03/24/2005
Teacher Loan Forgiveness Application and Forbearance Forms

The Department of Education (ED) released the new Teacher Loan Forgiveness (TLF) Forbearance and Application forms in GEN-05-02 (FP-05-02). These revised forms are a result of the new provisions in the Taxpayer-Teachers Protection Act of 2004 that was signed by President Bush on October 30, 2004.

The TLF Application is used to evaluate a borrower’s eligibility for up to $5,000 in forgiveness benefits for highly qualified teachers or up to $17,500 for highly qualified mathematics, science, and special education teachers. The TLF Forbearance form is used to determine forbearance eligibility for borrowers who are completing their teaching service requirements prior to applying for teacher loan forgiveness.

The TLF Application and Forbearance form may be used by:

• Teachers who started their qualified teaching service before October 30, 2004.

  • These teachers may receive up to $5,000 in loan forgiveness for service as a full-time elementary school teacher who demonstrates knowledge and teaching skills in reading, writing, mathematics, and other areas of the elementary school curriculum or for service as a full-time secondary school teacher teaching in a subject area that is relevant to their academic major.

• Teachers who started their qualified teaching service on or after October 30, 2004.

  • These teachers may receive up to $5,000 in loan forgiveness for service as a highly qualified, full-time elementary or secondary school teacher, as defined in the application.

  • These teachers may receive up to $17,500 in loan forgiveness for service as a highly qualified, as defined in the application, full-time mathematics or science teacher in an eligible secondary school or for service as a highly qualified special education teacher.

• Certain teachers who previously received teacher loan forgiveness under the prior provisions of the law.

  • These teachers may receive loan forgiveness up to the difference between $17,500 and the amount that had previously been forgiven only if the borrower is otherwise eligible and has five complete consecutive years of qualified teaching service that met the definition of a highly qualified full-time mathematics or science teacher in an eligible secondary school or a highly qualified special education teacher.

The attached forms are available for immediate use. You can also access the forms on our Web site in the "Publications & Forms" section. Beginning July 1, 2005, only the new application and forbearance request is to be provided to borrowers. However, the previous versions of the forms may continue to be processed after that date, if applicable.

Also note that ED first issued these forms in GEN-05-02 in February 2005 and a Revised Dear Colleague Letter was issued in March 2005. A clarification was made regarding the forbearance form. A forbearance granted to an eligible borrower who will be performing qualified teaching service and whose loan forgiveness benefit, up to $5,000 or up to $17,500, as applicable, will satisfy the total anticipated outstanding balance at the end of the borrower’s fifth year of qualifying teaching service.

Q & A Document
Additionally, a document titled Taxpayer-Teacher Protection Act of 2004 Industry Questions and Answers was developed by members of the National Council of Higher Education Loan Programs (NCHELP) Program Regulations and Operations Committees and the Student Loan Servicing Alliance (SLSA). This Q & A document was created to assist with the implementation of the revised Teacher Loan Forgiveness forms that include the new provisions from the Teacher-Taxpayer Protection Act of 2004.

Download Forms (PDF)
Teacher Loan Forgiveness Application
Teacher Loan Forgiveness Forbearance Form