3 Ways to Get Military Student Loan Forgiveness

If you’re looking for an easy way out of your student loan debt… this isn’t it.

But if you’re ready to make a commitment to protecting and defending your country, you may find relief through a debt forgiveness program for military.

And you’d have plenty of company since approximately 200,000 active duty members owe a collective $2.9 billion in student loan debt.

But as a service member, you have a few more options for wiping out your student loan debt than your civilian counterparts.

3 Options for Military Student Loan Forgiveness

If you’re ready to serve your country after graduating college, you have options for wiping out your student loan debt.

Although you can also qualify for other programs unrelated to your service, such as teacher student loan forgiveness or nursing school loan forgiveness, we’ll focus on the options that depend on your work in the military.

1. National Defense Student Loan Discharge (aka Perkins Loan Forgiveness)

If you served in a hostile fire or imminent danger pay area, you qualify for the National Defense Student Loan Discharge, which is part of the Perkins loan cancellation program (the Perkins loan program ended on Sept. 30, 2017).

Loans are discharged according to the following classifications:

• Up to 50% for four years for borrowers whose active duty service ended before Aug. 14, 2008.
• Up to 100% for five years for borrowers whose active duty service includes or began on or after Aug. 14, 2008.

2. Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

This is probably the most well-known forgiveness option — although “notorious” might be a better adjective for the complex and often confusing Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. However, if you’re willing to work (and wait), this program could wipe out your student loans..

To be eligible, you need to work full-time in the public sector — like the military — and owe federal student loans. It takes a minimum of 120 qualifying payments (10 years’ worth) before you can qualify. You’ll also face a lot of rules in regards to repayment and employment, but a recent reboot of PSLF stripped away much of that red tape, offering hope to more eligible applicants that they’re loans can be wiped out for good.

3. Total and Permanent Disability Discharge

If you become totally and permanently disabled during your service, you’ll automatically have your student loan debt discharged. (Your student loans also get cancelled if you die, but let’s not consider that as an option, OK?)

Formerly, you had to fill out the TPD Discharge application; however, as of 2021, TPD discharge is automatic.

The Social Security Administration and the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs will alert the Federal Student Aid office as to your eligibility for a TPD discharge. The office will then notify you, at which point you will have 60 days to decide if you want to decline the loan relief.

Why would you decline? Although the discharge isn’t subject to federal taxes, the discharged amount may still be considered income for state tax purposes.

If you don’t decline, your remaining student loan balance will be discharged and you’ll be reimbursed for any payments made following the date of the discharge.

Repayment Programs for Service Members

As a service member, you’ll find multiple programs that will repay some of your debts, but none of these programs forgives the loan and interest in its entirety — and all of the forgiven amounts are taxable.

With federally held student loans in forbearance through August 2022, now could be a good time to decide if one of these programs could help you so you’re ready to apply when the freeze on interest and payments ends Sept. 1, 2022.

Armed Forces Education Loan Repayment Program

Following a complete year of active-duty service, you’ll become eligible for benefits available through most branches of the service.

Depending on which branch you choose, you’ll see the loan repayment programs referred to as College Loan Repayment Programs (CLRP) or Student Loan Repayment Programs (SLRP).

All of the programs repay direct federal loans (subsidized and unsubsidized); other federal loans may be eligible, depending on the specific program. And each comes with enlistment and/or testing qualifications, so ask your recruiter about specific requirements for your program:

• Air Force: Serving with the Air Force Reserve for up to six years could really pay off. Annual payments will be $500 per each qualifying loan or 15% of the outstanding balance, whichever is greater, for up to $3,500 for each year of satisfactory service. Maximum amount: $20,000.
  If you’re taking the legal eagle route, the Air Force has a three-year student loan repayment program for you. You can qualify after completing your first year as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) officer. Maximum amount: $65,000
• Army: The Army has multiple loan repayment programs, depending on your status. For active duty members, the maximum annual benefit is a third of the current principal balance or $1,500, whichever is greater, for each year of service up to three years. Maximum amount: $65,000.
• Coast Guard: For six years of service, you’ll receive up to $10,000 per year to repay loans at qualified minority-serving institutions. Maximum amount: $60,000.
• National Guard: You’ll need to enlist for at least six years for annual disbursements through the National Guard repayment program. Maximum amount: $50,000.

Health Professions Loan Repayment Program (HPLRP)

If you’re a health professional with student loans to repay, providing your services to the military could help you out of debt.

Both Active and Reserve members of the Army can receive assistance through separate programs. Depending on your status, you could earn up to $250,000 in repayment of a qualifying student loan..

For the Navy’s Health Professions Loan Repayment Program, you must be a commissioned officer and be enrolled in specified medical programs.The maximum award is $40,000 per year, less taxes.

And if you’re in the Air Force, you’ll receive up to $40,000 to cover your health profession education in exchange for at least two years of service with the Air Force Active Duty Health Professions Loan Repayment Program.

Additional Student Loan Benefits for Service Members

Even if you don’t receive forgiveness of your loans, you can deploy these reduced interest and deferment programs as a member of the military.

• Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) Interest Rate Cap: Interest on federal and private student loans you took out prior to your military service is capped at 6% during periods of active duty.
• Military Service Deferment: You can postpone federal student loan repayment during certain periods of active duty and while you prepare to go back to school following your active duty.
• 0% Interest: If you serve in a qualifying hostile area, you don’t have to pay interest on direct loans for up to 60 months.
• HEROES Act Waiver: The Education Department waives many documentation requirements — think: updating your family size and income for income-driven repayment plans — while you are on active duty.

Committing to years in the military is a big decision, so helping wipe out your student loans is the least your country can do to thank you for your service.

Tiffany Wendeln Connors is a staff writer/editor at The Penny Hoarder. Read her bio and other work here, then catch her on Twitter @TiffanyWendeln.