary school. I currently do not have any student loans, but I am interested in getting my masters degree. Do my past 5 years of teaching count towards future loans? Or would I need 5 years teaching from when I took out loans for my masters? I haven’t been able to find any information online that is about this kind of situation. Thanks in advance.

    Reply

  32. My husband is in his 5th consecutive year at the same school but this year (2018-2019) is the first year his school has has been considered Title 1. Will he have to teach another 4 years at this school to be eligible for the teacher loan forgiveness program or would the previous years count?

    Reply

    • Yes, he would have to go 4 more years, but a better path forward would likely be PSLF – not Teacher Loan Forgiveness. PSLF will forgive the entire loan amount if he qualifies for it.

      Reply

  33. Hello,
    I taught in Wisconsin for 4 years at a low income school. Are there any loan forgiveness programs available for me?

    Thank you for your time.

    Aimee

    Reply

    • Are you still teaching or you taught in the past? If you’re still teaching, you potentially can get Teacher Loan Forgiveness in year 5 if you qualify (read the article above).

      Reply

  34. I understand that perkins loans do not qualify for PSLF forgiveness, but wonder if I can keep my perkins loan and work toward having it cancelled while also working toward PSLF for my other loans. As a nurse working for a 501c3 my perkins loan is deferred and will be fully cancelled in another 2.5 years, meaning as long as I work full time as a nurse I don’t need to make payments. My loans will all be deferred for another few months as I just finished a school program. Currently my direct loans are with Great Lakes. I have a few FFEL loans to consolidate and since I have not yet made any qualifying payments on any of my loans am considering just consolidating everything except the perkins loan and selecting FedLoan as my servicer so I can then upload the employment certification file rather than mailing it.

    Reply

  35. I received $5,000 in forgiveness about 6 years ago after teaching elementary school for 5 years. Since then, I have taught secondary math at a low-income school for 2 years. Will I be eligible for $17,500 in forgiveness in 3 years, or would it just be $12,500 since I already received $5,000 before? Thanks for your help.

    Reply

    • So you received your Teacher Loan Forgiveness 6 years ago. But then took a break for 4 years, and are now back teaching for the past 2 years? Or did you teach the entire time?

      Just a note, once you’ve received your $5,000, you are done with Teacher Loan Forgiveness and cannot get any more – that’s the lifetime max.

      If you have Direct Loans, the better approach at this point is to go for PSLF (like the article says). You have 4 years to go if you worked at a school or non-profit for the past 6 years.

      Reply

  36. My daughter teaches Math at a qualified school, in Texas. She is in her 3rd year. She started with $56,000 in loans and has paid them down to $30,000. At her current rate she will have all her loans paid off before she finishes her 5th year. If she has paid off her loans before the 5th year is there anything she can get refunded after she completes the 5th year.

    Reply

    • No. If she’s going for any type of forgiveness, she should probably switch repayment plans… Or, if she just wants them paid off, good for her!

      Reply

  38. Thanks for compiling all this information in one place! I recently read that if you do the income-based repayment plans and finish out the term (25 or 30 years or whatever), then the amount that gets forgiven must be claimed as income on your taxes. Sadly this can be a ton of money for some folks. Fortunately this is not the case for any amount forgiven under PSLF. Just this might be worth adding under that section. Thanks!

    Reply

  39. I have not taught for 6 years. Unfortunately I was not aware of Teacher Forgiveness Loans. I worked in a title 1 school for 14 years. Do I still qualify for any loan forgiveness programs?

    Reply

    • Where do you work today? If you’re employed by a school, the government, or a non-profit, you can still qualify for PSLF (see the article above). Your previous teacher work can qualify for this as each of the 120 qualifying payments are counted individually.

      Reply

  40. Hello. Forgive me if this question was previously answered. I have direct loans disbursed from 2011-14 which currently total 29k. I’m about to complete my 5th year as a speech pathologist in a title 1 school. Sounds good thus far, right? My concern is I had loans for an undergrad degree from 1997-2001 that were paid off by 02. Though not the loans in question, do these early loans prevent me from qualifying for teacher loan forgiveness?
    Thanks for your time.

