Student Loan Forgiveness Programs by State
Every state and the District of Columbia offers some form of student loan repayment assistance, but almost none of it is broad forgiveness. Most programs pay down your loans in exchange for working in a shortage field such as health care or teaching, in a specific part of the state. Health care workers have the most options by far, while borrowers in other jobs will get more from federal forgiveness programs like PSLF.
Find Your State's Programs
Click your state on the map or pick it from the list below to see every program it offers, who qualifies, how much it pays, and whether it's taking applications. Each state page also covers the federal options available there and how the state taxes forgiven debt, and pairs with our student loans and financial aid by state pages.
Student Loan Repayment Assistance Programs By State
States With The Most Programs
New York leads the country with 16 state programs, and eight states offer 10 or more. A long list doesn't always mean more help for you, since many programs serve one profession or open for a short window each year, so compare the details on your state's page with our full list of forgiveness programs.
Repayment Assistance Vs. Loan Forgiveness
State programs are repayment assistance: the state sends money toward your loans, such as a set amount per year, after you complete a stretch of qualifying work. Federal programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness forgive whatever balance remains once you meet the requirements.
Some state programs work the other way around. Service scholarships and forgivable loans pay for school up front, then turn into debt you repay, sometimes with penalties, if you don't complete the required service. Read the terms before you sign one, and compare them with the cost of a standard private student loan.
Federal Forgiveness Options In Every State
Federal programs are available no matter where you live, and they reach far more borrowers than any state program. Our full list of forgiveness programs covers each one.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). Borrowers who make 120 qualifying payments while working full time for a government agency or qualifying nonprofit get their remaining Direct Loan balance forgiven (StudentAid.gov). Public school teachers, government employees, and staff at nonprofit hospitals qualify, and our PSLF breakdown covers the 2026 employer rule litigation.
Teacher Loan Forgiveness. Teachers with five consecutive years at a low-income school can receive up to $17,500 if they teach secondary math, science, or special education, or up to $5,000 in other subjects (StudentAid.gov). The same years can't count toward both Teacher Loan Forgiveness and PSLF, which our teacher forgiveness breakdown walks through.
Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) and IBR. RAP launched July 1, 2026, and forgives any remaining balance after 360 qualifying payments (How RAP Works). Borrowers deciding between plans can run the numbers in our RAP vs. IBR comparison.
Health care programs. The National Health Service Corps paid full-time primary care providers up to $80,000 for a two-year commitment in its 2026 cycle, including a $5,000 Spanish-language bonus (HRSA). Nurses, doctors, and behavioral health workers can compare it with state programs using our nursing and health care forgiveness roundup.
Is Student Loan Forgiveness Taxed By States?
Forgiveness under income-driven plans became federally taxable again on January 1, 2026, when the American Rescue Plan exclusion expired, while PSLF and Teacher Loan Forgiveness stay tax-free at the federal level (Taxes And Student Loan Forgiveness). Borrowers expecting IBR or RAP forgiveness can estimate the bill with our student loan tax bomb calculator.
State treatment varies, and Mississippi taxes PSLF forgiveness even though the IRS doesn't (Which States Tax Student Loan Forgiveness?). Each state page above explains how that state handles forgiven debt, and our state tax breakdown compares them side by side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which State Has The Most Student Loan Repayment Programs?
New York has the most, with 16 state programs, followed by Georgia and Illinois with 14 each. Most of New York's programs serve health care workers and open once a year, so check the New York student loan forgiveness programs page for current windows.
Does Every State Offer Student Loan Repayment Assistance?
All 50 states and the District of Columbia run at least one program, and 28 of them run six or more. Puerto Rico is the exception among the areas we cover: we couldn't confirm a territory-run program, so borrowers there rely on federal forgiveness programs.
Can I Use A State Program And PSLF At The Same Time?
Each program sets its own rules for combining with other help, so read the terms on your state's page first. Public school teachers and public hospital staff work for PSLF-qualifying employers, but years used for federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness can't also count toward PSLF (StudentAid.gov).
What If My Job Doesn't Qualify For A State Program?
Employers can pay up to $5,250 a year toward your student loans tax-free, and our list of companies that offer student loan repayment assistance shows who offers it. Borrowers with private loans can also lower their rate through student loan refinancing, though refinancing federal loans ends access to PSLF, RAP, and IBR.
How We Sourced This Data
Every state page in this series was rebuilt in September 2026 from the administering agencies, state statutes and administrative codes, and state budgets, with 2025 and 2026 program changes cross-checked against state news reporting. Program counts include loan repayment programs and service-based scholarships or forgivable loans that are forgiven through work, and exclude grants with no service requirement, programs that have ended, and federally run programs. Read more about how we fact-check and update content.
Page refreshed annually in August, after most state legislative sessions and agency rule approvals, and reviewed in January for tax season. Last full refresh: September 23, 2026.
Editor: Clint Proctor Reviewed by: Claire Tak