Georgia Student Loan Forgiveness Program

Georgia offers more student loan repayment assistance and service-based programs than most states, split between the Board of Health Care Workforce and the Georgia Student Finance Commission. The biggest awards go to physicians, dentists, and psychiatrists in rural or shortage areas, and the health care application window is open through October 12, 2026. Peace officers and GBI medical examiners have their own programs, while teachers and everyone else should start with federal forgiveness programs.

Georgia Physician Education Loan Repayment Program (GPELRP)

GPELRP is a $150,000 service-cancelable loan paid out annually over four years to physicians with medical education debt who practice full time in a medically underserved, rural Georgia county of 50,000 people or fewer (GBHCW). Full time means at least 40 hours a week, with 32 hours of direct patient care. Physicians comparing it with federal programs can use our breakdown of student loan forgiveness for doctors.

Physicians For Rural Areas Assistance Program (PRAA)

PRAA pays up to $25,000 a year, for a maximum of four years, toward the medical education loans of physicians practicing full time in rural Georgia counties of 50,000 or fewer residents (GBHCW). It pays less than GPELRP's $150,000, so compare the two with our list of student loan forgiveness programs before applying.

Georgia Dentist Education Loan Repayment Program (GDELRP)

GDELRP pays up to $150,000 over a four-year term to licensed dentists, or fourth-year dental students, who commit to full-time practice in a medically underserved, rural Georgia county of 50,000 or fewer (GBHCW). Dental students can line it up before graduation, which makes it worth comparing against refinancing medical school loans.

Dentists For Rural Areas Assistance Program (DRAA)

DRAA pays up to $25,000 a year toward dental education loans for dentists practicing full time in an eligible rural county, under one-year contracts that must be renewed each year, for up to four years (GBHCW). Dentists with private loans should also review our list of private student loan forgiveness options.

Georgia Behavioral Health Provider Loan Repayment Program

This state-funded program pays $150,000 to psychiatrists, $80,000 to doctorate-level psychologists, NPs, social workers, counselors, and therapists, $40,000 to non-doctorate licensees, and $10,000 to licensed chemical dependency counselors with associate degrees (GBHCW). Recipients sign a four-year contract to work full time in a HRSA-designated Mental Health Professional Shortage Area. Counselors and social workers at nonprofits should pair it with PSLF.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Loan Repayment Program

GBHCW pays up to $10,000 a year, for up to four years or $40,000, toward the education loans of APRNs practicing full time in rural Georgia counties of 50,000 or fewer (GBHCW). Nurse practitioners can compare it with federal Nurse Corps in our roundup of student loan forgiveness for nurses.

Physician Assistant Loan Repayment Program

Physician assistants practicing full time in a rural Georgia county of 50,000 or fewer can receive up to $10,000 a year, capped at four years or $40,000, and must reapply each year (GBHCW). PAs at hospitals and clinics can see the federal routes in our health care forgiveness roundup.

Nurse Faculty Loan Repayment Program

Nurses with a master's or doctoral degree who have taught for at least a year in a University System of Georgia or Technical College System of Georgia nursing program can receive $25,000 over two years, with up to $10,000 in year one and $15,000 in year two (GBHCW). Public college faculty also work for PSLF-qualifying employers, which our graduate school forgiveness breakdown covers.

Georgia Peace Officers Loan Repayment Program

The Georgia Student Finance Commission pays up to $4,000 a year, and $20,000 or five years of payments in total, toward the loans of POST-certified officers who complete 12 consecutive months of qualifying employment that started January 1, 2024, or later (GAfutures). Officers hired with a bachelor's degree and officers enrolled in a criminal justice bachelor's program both qualify (GAfutures). City, county, and state police departments are also PSLF employers, which our PSLF breakdown explains.

