Student loan forgiveness programs that still exist

Note that forgiveness programs only apply to federal loans. Private loans rarely offer anything similar. Here's what's still available and who qualifies.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

PSLF forgives your remaining federal Direct Loan balance after 120 qualifying monthly payments (10 years), but the payments don't have to be in a row.

Who qualifies: You have to work full-time for a government agency (at any level), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, or some other nonprofits that provide public services. Teachers, nurses at nonprofit hospitals, police officers, and military members can usually qualify.

What counts: Payments made under an income-driven plan, like the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) or Income-Based Repayment (IBR), or the 10-year standard plan. Each payment has to be made in full and no more than 15 days late. Payments under the Tiered Standard Plan don't count.

The perk: PSLF forgiveness isn't taxed as income.

Use the PSLF Help Tool on StudentAid.gov to check your employer and certify your work. Do it every year, or whenever you change jobs, so your count stays accurate. If you had months in certain forbearances, you may be able to "buy back" that time by paying what you would have owed.

Teacher Loan Forgiveness

If you teach full-time for five years in a row at a qualifying low-income school, you could get up to $5,000 forgiven. Math, science, and special education teachers can qualify for up to $17,500. You can't count the same years toward both this program and PSLF.

Disability discharge

A Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) discharge wipes out your federal student loans if you can't work because of a disability. You can qualify three ways:

The Department of Veterans Affairs has found you unemployable because of a service-connected disability.

The Social Security Administration has found you disabled and doesn't expect you to improve soon.

A doctor, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or licensed psychologist certifies your condition.

Some borrowers are identified automatically through data from the VA or Social Security. You can also apply on StudentAid.gov. Under a 2025 law, disability and death discharges aren't taxed as income.

Closed school discharge

If your school closed while you were enrolled, or soon after you left, you may not have to repay the loans you used to attend. In most cases, you can't have finished your program or completed it through a transfer arrangement with another school. Some borrowers get this discharge automatically.

Borrower defense to repayment

If your school misled you about things like job placement, tuition costs, credit transfer, or other major things, you can apply for borrower defense. If approved, some or all of your loans may be canceled. Apply on StudentAid.gov and keep any ads, emails, or records from your school.

Income-driven forgiveness

Stay on an income-driven plan long enough, and any remaining balance is forgiven (20 or 25 years on IBR and 30 years on RAP). Starting in 2026, this kind of forgiveness counts as taxable income again on your federal return.

Death discharge

Federal student loans are canceled when the borrower dies. Parent PLUS loans are also canceled if the student dies.