The Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program
Teachers with Stafford loans may qualify for teacher loan forgiveness if certain eligibility requirements are met. The Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program was created by Congress in 1998 to encourage individuals to enter and continue in the teaching profession in certain designated elementary and secondary schools that serve low-income families.
You can download our "Stafford Loan Forgiveness Program for Teachers" brochure to find our more about the program. We have also provided additional information below with the:
Frequently Asked Questions
Who do I contact if I have questions?
What loans are eligible for forgiveness through the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program?
Is my Federal Consolidation Loan eligible for forgiveness?
Are teacher’s aides eligible for the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program?
Are schools operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) considered low-income schools?
What if I received my loans prior to October 1, 1998?
What if I have experienced an interruption in the five complete, consecutive years of teaching service?
What if the school is no longer designated as a low-income school?
What are my next steps if I'm eligible?
Who is the chief administrative officer?
How do I know how much I may be eligible for?
How will the teacher loan forgiveness payment amount be applied?
If I do not qualify at this time but I expect to later, can I stop making payments on my loan?
What are some definitions I should know?
Where can I find additional information about the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program?
Does the state of Oklahoma have a forgiveness program?
What about my Federal Perkins Loan(s)?
Teacher Loan Forgiveness Application Form
[English] http://www.ogslp.org/Publications/TLFApplication.pdf
[Spanish] http://www.ogslp.org/Publications/TLFApplication-spanish.pdf
Teacher Loan Forgiveness Forbearance Form
[English] http://www.ogslp.org/Publications/TLFForbearance.pdf
[Spanish] http://www.ogslp.org/Publications/TLFForbearance-spanish.pdf
Who do I contact if I have questions?
If you have any questions regarding the information provided, contact Matt McCreary at 405.234.4296 or by e-mail at mmccreary@ogslp.org.
What loans are eligible for forgiveness through the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program?
Stafford loans (subsidized and unsubsidized) you received through the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program and/or the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program are eligible. The portion of a Federal Consolidation Loan that paid off an eligible Stafford loan may be eligible for forgiveness.
Is my Federal Consolidation Loan eligible for forgiveness?
It depends. You must be considered a new borrower. You are considered a new borrower if you did not have an outstanding balance on a FFEL or Direct Loan on October 1, 1998, or on the date you obtained a FFEL or Direct Loan after October 1, 1998. Only the portion of Federal Consolidation Loan that paid off an eligible Stafford loan may be eligible for forgiveness. A consolidation loan is not considered a new loan and does qualify you as a new borrower.
Are teacher’s aides eligible for the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program?
To be eligible for teacher loan forgiveness you must be a full-time teacher; therefore, teacher’s aides do not qualify for this forgiveness program.
Are schools operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) considered low-income schools?
Yes, schools operated by the BIA are considered low-income schools for teacher loan forgiveness purposes.
Teacher Loan Forgiveness Eligibility Checklist:
To be eligible to participate in the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program you must meet certain requirements. Use this checklist as a guide to determine your eligibility. If you can answer “yes” to all of the eligibility requirements listed below, you may qualify for teacher loan forgiveness.
Click here for a printable PDF version of the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Checklist.
Your first loan was received after October 1, 1998, and you had no outstanding balance on a FFEL or Direct Loan on or before October 1, 1998.
You have been employed for at least five consecutive, complete school years as a full-time teacher in an elementary or secondary school designated as low- income. Employment can be a combination of qualifying schools. [Schools operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) are considered low-income schools for teacher loan forgiveness purposes.]
The five years of qualifying service may be in different eligible low–income schools. If your five years of qualifying teaching service was not at the same school, you must complete a separate application for each school. The specific name of the school needs to be listed.
Use this link to access the Annual Directory of Designated Low-Income Schools for Teacher Cancellation Benefits to find out whether your school is considered a low-income school.
https://www.tcli.ed.gov/CBSWebApp/tcli/TCLIPubSchoolSearch.jsp
At least one of your five years of qualifying teaching service is after the 1997-1998 academic year.
You received the Stafford loan for which you are requesting forgiveness before the end of your fifth year of qualifying teaching service.
You are not in default on the loans for which you are requesting teacher loan forgiveness. If you are in default, you must have made satisfactory repayment arrangements with your loan holder. (If you are in default, contact the OGSLP Recoveries department at 405.234.4375 or 800.522.8022 for assistance.)