Georgia Medical Examiners Loan Repayment Program

GSFC pays physicians who work full time as GBI medical examiners $12,000 in year one, rising $6,000 a year to $36,000 in year five, for a maximum of $120,000 (GSFC regulation). Each payment requires 12 consecutive months of GBI employment on or after December 31, 2023, and the rules took effect July 1, 2025. As GBI employees, medical examiners can also count those years toward PSLF.

Georgia National Guard Service Cancelable Loan

GSFC covers tuition for Georgia National Guard members, up to the standard undergraduate tuition rate at public colleges or $2,174 per full-time semester at private colleges in 2025–26, for up to 120 semester hours (GSFC regulation). Two years of Guard service after your last funded term cancels the loan, and otherwise you repay it with interest of up to 10%. Guard members should also check state benefits in our VA education benefits by state roundup.

Scholarship For Engineering Education (SEE)

SEE lends Georgia residents in ABET-accredited engineering programs at Mercer University up to $3,500 a year, and each $3,500 is canceled by one calendar year of engineering work in Georgia within six years of graduation (GSFC regulation). Students who don't serve repay the balance at up to 10% interest, and our breakdown of student loan forgiveness for engineering majors covers the other options.

Georgia Military College State Service Scholarship

This scholarship covers up to tuition, fees, books, supplies, uniform deposits, and on-campus room and meals for two academic years at Georgia Military College (GSFC regulation). Recipients must serve in the Georgia National Guard for as many years as they received the award, or repay it with 8% simple interest within five years of graduating. Compare it with other VA and military education benefits before committing.

UNG Military Service Scholarship

The University of North Georgia Military Service Scholarship covers tuition, fees, on-campus room and board, uniform deposits, and a book allowance for cadets who commit to serve (GSFC regulation). Four-year recipients must serve at least four years as commissioned officers in the Georgia Army National Guard, or repay the award with 8% simple interest within five years, so read our VA education benefits by state roundup too.

Georgia starts from federal adjusted gross income but ties its definition to the Internal Revenue Code as of a specific date, rather than adopting federal changes automatically (The College Investor). Federal changes to how forgiveness is taxed reach Georgia only once the legislature moves that conformity date forward.

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). Georgia borrowers expecting IBR or RAP forgiveness should confirm the current conformity date with the Georgia Department of Revenue and estimate the federal bill with our student loan tax bomb calculator.

Ask GBHCW or GSFC whether your Georgia award will be reported as income, and read our explainer on the 1099-C and student loan forgiveness before filing.

Does Georgia Have A Student Loan Forgiveness Program?

Georgia offers student loan repayment assistance programs rather than broad loan forgiveness. It runs 14 service-based programs for health care providers, peace officers, GBI medical examiners, National Guard members, and Mercer engineering students. Borrowers outside those groups rely on federal programs like PSLF and income-driven plan forgiveness.

How Much Can Georgia Doctors Get Toward Their Student Loans?

Rural physicians can receive $150,000 over four years through GPELRP or up to $25,000 a year through PRAA, and psychiatrists in mental health shortage areas can receive $150,000 through the behavioral health program (GBHCW). Our doctor forgiveness breakdown shows how these compare with NHSC awards.

Does Georgia Have Student Loan Forgiveness For Police Officers?

The Georgia Peace Officers Loan Repayment Program pays up to $4,000 a year, and $20,000 total, to POST-certified officers with qualifying employment since January 1, 2024 (GAfutures). Officers at public agencies can also pursue PSLF at the same time.

Can Georgia Nurses Get Help Repaying Student Loans?

APRNs in rural counties can receive up to $40,000, and nursing faculty at public colleges can receive $25,000 over two years (GBHCW). Registered nurses without advanced degrees should look at federal Nurse Corps in our nursing forgiveness roundup.

Is Student Loan Forgiveness Taxable In Georgia?

Georgia conforms to the federal tax code as of a fixed date, so whether it taxes income-driven plan forgiveness granted after 2025 depends on the conformity date the legislature has adopted (The College Investor). Use our tax bomb calculator to estimate the federal bill.