Federal forgiveness & repayment programs.
A plain-language guide to the programs we most often file for clients. Every situation is different — call for a free analysis of what you actually qualify for.
Programs that cancel part or all of your balance.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) forgives the remaining balance on Direct Loans after 120 qualifying monthly payments — 10 years — while working full-time for a qualifying government or nonprofit employer.
Learn more →Direct Loan Forgiveness
Forgiveness is built into the standard structure of the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program: any balance remaining at the end of your loan term, or after the maximum repayment period under an income-driven plan, is forgiven.
Learn more →Teacher Loan Forgiveness
Teachers who complete five complete and consecutive years of qualifying teaching at a low-income school or educational service agency can have $5,000–$17,500 of their Direct or FFEL loan principal forgiven.
Learn more →Total and Permanent Disability Discharge
Borrowers who become totally and permanently disabled can have their federal student loans fully discharged, relieving them of any further obligation to repay.
Learn more →Explainers, 30 seconds at a time.
$1.4 Trillion
Student loan debt in America just hit a staggering number — the second-largest source of household debt in the country. Most borrowers qualify for at least one relief program and don't know it.
IBR vs. PAYE vs. Income-Contingent
There are half a dozen federal repayment plans, and picking the wrong one costs you. IBR caps payments at 15% of discretionary income; PAYE caps it at just 10%.
AI-voiced narration · illustrative content, not legal or financial advice.
Plans that change your monthly payment.
Income-Based Repayment (IBR)
Income-Based Repayment caps your monthly payment at 10–15% of your discretionary income, with any remaining balance forgiven after 20–25 years of qualifying payments.
Learn more →Pay As You Earn (PAYE)
Pay As You Earn caps payments at 10% of discretionary income and forgives any remaining balance after 20 years — generally the shortest path to forgiveness among the income-driven plans for eligible borrowers.
Learn more →Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR)
Income-Contingent Repayment sets your monthly payment based on your income, family size, and total Direct Loan debt, with any remaining balance forgiven after 25 years.
Learn more →Direct Consolidation Loan
A Direct Consolidation Loan combines multiple federal student loans into a single loan with one monthly payment and a fixed interest rate — the weighted average of your original rates, capped at 8.25%.
Learn more →Not sure which one applies to you?
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