You have not received a benefit for the same teaching service through Subtitle D of Title I of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (AmeriCorps).
What if I received my loans prior to October 1, 1998?
You must be able to answer “Yes” to the following to be considered eligible for teacher loan forgiveness:
Your first loan was received prior to October 1, 1998, and you repaid all loans before receiving new loans on or after October 1, 1998. [Congress did not include provisions in the legislation for the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program to include forgiveness for loans received prior to October 1, 1998.]
A Consolidation loan is not considered a new loan and does not qualify you as a new borrower.
What if I have experienced an interruption in the five complete, consecutive years of teaching service?
There are certain instances that are not considered an interruption in the requirement of five complete, consecutive years of teaching service. You must have taught at least one half of an academic term, the school district must have considered your contract fulfilled for the purposes of salary increases, tenure and retirement, and you must be able to answer “Yes” to one of the following exceptions:
A return to post-secondary education on at least a half-time basis in a program directly related to the performance of teaching service required for forgiveness.
A condition covered under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA).
An order to active duty status for more than 30 days as a member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces.
What if the school is no longer designated as a low-income school?
If the school was designated as a qualifying low-income school when you began employment, all subsequent years continue to qualify even if the school does not meet the criteria.
If you are initially employed by a school that does not meet the criteria and the school later qualifies, your five years of qualifying service begins when the school meets the eligibility criteria.
What are my next steps if I'm eligible?
If you meet the eligibility requirements for teacher loan forgiveness, the next step is to complete the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Application. You and the chief administrative officer of the school where you performed your qualifying teaching service must complete the form.
Once the form has been completed, you will need to submit it to your loan holder.
Click here to obtain a Teacher Loan Forgiveness Application form.
Who is the chief administrative officer?
The chief administrative officer is the official at your school (such as the principal, assistant principal or superintendent) who is responsible for supervising your employment as a teacher, and who has access to records relating to your experience and qualifications for teaching. The chief administrative officer must certify on the application that your teaching service met requirements for loan forgiveness for all five years.
How do I know how much I may be eligible for?
The total amount of teacher loan forgiveness you may be eligible for depends on when your period of teaching service began, your qualifications and the type of teaching service you performed. You may not receive more than the maximum amount allowed in loan forgiveness for the same teaching service under both the FFEL and Direct Loan programs.
There are different requirements for teachers who began their teaching service prior to October 30, 2004, and for teachers that began on or after October 30, 2004. The reason for two categories is that the Taxpayer-Teacher Protection Act was signed into law on October 30, 2004, providing increased teacher loan forgiveness benefits for certain highly qualified secondary mathematics and science teachers as well as certain highly qualified elementary and secondary special education teachers.
If your teaching service is prior to October 30, 2004
You may qualify for up to $5,000 in teacher loan forgiveness benefits if your teaching service began prior to October 30, 2004, and you can answer “Yes” to one of the following:
A full-time elementary school teacher who demonstrates knowledge and teaching skills in reading, writing, mathematics and other areas of the elementary school curriculum.
A full-time secondary school teacher teaching in a subject area that is relevant to your academic major.
During your qualifying teaching service as a public school teacher at an eligible elementary or secondary school, you met the definition of “highly qualified” as provided in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
You may qualify for up to an additional $12,500
If your teaching service began prior to October 30, 2004, and you have already received the $5,000 in teacher loan forgiveness benefits, you may be eligible to receive an additional benefit up to $12,500 (totaling $17,500, the maximum teacher loan forgiveness amount) if you can answer “Yes” to both of the following:
During your qualifying teaching service as a public school teacher at an eligible elementary or secondary school, you met the definition of “highly qualified” as provided in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
You must have either:
• Been employed as a highly qualified full-time mathematics or science teacher in a qualifying secondary school or
• Been employed as a highly qualified special education teacher whose primary responsibility was to provide special education to children with disabilities. In addition, you must have taught children with disabilities that corresponded to your area of special education training and demonstrated knowledge and teaching skills in the content areas of the curriculum that you were teaching.
