North Dakota Student Loan Forgiveness Programs

North Dakota offers student loan repayment assistance programs for doctors, psychologists, nurses, behavioral health workers, dentists, and food animal vets who work in communities short on care, plus a smaller program for graduates in high-demand jobs. For most health care workers, the Health Care Professional Student Loan Repayment Program is the one that matters. Teachers and everyone else outside health care should start with federal forgiveness programs, where the bigger dollars are.

Health Care Professional Student Loan Repayment Program

State law caps this program at $20,000 a year and $100,000 over five years for physicians, $12,000 a year and $60,000 for clinical psychologists, and $4,000 a year and $20,000 for advanced practice nurses, registered nurses, physician assistants, and behavioral health professionals (N.D.C.C. 43-12.3). The behavioral health tier covers licensed addiction counselors, licensed professional counselors, licensed social workers, specialty practice registered nurses, and licensed behavior analysts. Nurses who want a bigger award should compare this with the federal options in our roundup of student loan forgiveness for nurses.

The catch is the community match: the hiring community or employer must fund 50% of a physician's award, 25% for a clinical psychologist, and 10% for nurses, PAs, and behavioral health professionals, though the match can be waived for solo practitioners in cities under 15,000 people (N.D.C.C. 43-12.3). Physicians comparing offers should weigh this against the federal programs in our breakdown of student loan forgiveness for doctors.

Dentists' Loan Repayment Program

HHS selects dentists each year for up to $100,000 in loan repayment over five years, with the first payment after six months of full-time practice (N.D.C.C. 43-28.1). Dentists must accept Medicaid patients or work in a public health clinic, a practice focused on an underserved population, or a nonprofit dental clinic. Dentists who don't qualify can check the federal options in our list of student loan forgiveness programs.

Veterinarian Loan Repayment Program

Each year HHS, working with the State Board of Animal Health, picks veterinarians who agree to provide food animal services, and each can receive up to $80,000 (N.D.C.C. 43-29.1). Payments run up to $15,000 in each of the first two years and up to $25,000 in years three and four, and the number of awards depends on available money. Vets with private loans should also check our list of private student loan forgiveness options.

ND Federal Loan Repayment Program (SLRP)

North Dakota runs a State Loan Repayment Program with a federal HRSA grant of $1,964,970, administered by the HHS Primary Care Office (HRSA). HRSA funds states to build their own programs for primary medical, behavioral health, and dental clinicians, so the state sets award sizes (HRSA). Clinicians eligible for both this and the National Health Service Corps should compare them using our health care forgiveness roundup.

ND Career Builders (Skilled Workforce Student Loan Repayment Program)

This program pays up to $5,667 a year, or one-third of your loan principal at the time you apply if that's less, with a $17,000 lifetime cap (N.D.C.C. 15-10-38.1). You must have a loan with the Bank of North Dakota or another participating lender, and live and work in North Dakota in an occupation the state designates as high-demand or emerging. The state matches private-sector dollars one-for-one, so compare the timing with employer student loan repayment assistance your company might offer.

North Dakota starts its income tax from federal taxable income rather than adjusted gross income, and it automatically updates with changes in federal law (The College Investor). Forgiveness that federal law excludes from income, including PSLF, Teacher Loan Forgiveness, and death and disability discharges, stays out of North Dakota's starting figure.

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

Ask the Primary Care Office or NDUS whether your North Dakota state award will be reported as income, and read our explainer on the 1099-C and student loan forgiveness before filing.

Does North Dakota Have A Student Loan Forgiveness Program?

North Dakota offers student loan repayment assistance programs rather than broad loan forgiveness. It runs five loan repayment programs for health care workers, dentists, food animal vets, and graduates in high-demand occupations. Borrowers outside those fields rely on federal programs like PSLF and income-driven plan forgiveness.

Did North Dakota End Its Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program?

Yes, the legislature repealed the teacher shortage loan forgiveness law in 2019 (N.D.C.C. 15-10). The skilled workforce loan repayment program in the same chapter covers occupations the state designates as high-demand, and teachers can also use the federal programs in our teacher forgiveness breakdown.

Can North Dakota Doctors And Nurses Get Help Repaying Student Loans?

Physicians can receive up to $100,000 over five years and nurses up to $20,000 through the Health Care Professional Student Loan Repayment Program, as long as the community puts up its share (N.D.C.C. 43-12.3). Both can also apply to the National Health Service Corps or Nurse Corps, covered in our nursing forgiveness roundup.

Is Student Loan Forgiveness Taxable In North Dakota?

North Dakota follows federal treatment, so PSLF and Teacher Loan Forgiveness are tax-free while income-driven plan forgiveness granted after 2025 is taxable (The College Investor). Use our tax bomb calculator to estimate what you'd owe.