Puerto Rico Student Loan Forgiveness Programs
Puerto Rico doesn't run a student loan repayment assistance program of its own that we could confirm on an official source. John R. Justice is a federal grant for prosecutors and public defenders, and the Department of Health's HRSA loan repayment grant has no public program page. That leaves federal programs doing nearly all the work, so start with our list of federal forgiveness programs to see which ones fit your job.
Puerto Rico Programs At A Glance
We didn't find any current loan repayment or service-based forgiveness program run by the Puerto Rico government, so this page has no program table. Borrowers should look at the federal options below, starting with Public Service Loan Forgiveness, which covers public school teachers and government employees on the island.
Federal Forgiveness Options For Puerto Rico Borrowers
Federal programs are the main source of student loan forgiveness in Puerto Rico, and each one runs on its own eligibility rules. 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). Public school teachers, municipal and Commonwealth government employees, and University of Puerto Rico staff work for government 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). 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 pays full-time primary care providers up to $75,000 for a two-year commitment in its 2026 cycle, plus a $5,000 bonus for Spanish-proficient clinicians who serve patients with limited English, for a total of up to $80,000 (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). Our nursing and health care forgiveness roundup covers eligibility for each.
State Loan Repayment Program. HRSA lists the Puerto Rico Department of Health as a State Loan Repayment Program grantee, reachable at (787) 765-2929, ext. 5292 (HRSA). The department doesn't publish award amounts, eligible disciplines, or deadlines online, so clinicians should call before counting on it and compare it with the options in our student loan forgiveness for doctors breakdown.
Lawyers. The federal John R. Justice program funds student loan help for prosecutors and public defenders, and the Puerto Rico Department of Justice received a fiscal 2022 award to keep attorneys in those jobs for at least three years (Bureau of Justice Assistance). We couldn't find a current application window, so ask the Department of Justice directly, and government lawyers should also count on PSLF.
Veterinarians. 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 Puerto Rico?
Puerto Rico runs its own income tax system, and our state tax review of student loan forgiveness doesn't cover it. We couldn't find published guidance from Puerto Rico's Departamento de Hacienda on forgiven student loans, so ask a tax preparer who knows Puerto Rico rules before you file.
On the federal side, PSLF and Teacher Loan Forgiveness are tax-free, while income-driven plan forgiveness became taxable again on January 1, 2026, when the American Rescue Plan exclusion expired (Taxes And Student Loan Forgiveness). How that federal rule applies to a Puerto Rico resident depends on your filing situation, and our student loan tax bomb calculator gives a starting estimate.
Borrowers who receive a 1099-C for forgiven debt should read our explainer on the 1099-C and student loan forgiveness and bring it to their tax preparer.
If Your Job Isn't Covered
Borrowers outside government, nonprofits, and health care won't find a Puerto Rico 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. Puerto Rico doesn't offer its own 529 plan, so residents use another state's plan, as our Puerto Rico 529 plan review explains.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Puerto Rico Have A Student Loan Forgiveness Program?
Puerto Rico has no territory-run forgiveness or loan repayment program we could confirm on an official source. Borrowers rely on federal programs like PSLF, Teacher Loan Forgiveness, the National Health Service Corps, and income-driven plan forgiveness.
Is The JRJ Student Loan Repayment Program A Puerto Rico Program?
John R. Justice is a federal Bureau of Justice Assistance grant, and the Puerto Rico Department of Justice has administered awards for local prosecutors and public defenders (Bureau of Justice Assistance). It isn't a territory program, and lawyers in those jobs should also track their PSLF progress.
Can Puerto Rico Doctors And Nurses Get Help Repaying Student Loans?
Clinicians at approved sites can apply for the National Health Service Corps, which pays primary care providers up to $80,000 for two years with the Spanish-language bonus (HRSA). Nurses can use Nurse Corps, and our nursing forgiveness roundup covers eligibility for both.
Is Student Loan Forgiveness Taxable In Puerto Rico?
PSLF and Teacher Loan Forgiveness are federally tax-free, and income-driven plan forgiveness is federally taxable after 2025 (Taxes And Student Loan Forgiveness). Puerto Rico's own treatment isn't covered in our state tax review, so check with a local tax preparer.
Related Puerto Rico Resources
How We Sourced This Data
We checked the Puerto Rico Department of Health, HRSA's State Loan Repayment Program award and contact lists, and the Bureau of Justice Assistance award records for the Puerto Rico Department of Justice. Federal program details come from StudentAid.gov, HRSA, and USDA NIFA. Read more about how we fact-check and update content.
Page refreshed annually in August, after Puerto Rico's legislative session and agency rule approvals, and reviewed in January for tax season. Last full refresh: September 23, 2026.
Editor: Colin Graves Reviewed by: Chris Muller