If your teaching service is on or after October 30, 2004
You may qualify for up to $5,000 in teacher loan forgiveness benefits if your teaching service began on or after October 30, 2004, if you can answer “Yes” to the following question:
During your qualifying teaching service as a public school teacher at an eligible elementary or secondary school, you met the definition of “highly qualified” as provided in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
You may qualify for up to $17,500 in teacher loan forgiveness benefits if your teaching service began on or after October 30, 2004, if you can answer “Yes” to both of the following:
During your qualifying teaching service as a public school teacher at an eligible elementary or secondary school, you met the definition of “highly qualified” as provided in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
You must have either:
• Been employed as a highly qualified full-time mathematics or science teacher in an eligible secondary school or
• Been employed as a highly qualified special education teacher whose primary responsibility was to provide special education to children with disabilities. In addition, you must have taught children with disabilities that corresponded to your area of special education training and demonstrated knowledge and teaching skills in the content areas of the curriculum that you were teaching.
How will the teacher loan forgiveness payment amount be applied?
Unless you instruct otherwise, your loan holder will apply the teacher loan forgiveness payment received from the guarantor first to any outstanding unsubsidized Federal Stafford loan balances, then to any outstanding subsidized Federal Stafford loan balances, and finally to any eligible outstanding Federal Consolidation loan balances.
You are not eligible for refunds on payments you have already made to the loan holder.
If I do not qualify at this time but I expect to later, can I stop making payments on my loan?
You must make your regular monthly payments on your loan during the five years of teaching service. However, when the loan balance nears the benefit amount you qualify for, you may request your loan holder to grant a forbearance in annual increments during each of the years in which you perform your qualifying teaching service. A Teacher Loan Forgiveness Forbearance form will need to be completed and submitted to your loan holder.
Your loan holder is required to grant this forbearance only if the lender believes that the maximum forgiveness amount you are seeking will pay your loan balance in full at the end of your qualifying teaching service.
What are some definitions I should know?
• Academic year is one complete school year at the same school, two complete and consecutive half-years at different schools, or two complete and consecutive half-years from different schools, at either the same or different schools. Half-years exclude summer and generally fall within a 12-month period. For schools that have a year-round program of instruction, a minimum of nine months is considered to comprise an academic year.
• Chief administrative officer is the official in your school (such as the principal or an assistant principal) who is responsible for supervising your employment as a teacher and who has access to records relating to your experience and qualifications for teaching.
• Elementary school is a public or nonprofit private school that provides elementary education as determined by state law or the U.S. Department of Education if that school is not in a state.
• Full-time means the standard used by a state in defining full-time employment as a teacher. If you teach in more than one school, full-time is based on the combination of all of your qualifying employment.
• Forgiveness means that you are no longer responsible for repaying part or all of the loan, including interest, once you have performed qualifying teaching service.
• Forgiveness forbearance means postponing loan payments until qualifying teaching service has been performed, if the maximum forgiveness amount will satisfy the anticipated outstanding balance.
• Highly qualified teacher is a teacher in a public or nonprofit elementary or secondary school who has obtained a full state certification as a teacher (including certification obtained through alternative routes to certification) or passed the state teacher licensing examination and holds a license to teach in that state, except that, when used with respect to any teacher teaching in a public charter school. The term "charter school" means that the teacher meets the requirements set forth in the state’s public charter school law; and has not had certification or licensure requirements waived on an emergency, temporary, or provisional basis. In addition, the teacher must be one of the following:
• An elementary school teacher who is new to the teaching profession; holds a bachelor’s degree; and has demonstrated (by passing a rigorous state test) subject knowledge and teaching skills in reading, writing, mathematics, and other areas of basic elementary school curriculum (which may consist of passing state-required certification or licensing test(s) in reading, writing, mathematics, and other areas of the basic elementary school curriculum.
• A middle or secondary school teacher who is new to the profession; holds a bachelor’s degree; and has demonstrated a high level of competency in each of the teacher's academic subjects by passing a rigorous state academic subject test in each subject (which may consist of a passing level of performance on a state-required certification or licensing test or tests in each of the academic subjects in which the teacher teaches), or by successfully completing, in each of the academic subjects in which the teacher teaches, of an academic major, a graduate degree, coursework equivalent to an undergraduate academic major, or advanced certification or credentialing.
• An elementary, middle or secondary school teacher who is not new to the profession; holds at least a bachelor’s degree; and meets the applicable standards of an elementary, middle, or secondary school teacher who is new to the profession; or demonstrates competence in all academic subjects in which the teacher teaches based on a high objective uniform state standard of evaluation that meets all of the following criteria:o Is set by the state for both grade appropriate academic subject matter knowledge and teaching skills.
o Is aligned with challenging state academic content and student academic achievement standards and developed in consultation with core content specialists, teachers, principals, and school administrators.
o Provides objective, coherent information about the teacher’s attainment of core content knowledge in the academic subjects in which a teacher teaches.
o Is applied uniformly to all teachers in the same academic subject and the same grade level throughout the state.
o Takes into consideration, but not based primarily on, the time the teacher has been teaching in the academic subject.
o Is made available to the public upon request.
o May involve multiple, objective measures of teacher competency.
