Florida Student Loan Forgiveness Programs
Florida offers student loan repayment assistance programs aimed almost entirely at health care workers. FRAME matters most, paying doctors, dentists, nurses, PAs, and mental health professionals a share of their loans for working in rural or underserved areas, and legal aid lawyers have a separate program. Teachers have no state loan program, so they and everyone else should start with federal forgiveness programs, where the bigger dollars are.
Florida Programs At A Glance
| Program | Who Qualifies | Maximum Award | Service Required | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Reimbursement Assistance For Medical Education (FRAME) | Primary care physicians, APRNs, PAs, nurses, mental health professionals, dentists, and dental hygienists | $150,000 (physicians) to $45,000 (nurses) over 4 years; $250,000 for dentists over 5 years | Practice in a rural or underserved area, plus 25 volunteer hours a year | Annual Cycle |
| Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness Program | LPNs, RNs, and APRNs at designated Florida employers | $4,000/year for up to 4 years | 12 months of full-time work per payment | Rolling |
| Legal Aid Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) | Attorneys at Florida civil legal aid organizations | $10,000/year in forgivable loans | At least 50% FTE legal aid work for the calendar year | Annual Cycle |
Programs That Help Repay Loans You Already Have
Florida borrowers carry roughly $39,500 in federal student debt on average, according to our Florida student loans and financial aid breakdown. These programs send money toward that debt once you're working in a qualifying job. Compare them against Public Service Loan Forgiveness, since county health departments, public hospitals, and legal aid groups are also PSLF employers.
Florida Reimbursement Assistance For Medical Education (FRAME)
FRAME pays 25% of a provider's loan principal each year for up to four years, capped at $150,000 for physicians, $90,000 for autonomous APRNs, $75,000 for APRNs, PAs, and mental health professionals, and $45,000 for LPNs and RNs (Section 381.402, Florida Statutes). Dentists and dental hygienists receive 20% of principal a year for up to five years, capped at $50,000 and $7,500 a year, or $250,000 and $37,500 total (Section 381.4019, Florida Statutes). Over four years, the physician award rivals the federal programs in our breakdown of student loan forgiveness for doctors.
Every recipient has to complete 25 hours a year of volunteer primary care in a free clinic or approved community service project before payments go out (Florida Department of Health). The Department of Health opens the next application windows on March 1, 2027, so nurses and mental health counselors weighing other options should see our nursing and health care forgiveness roundup.
| Administered by | Florida Department of Health |
| Who qualifies | Florida-licensed primary care MDs and DOs, APRNs, physician assistants, licensed clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors, psychologists, LPNs, and RNs; dentists and dental hygienists apply through FRAMEdental |
| Award | 25% of loan principal a year, up to $150,000 (physicians), $90,000 (autonomous APRNs), $75,000 (APRNs, PAs, and mental health professionals), or $45,000 (LPNs and RNs) over four years; dentists get 20% a year up to $250,000 and dental hygienists up to $37,500 over five years |
| Commitment | Primary care practice in a rural hospital or an underserved area designated by the Department of Health, accepting Medicaid if eligible; dental providers must serve Medicaid and low-income patients in shortage areas |
| Restrictions | Each practitioner can receive only one four-year FRAME award; the medical and dental statutes are scheduled for repeal July 1, 2034 |
| Status | FRAMEpc and FRAMEmh applications run March 1 to April 30, and FRAMEdental runs March 1 to June 30, for the 2027 award cycle |
| Official source | Florida Department of Health FRAME |
Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness Program
The Florida Department of Education's Office of Student Financial Assistance repays up to $4,000 a year of nursing education loans for up to four years for nurses working at designated Florida employers (Florida OSFA). Payments go to your lender at the end of each 12-month enrollment period, and OSFA says the payments are exempt from federal income tax. The $16,000 maximum is small next to FRAME, so RNs working in an underserved area should compare both before choosing, along with our list of student loan forgiveness for nurses.
| Administered by | Florida Department of Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance |
| Who qualifies | Florida-licensed LPNs, RNs, and APRNs with nursing education loans who work full time at state-operated medical facilities, public schools, county health departments, federally sponsored community health centers, teaching hospitals, family practice teaching hospitals, or specialty children's hospitals (Section 1009.66, Florida Statutes) |
| Match employers | Other Florida-licensed hospitals, birth centers, and nursing homes qualify only if the employer matches the award dollar for dollar |
| Award | Up to $4,000 a year for up to four years |
| Status | Quarterly enrollment periods starting July 1, October 1, January 1, and April 1 |
| Official source | Florida OSFA Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness |
Legal Aid Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP)
The Florida Bar Foundation's LRAP link now leads to Funding Florida Legal Aid, which lends legal aid attorneys up to $10,000 a calendar year and forgives the loan each year the attorney stays eligible (Funding Florida Legal Aid). The program is paid for with IOTA funds collected under Rule 5.1-1(g) of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar, and it forgave $1,438,817 in 2025. Legal aid lawyers also work for PSLF-qualifying nonprofits, which our nonprofit student loan forgiveness breakdown covers.
| Administered by | Funding Florida Legal Aid (the Florida Bar Foundation's LRAP) |
| Who qualifies | Attorneys working at least 50% FTE, and spending more than half their time providing legal services to clients, at a currently funded civil legal aid organization, one funded within the past five years, or another approved civil legal aid group |
| Award | Up to $10,000 per calendar year as a loan that's forgiven annually if you remain eligible |
| Commitment | Service runs January 1 to December 31, with a mid-year certification and a forgiveness request due in December |
| Status | Applications open in October, with decisions by January 1 |
| Official source | Funding Florida Legal Aid LRAP |
Federal Forgiveness Options For Florida Borrowers
Federal programs reach far more Florida borrowers than the three state programs, and each one runs on its own rules for combining with a state award. Our full list of forgiveness programs covers every federal option.
