Teachers, students, nurses, and other public service employees can apply for student loan forgiveness. Although these programs aren’t instant debt solutions, they could help eliminate a significant portion of your balance over time.
According to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid, those who have been approved for student loan forgiveness no longer have to make payments on their loans.
However, there are several types of student loan forgiveness programs available today. If you’ve been asking “How do I apply for student loan forgiveness?” then you should know about the different types and how you can apply for the one you need.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
A PSLF helps people in public service jobs get part or all of their loans forgiven through specific types of volunteer work, medical practice, or military service.
To apply for public service loan forgiveness, you need to submit an employment certification form for each year or as you change jobs. FedLoan Servicing is in charge of reviewing your information and will let you know if you are qualified.
Forgiveness with Income-Based Repayment (IBR)
You can still apply for student loan forgiveness even if you don’t work in a public service position. These federal income-driven repayment plans were created to help graduates with their student loans — especially those who have a hard time making payments.
The repayment plans with loan forgiveness are:
- Income-based repayment (IBR)
- Income-contingent repayment (ICR)
- Pay as you earn (PAYE) and revised pay as you earn (REPAYE)
To apply for either of these plans, you need to head over to the StudentAid.gov website and submit an application there. It’s also possible to acquire an application form through your loan servicer.
However, you’ll be required to provide certain documentation such as a tax return and proof of income upon request.
Federal Perkins Loan Cancellation
Those who have taken out a federal Perkins Loan to pay for their education could qualify and apply for student loan forgiveness. The Perkins Loan cancellation program typically erases a specific percentage of student debt after each year of service. Eventually, debtors can get as much as 100% of their loan canceled.
Qualified recipients of Perkins Loan forgiveness should have the said loan and need to have worked in a qualifying profession. Although the eligibility requirements vary based on profession, they usually involve having to work in high-need areas.
To apply for Perkins Loan forgiveness, you’ll need to speak with your loan service as well as your school’s financial aid office on how to go about it.
Student Loan Forgiveness for Teachers
Teachers can also apply for student loan forgiveness through various repayment assistance programs. The amount of debt to be forgiven depends on what subject they teach.
Educators with at least five years of teaching experience can apply for loan forgiveness by completing the Teacher Loan Forgiveness application.
Conclusion
There are various types of student loan forgiveness programs today. Depending on your status, you may qualify and apply for partial or total cancellation for your student loans.
The tips provided above should help clarify which student loan forgiveness program is applicable for you and how you can apply for the one you need. Get started with Chipper today to find out if you qualify for forgiveness!
