September 8, 2021

What Is the Student Loan Forgiveness Program?

Forgiveness

Student loan forgiveness programs are opportunities to cancel or discharge your federal student loans. In general, you will no longer have to repay your loans in part or in full when you apply and qualify for forgiveness, cancellation, or discharge.

Specifically, student loan forgiveness or cancellation applies if you no longer have to pay loans due to your job. Student loan discharge also applies if you no longer have to pay loans due to other circumstances. Such cases include school closure and having a total or permanent disability.

You can apply for a student loan forgiveness program by contacting your loan servicer if you believe you qualify for one. Here is an overview of common student loan forgiveness programs and how you may qualify for them.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

The PSLF program cancels the remaining balance on Direct Loans if you are a full-time worker of an eligible public service organization. You may qualify if you work for a government organization at any level, the military, or a not-for-profit organization.

You must have made 120 qualifying monthly payments on your Direct Loans under a qualifying income-driven repayment plan. Some public service organizations may assist you in filling out a PSLF application.

Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program

The TLF program is an opportunity to cancel up to $17,500 on Direct Loans or FFEL Program loans. You may qualify for this student loan forgiveness program if you are a full-time teacher in a low-income school (elementary or secondary) or educational service agency for five complete and consecutive academic years.

Closed School Discharge Program

This student loan forgiveness program removes your repayment obligations if your school shuts down while you are enrolled. Your student loans may also be eligible for discharge if your school closes soon after you withdrew from the institution.

A closed school loan discharge is available for Direct Loans, FFEL Program loans, and Perkins Loans. The school secretary usually sends you an application for this program upon closure. You may also contact your loan servicer directly.

Perkins Loan Cancellation and Discharge Programs

You may be eligible for partial or total Federal Perkins Loan forgiveness under certain circumstances. You may cancel a portion or all of your Perkins Loans based on your employment or volunteer service. Education and healthcare workers may qualify for Perkins Loan Cancellation.

Meanwhile, you may have your loans discharged if you cite certain conditions, including bankruptcy, school closure, being a spouse of a 9/11 victim, total and permanent disability, veterans’ disability, or death.

Total and Permanent Disability Discharge Program

You may qualify for TPD discharge if you are totally and permanently disabled. Qualifying federal loans include Direct Loans, FFEL Program loans, and Perkins Loans. This student loan forgiveness program may also relieve you from completing a TEACH Grant service obligation.

Normally, you must complete and submit a TPD discharge application form with evidence of your total and permanent disability. Some borrowers may not have to submit these anymore because their TPD status appears in the Social Security Administration database.

Conclusion: What Is the Student Loan Forgiveness Program?

A student loan forgiveness program relieves qualifying borrowers of their repayment obligations. If you meet a program’s eligibility requirements, you may contact your loan servicer to proceed with the application process. Review the different types of student loan forgiveness programs and see which one closely matches your case.

Use Chipper for Lower Payments

Chipper can help you find a student loan repayment plan that actually fits into your budget. You simply fill out your information and link your student loan account for us to generate your options in seconds. We help the average student loan borrower save over $300 a month off their student loan monthly payment. Lowering your monthly payment plan can game changing for your personal finance and can be done in minutes! Sign up for Chipper today to get on track with your student loans.

Use Chipper for The Best Path to Forgiveness

Finding your path to student loan forgiveness is easier than ever before. Chipper helps members find better Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plans every day. Once enrolled in an eligible repayment plan, we can help you explore your forgiveness options and understand your path towards forgiveness. Sign up with Chipper today and get on track with your student loans.

Use Chipper for Round-Ups

Paying off your student loans doesn’t have to be a long and painful journey. Round-Ups are a way to directly pay off your loans with your everyday spending! By tracking your linked spending account(s), we will calculate the rounded up amount from each transaction in a week (IE spending $4.28 would add $0.72 to the weekly amount). We then initiate a payment towards your student loan for the weekly amount. Get chipping away on your student loans with Chipper today.

Use Chipper for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program was created to provide relief to borrowers aiding the public sector. Unfortunately, 30% of applicants are denied due to incorrect paperwork. We can help! Chipper was created to solve this issue by assisting borrowers in understanding their options as well as allowing forgiveness eligible users enroll into the best forgiveness program available. Sign up for Chipper today to see your student loan forgiveness options and get the forgiveness you deserve.

Use Chipper for Teacher Loan Forgiveness (TLF)

The Teacher Loan Forgiveness (TLF) program was created to enable teachers working in Title 1 schools to receive student loan forgiveness of up to $17,500 (depending on their teaching subject). Chipper has helped teachers from all over the country qualify for TLF program and can help you get the forgiveness you deserve today. Find out if you qualify for forgiveness in minutes with our employer search tool.

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