Student loans act as a barrier for the student to get a decent education. Even if they risk to get loans and study, they struggle to repay the loan after graduation. Luckily, many forgiveness programs offer you partial or total relief from debts. I wrote this article to give you a little understanding of how to get student loan forgiveness. Each of them serves different purposes. If you cannot find a program that fits you in this article, do not worry. There are many more options available. It is enough to contact us to find another program that you are eligible for.
How to Get Student Loan Forgiveness? - Repayment Plans
The first option for student loan forgiveness is repayment plans. In this plan, students return loans in the form of regular payments. At the end of the repayment period, any outstanding amount will qualify for forgiveness. The most important criteria for such loan forgiveness programs is the maintenance of regular, on-time payments.
Income-Based Repayment
One of the well-known types of such programs is the Income-Based Repayment plan. Even in the U.S budget plan for 2020, we can observe that the government favors IBR over other types of forgiveness, especially Public Service Loans Forgiveness. On income-driven plans, students are required to make payments for 25 years. After that period, any remaining amount is forgiven.
Pay As You Earn and Revised Pay As You Earn
Another type is Pay as You Earn (PAYE), which has a lower interest- 10% of discretionary income. Plus, debtors should repay the amount only for 20 years. Revised Pay as You Earn (RePAYE) also exists, which eliminates time requirements from the forgiveness plan. It means, no matter when a student got loans, he/she can be eligible for RePAYE.
Income Contingent Repayment
Besides, there is Income Contingent Repayment, which is more complicated than the previously mentioned ones. Based on this plan, you pay either 20% of discretionary income or amount which debtor must pay according to 12 years fixed payment. Between these two options, debtors will repay based on the one which is less. If these repayment plans confuse you on how to get student loans forgiven, you can contact Student Loans Resolved for more detailed information.
Career-Based Student Loan Forgiveness
Your career choice also has a significant role in eligibility for forgiveness programs. One of the most preferred options is Public Service Loan Forgiveness because it offers the most considerable forgiveness, shortest period, and not-taxable income. However, during the last three years, this plan was a target of the Trump Administration. The government proposed to defund the program and transfer to Income-Based plans. For now, none of the proposals were accepted. Besides, there exist many more positions eligible for student loan relief.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness
In contrast to 20+ repayment plans, Public Service Loan Forgiveness offers forgiveness after just ten years of 120 consecutive payments. Another great feature of this program is that its definition is very general. Positions that qualify this pan can be a federal, state, or any local governmental agency or not-for-profit that is tax-exempt. Besides, the nature and type of your position within the organization does not matter. However, an employee should work full time or at least 30 hours a week for being eligible.
Attorney SLF Program
This loan program targets attorneys working for the U.S Department of Justice. Based on the available funds, the department selects new attorneys each year. The method for selection is competition based. If the department chooses you, you have to work in mandatory service for three years. The difference of program is that the department pays funds directly to the loan holders, but not to attorney.
Teacher Loan Forgiveness
The main requirement for Teacher Loan Forgiveness is working for five consecutive years as a full-time teacher in a low-income school. After finishing five years of’ serving, a teacher can apply for forgiveness. No matter of subsidized or unsubsidized loan, teachers can get up to $17.5k forgiveness.
National Institutes of Health Forgiveness
If you are researching Clinical, Pediatric, Contraception, or Health Disparities and wonder how to get student loan forgiveness, you are in the right address. NIH loan forgiveness programs pay 25% or up to $35k from loans to researchers. In return for this program, awardees need to work half of their working time( such as 20 hours a week if you work for 40 hours) for another research. A domestic non-profit organization should support the qualifying project.
SEMA Plan
Speciality Equipment Market Association also creates an opportunity for workers in the Automotive industry. If you start a career in this industry, make sure that your employer is a member of SEMA. In this way, you can get $2000 loan forgiveness. Like Attorney forgiveness, the amount is sent directly to the loan holder, not to the debtor.
U.S Military SLF Choices
Serving for the country is an excellent career. What makes it more attractive is the availability of plenty of military student loan forgiveness options. If you are considering such a job, read further to find out how to get student loan forgiveness.
Air Force College Repayment
Unfortunately, the Air Force College Repayment plan stopped in 2018. It paid students $10k relief in their debt. However, Air Force JAF repayment plan is still available to students. Luckily, debtors can receive a maximum of $65k form such forgiveness.
Army College Repayment Plan
Another generous program for student loan relief is Army College Loan Repayment. It provides up to $65000 debt relief to students with high-qualifications. Plus, debtors need to enlist in military occupational specialties of the Army. You should also consider that to be eligible; you need to give up your 9/11 GI BILL.
Navy SLR Program
If you are a sailor, during your first three years of service, you can get a repayment program. Navy Student Loan Repayment Program pays a maximum of $65000 of your debt from federal loans. Your recruiter must include this plan in recruiting paperwork. If you need more information, you can contact Student Loans Resolved.
Perkins Loan Cancellation
Perkins loans are different from other loan types. Usually, the school that you attend offers these loans. Besides, they provide a lot more forgiveness plans. Depending on your position, you can get up to 100% cancellation, which covers five years. In the first and second year of service, you will get 15% forgiveness of principal amount and interest. In the third and fourth years, the cancellation will rise to 20% and 30% in the fifth year. Attorneys, Firefighter, Nurse, Child Care, and many more positions are eligible for such forgiveness. However, each profession has different timing and cancellation amount. Hence, it is better to contact us to get information tailored to your position.
Conclusion
Student loans became a challenge for a student who wants to get a better education. Most of the graduate students still struggle with payments and look for a solution. Fortunately, many programs offer some relief from debts. I indicated 12 plans with varying requirements and benefits. If you need more information on how to get student loan forgiveness, it is better to contact Student Loans Resolved. Our experts will offer you the program that fits your current situation. Besides, we will guide you through the whole process. Contact us now to relieve from debts and to bring peace of mind to your life.