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 tax-free (StudentAid.gov). Florida public school teachers, state and county employees, and state university staff all work for qualifying employers, 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). With no Florida teacher loan program listed by the state, this and PSLF are the main routes, and our teacher forgiveness breakdown explains why the same years can't count toward both.
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 pays up to $75,000 for a two-year full-time primary care commitment, plus a $5,000 Spanish-language bonus (HRSA). Nurse Corps pays 60% of nursing debt for two years of service and another 25% for a third year (HRSA), and the STAR program pays up to $250,000 for six years in substance use disorder treatment (HRSA). HRSA's State Loan Repayment Program contact list shows no Florida program contact, so FRAME is the state option, and our nursing and health care forgiveness roundup covers the federal ones.
Lawyers. State and federal public defenders and state prosecutors who commit to three more years can receive up to $10,000 a year, and $60,000 total, through the federal John R. Justice program, which Florida OSFA administers (Florida OSFA). Prosecutors and defenders also qualify for PSLF, which has no dollar cap.
Veterinarians. Florida has no state veterinary loan repayment program, but the USDA Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program pays up to $25,000 a year for service in designated shortage areas (USDA NIFA). Vets carrying private loans should also check our list of private student loan forgiveness options.
Is Student Loan Forgiveness Taxed In Florida?
Florida has no personal income tax, so forgiven student loans aren't taxed at the state level (The College Investor). PSLF, Teacher Loan Forgiveness, and death and disability discharges are also tax-free federally.
Forgiveness under income-driven plans became federally taxable again on January 1, 2026, when the American Rescue Plan exclusion expired, so Florida borrowers expecting IBR or RAP forgiveness still face a federal bill (Taxes And Student Loan Forgiveness). Estimate it with our student loan tax bomb calculator.
Florida OSFA says Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness Program payments are exempt from federal income tax (Florida OSFA). For FRAME and LRAP awards, ask the administering agency how the payment will be reported, and read our explainer on the 1099-C and student loan forgiveness before filing.
If Your Job Isn't Covered
Borrowers outside health care and legal aid won't find a Florida program, but three options remain. 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 or high-rate federal loans they don't plan to have forgiven can lower their rate through student loan refinancing. Refinancing federal loans into a private loan ends eligibility for PSLF, RAP, and IBR, so don't refinance a balance you expect to have forgiven.
Families with leftover 529 money can put up to $10,000 per beneficiary toward student loans, which our 529 plan for student loan repayment explainer covers. Florida savers should also review the Florida 529 Savings Plan and Florida Prepaid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Florida Have A Student Loan Forgiveness Program?
Florida offers student loan repayment assistance programs rather than broad loan forgiveness. It runs three service-based programs for health care providers, nurses, and legal aid lawyers. Borrowers outside those fields rely on federal programs like PSLF and income-driven plan forgiveness.
What Is FRAME In Florida?
FRAME, short for Florida Reimbursement Assistance for Medical Education, is the Department of Health program that pays a share of loan principal each year to providers in rural or underserved areas (Florida Department of Health). Physicians can compare it with the federal awards in our doctor forgiveness breakdown.
Does Florida Have Student Loan Forgiveness For Teachers?
Florida's Office of Student Financial Assistance doesn't list a loan repayment or forgiveness program for teachers among its state programs (Florida OSFA). Florida teachers should look at PSLF and federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness, covered in our teacher forgiveness breakdown.
Can Florida Nurses Get Help Repaying Student Loans?
Nurses can apply for the Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness Program at up to $4,000 a year, and RNs and LPNs in underserved areas can apply for FRAME at up to $45,000 over four years (Section 381.402, Florida Statutes). Federal Nurse Corps is also open to Florida nurses, as our nursing forgiveness roundup explains.
Is Student Loan Forgiveness Taxable In Florida?
Florida has no state income tax, so forgiveness isn't taxed by the state, though income-driven plan forgiveness granted after 2025 is federally taxable (The College Investor). Use our tax bomb calculator to estimate the federal bill.
Related Florida Resources
How We Sourced This Data
Program details on this page come from the administering agencies and state law: the Florida Department of Health's FRAME program page, Sections 381.402, 381.4019, and 1009.66 of the Florida Statutes, the Florida Department of Education's Office of Student Financial Assistance, and Funding Florida Legal Aid's LRAP page. Federal program details come from StudentAid.gov, HRSA, USDA NIFA, and Florida OSFA's John R. Justice page. Read more about how we fact-check and update content.
Page refreshed annually in August, after Florida's legislative session and agency rule approvals, and reviewed in January for tax season. Last full refresh: September 23, 2026.
Editor: Clint Proctor Reviewed by: Claire Tak