    Reply

  41. I’m really confused about the 1998 timeline. My first loans were dispersed August 1998 but I didn’t graduate until 2005. My graduate dates were from 2005-2007. Are you saying that I am ineligible from the 17,500 due to a 5 month discrepancy.

    Reply

    • Yes, your loans were dispersed too early to qualify for Teacher Loan Forgiveness. By any chance did you consolidate your loans and maybe you have Direct Loans now? If so, PSLF is a better route anyway.

      Reply

  42. Hello,

    You’ve said many times that you can’t do the PSLF and Teacher Loan Forgiveness at the same time, however do you know if you can do the Perkins Loan Forgiveness at the same time as one of these? I have both direct loans (through Great Lakes) and Perkins Loans (managed by a company called ECSI), so the accounts are totally separate. It would be a bummer to start getting my (smaller) Perkins loans forgiven then find out that makes me ineligible for one of the direct loan options after 5 or 10 years. Thanks!

    Reply

    • You can do Perkins loans and a program for your direct loans at the same time. Perkins loans are very different loan types and operate under their own set of rules.

      Reply

  43. I had an undergraduate FFEL loan from prior to 1998 that I paid off in 1999. Then I took out a graduate school loan in 2001, became a special ed teacher and have worked at a title 1 school for 5 years. Is my graduate school loan from 2001 eligible for loan forgiveness, or am I disqualified because I had a loan prior to 1998, even though I paid it off and it is not loan I am asking forgiveness for?

    Reply

    • You were a borrower in 1998 so you aren’t eligible. However, if you have a large balance, you can think about re-consolidating and going for PSLF. But you would need to do the math on that and see if it makes sense.

      Reply

  44. I heard a rumor that the Teacher Loan Forgiveness was cut by the Trump Administration recently (or is proposed to be cut), do you know if this is true?

    Reply

  45. This sounds really great and helpful. As a teacher in a low income school for 13 years, and human service worker for 20 years, I’ve applied for loan forgiveness and have been denied due to having taken out school loans prior to 1998. In fact my college dates were 1994-1999. ☹️Any suggestions?

    Reply

    • If you still have a balance and probably will for the next 10 years, re-consolidate into Direct loans and go for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

      Reply

  46. I wanted to know if I may be able to apply for teacher loan forgiveness. I’ve have been teaching 15 plus years all in low income based or title 1 schools. However my loan were provided to me back in 1989. I enrolled in IBR but have to place the loan in deferment. Spoken with student loan adivisor and they informed me that I fall into the grandfather clause: loan before 1994 have to be paid in full before i could receive forgiveness for the other loans outstanding.

    Reply

    • Sadly, your advisor was correct. You cannot have had an outstanding loan balance before 1998.

      Reply

  47. I work for a community college, and there we have a preschool that serves over 89 low income subsidized children. Do I qualify for the loan forgiveness ?

    Reply

  48. I have been working for 20 years in title 1 schools( since July of 1999. My loans were taken out in 1995 and I paid them off 10 years ago. Is there any type of loan forgiveness that I should apply for?

    I know I consolidated subsidized and unsubsidized at some point to get a fixed interest rate with Sallie Mae.

    Reply

  49. I am looking at the Teacher Loan Forgivness application. I taught for 4.5 years (fall 2012-spring 2017) at a Title 1 school, I left mid-year Feb 2017 and took a position as a Diagnostician at a different school district. This fall (2019) I will be returning to the same Title 1 school I taught at for 4.5 years as a classroom teacher. Would I be eligible or should I wait to apply after the Fall semester? Or do I have to teach for 5 more years? Thank you in advance! 🙂 My student loan debt is only from my Master’s degree (2014-2016).

    Reply

    • Since your loan debt is from 2016, you need to have taught or worked in a qualifying place after that.

      And only you can do the math – does it make sense to go for the smaller amount of loan forgiveness via TLF, or should you wait 10 years to get it all forgiven?

      Reply

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