Federal Loan Forgiveness Program for Teachers

Certain teachers can have a portion of their Federal Stafford loans forgiven through the Federal Loan Forgiveness Program for Teachers.

Eligibility

To be eligible, teachers must meet the following requirements:

You must have borrowed a Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) and/or a Federal Direct Stafford Loan; and

You must not have an outstanding balance on a FFEL or Federal Direct loan as of October 1, 1998, or on the date that you obtained a FFEL or Direct loan after October 1, 1998; and

You must have made satisfactory repayment arrangements on the defaulted loan(s) for which you seek forgiveness; and

You must have worked full-time as a "highly qualified teacher"* for five consecutive academic years, at an eligible 1) elementary or secondary school (all of which were after the 1997-98 academic year) or 2) educational service agency (one of which was after 2007-08 academic year; and

You must have worked in a school or educational service agency that is listed in the Teacher Loan Cancellation Low Income Directory.

Loan Forgiveness Amounts

You are eligible for up to $5,000 in forgiveness if you meet the eligibility requirements noted above and:

If you worked at an eligible elementary school or educational service agency and the chief administrative officer of the school certified that you demonstrated knowledge and teaching skills in reading, writing, mathematics, and other areas of the school's curriculum or,

If you worked at an eligible secondary school or educational service agency and the chief administrative officer of the school certified that you taught in a subject area that is relevant to your academic major.

You are eligible for up to $17,500 in forgiveness if you have met the eligibility requirements noted above, and have taught:

Mathematics or science at an eligible secondary school, or educational service agency, or

Special education at an eligible elementary school, secondary school or educational service agency.

*The "highly qualified teacher" definition is contained in the No Child Left Behind Act. Certification of who is a highly qualified teacher is restricted to the chief administrative officer of the school in which the borrower is employed.

To Apply

Apply for forgiveness by completing the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Application. You can apply for forbearance for up to 60 days while you're completing the loan forgiveness application, which includes the time it takes for the lender and guarantor to review it. To apply for forbearance complete the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Forbearance Application.

More Information

Contact the Office of Grants and Scholarships toll free at 1-888-697-HESC (1-888-697-4372), or TLF@hesc.org.