• Loan holder of a FFEL Program loan may be a lender, guaranty agency or the U.S. Department of Education.
• Loans that are eligible for forgiveness are Federal Stafford Loans (subsidized and unsubsidized), Federal Direct Stafford/Ford Loans (Direct Subsidized Loans), Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford/Ford Loans (Direct Unsubsidized Loans), and any portion of a Federal Consolidation Loan or Federal Direct Consolidation Loan that was used to pay off an eligible Federal Stafford Loan, Direct Stafford Loan or Direct Unsubsidized Loan.
• Secondary school is a public or nonprofit private school that provides secondary education as determined by state law or the U.S. Department of Education if the school is not in the state.
• Special education means specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability, at no cost to parents, including instruction conducted in the classroom, in the home, in hospitals and institutions, as well as instruction in physical education, i.e., physical therapy.
• Teacher means a person who provides direct classroom teaching or classroom-type teaching in a non-classroom setting, including special education teachers.
• Qualifying school is an elementary or secondary school operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) or operated on an Indian reservation by an Indian tribal group under contract with the BIA, or a school that meets all of the following criteria:
• Is in a school district that qualifies for funds under the Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended.
• Has been selected by the U. S. Department of Education based on a determination that more than 30 percent of the school’s total enrollment is made up of children who qualify for service provided under Title I.
• Is listed in the Annual Directory of Designated Low-Income Schools for Teacher Cancellation Benefits. (If this directory is not available before May 1 of any year, the previous year’s directory may be used.)
Where can I find additional information about the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program?
Additional information regarding the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program can be found on the U. S. Department of Education's Web site (click on Cancellation for Stafford Loans) and in their “Stafford Loan Forgiveness Program for Teachers” brochure.
Does the state of Oklahoma have a forgiveness program?
The Teacher Shortage Employment Incentive Program (TSEIP) is a legislative program that reimburses teachers for eligible student loan expenses or pays an equivalent cash benefit to individuals who graduate from an Oklahoma accredited teacher education program, receive teaching certification in mathematics or science, and agree to teach in an Oklahoma public secondary school for at least five years. Visit http://www.cashforteachingok.org for more information.
Oklahoma State Department of Education
For teacher information provided by the Oklahoma State Department of Education, visit the following Web site:
http://sde.state.ok.us/
2007 Oklahoma Legislation for Education Loan Repayment:
The "Financial Reimbursement for Educational Expenses Act of 2007," effective July 1, 2007, authorizes state agencies to make loan repayments on behalf of state employees, up to $5,000 per year with a cumulative limit of $15,000. The repayments are discretionary for the agencies. There are certain conditions and required continued employment provisions apply. Ask your agency if they participate. To view the citation, use the following link and click on “Next Section” found in the header. http://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/deliverdocument.asp?cite=74+O.S.+1731
A revolving fund has been established by the State Department of Health to be designated as the "Dental Loan Repayment Revolving Fund" effective November 1, 2007. The fund shall be a continuing fund, not subject to fiscal year limitations, and shall consist of all monies deposited to the credit of the fund by law. The monies accruing to the fund are appropriated and may be budgeted and expended by the State Department of Health for the purpose of repaying dental student loans. Contact the State Department of Health, Dental Health Services at 405.271.5502 for details. To view the citation, use the following link and click on “Next Section” found in the header.
http://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/deliverdocument.asp?cite=63+O.S.+1-2714
Other Forgiveness Programs:
American Federation of Teachers
The American Federation of Teachers maintains a list of other forgiveness programs for student loans at the following link: http://www.aft.org/tools4teachers/loan-forgiveness.htm
What about my Federal Perkins loan(s)?
Teachers who have a Federal Perkins loan may be eligible for 100% loan cancellation after teaching for five years in a designated low-income school or in a subject-matter shortage area. Please note that cancellation benefits will be lost if you consolidate your Perkins loan into a Federal Consolidation loan. Contact your school or go to the following link for more information.
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/cancelperk.jsp?tab=repaying