Your guide to student loan forgiveness types

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Shedding the student debt ball and chain.

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Student loan debt amounts to nearly $2 trillion in the United States, with about 43 million borrowers holding federal student loans and an average balance of nearly $40,000 in mid-2025. Although broad federal student loan cancellation is no longer available, several programs still offer eligible borrowers forgiveness, cancellation, or discharge.

Changes enacted under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act reshaped some repayment-based forgiveness options, but programs such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and profession-specific loan forgiveness remain available for qualifying borrowers.

Depending on your job, income, and type of loan, you may qualify for forgiveness through a federal repayment program, public-service work, or profession-specific assistance programs. Some states and employers also offer help repaying student loans.

Some federal repayment plans can lead to student loan forgiveness after a set repayment period. These plans generally base monthly payments on your income and family size rather than the amount you borrowed. Depending on the repayment plan, any remaining balance may be forgiven after years of qualifying payments.

Income-based repayment (IBR) and the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) are among IDR plans that can lead to loan forgiveness for eligible borrowers.

How to qualify: Visit StudentAid.gov to compare available repayment plans and determine which options you may be eligible for.

If you work in government or for a nonprofit, you may be able to have your remaining federal student loan balance erased after 120 payments through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Only federal loans are eligible, and you generally need to meet the program’s repayment and employment requirements while working for a qualifying employer. Many borrowers use the Department of Education’s PSLF Help Tool to certify their employment each year and track their progress toward forgiveness.

How to qualify: Work full-time for an eligible employer and make 120 qualifying payments while meeting the program’s requirements.

The Teacher Loan Forgiveness program provides up to $17,500 in federal student loan forgiveness for eligible teachers who work in schools in low-income communities. The amount depends on what and where a teacher works, with the highest benefit available to math, science, and special education teachers.

How to qualify: Complete five consecutive years of full-time teaching in a school or educational service agency listed in the Department of Education’s Teacher Cancellation Low Income (TCLI) Directory, then apply for forgiveness through your loan servicer.

If you work in health care, you may qualify for student loan repayment assistance through a National Health Service Corps (NHSC) loan repayment program. Physicians, nurses, dentists, mental health providers, and other health care professionals may receive up to $105,000 in student loan repayment assistance in exchange for working in communities with limited access to medical care. Award amounts depend on your profession, years of service, and whether you work full or part time.

How to qualify: Apply through the NHSC and agree to work for at least two years at a qualifying health care facility in a medically underserved area.

In addition to federal programs, many states offer their own student loan forgiveness programs or repayment assistance programs.

Most state student loan forgiveness programs focus on specific professions, such as teaching or health care. You usually need to work in an underserved or rural area or be certified in a specialty of particular need.

Check with your state to find out what student debt relief programs they offer. Some state programs can be combined with federal student loan forgiveness or repayment assistance, allowing eligible borrowers to receive additional help.

In addition to forgiveness and repayment programs, grants and other forms of student debt relief may also be available:

Most student loan forgiveness programs apply only to federal loans. If you have private student loans, you won’t qualify for federal forgiveness programs or federal repayment plans that can lead to forgiveness, but you can still explore state or employer programs that offer repayment assistance.

For borrowers with federal loans, forgiveness can take time and commitment, but it can also provide real relief. Federal repayment plans, public service programs, and profession-specific assistance can all help make student debt more manageable—and, in some cases, eliminate it entirely.

If reducing your loan balance feels impossible, start small. Confirm what kind of loans you have, explore the forgiveness or repayment assistance programs you may qualify for, and keep your loan information up to date. Creating a simple household budget can help you balance your monthly expenses and loan payments more confidently.