Student Loan Forgiveness Is An Incentive To Serve

For a graduating student who enters one of the most honorable professions, a student loan forgiveness program might be available to help ease the burden of debt. It may be hard to believe, but there is actually student loan forgiveness available from the government and nonprofit agencies that will pay for all or part of a person's student loans after they graduate. Just a few of the professions that qualify a person for a student loan forgiveness program are teachers, nurses, medical technicians, Head Start staff and providers of intervention services for the disabled. The student loan forgiveness program for teachers is a valuable program, in which the government will pay as much as $17,500 of a new teacher's student loans. This amount is only awarded to math and science teachers at eligible secondary schools, or special education teachers for disabled students.

A graduate with FFEL student loans or a Direct student loan will also qualify for $5,000 of student loan forgiveness after five years of full time work in the field. Doctors and nurses who work in underprivileged areas will also qualify for a student loan forgiveness program. A student loan forgiveness program for nurses called NELRP will pay for 60 percent of a graduate's student loans if they serve at least two years in critical shortage facilities. The National Heath Services Corps will also pay up to $35,000 of a health worker's student loans for each year they serve. Head Start staff will often qualify for a student loan forgiveness program, as well. Graduates who volunteer for their state's Head Start program, which helps children from low income families prepare for kindergarten, will receive full or partial student loan forgiveness.

Teachers and administrators in the program are awarded more student loan forgiveness every year they serve; 15 percent of the student loans are paid off each year, until they are eventually completely paid. The government also awards student loan forgiveness to providers of intervention services for the disabled. Graduates in this field with Perkins student loans that work full time with disabled infants or toddlers who have physical, cognitive, communicative, social, emotional, or adaptive needs will qualify.

The student loan forgiveness program is awarded to people who work from an in-home setting or outside facility, as long as the program meets the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. There are more student loan forgiveness programs for many of the other most honorable professions. The payment of people's student loans is meant to serve as a incentive for people to work in professions that are in desperate need of qualified individuals. State and county government programs also often provide student loan forgiveness for people who volunteer with certain organizations.