If you are a medical doctor or other healthcare professional, here are the main student loan forgiveness programs you can take advantage of.
Biden’s Cancellation
President Biden took executive action to cancel $20 thousand in federal student debt for borrowers who got a Pell Grant as part of their financial aid package in undergrad and $10 thousand for those who didn’t.
Related:$10,000 student loan forgiveness.
The eligibility requirements are straightforward: borrowers who reported less than $125 thousand in adjusted gross income on their tax return in 2020 or 2021 qualify for cancellation. Married couples who filed a joint return during the pandemic and had an AGI of less than $250 thousand also qualify.
Grad and Parent PLUS Loans are also eligible for the relief.
Learn More:How to Apply for Loan Cancellation?
Public Service Loan Forgiveness
PSLF erases the remaining balance on your Direct Loans after making 10 years of monthly payments while working for the government or a nonprofit — regardless of whether you worked in an underserved area. Medical residency and fellowship years count so long as you work for a qualifying employer.
If you went to medical school before 2011, there’s a chance that not all of the education loans you borrowed automatically qualify for the program. Check the Federal Student Aid website,studentaid.gov, to see what type of loans you have. FFEL Loans and Perkins Loans must be consolidated into a Direct Loan to qualify for the public service program.
Related:Do FFELP Loans Qualify for PSLF?
Consolidating typically resets your qualifying payment count toward the 10 years of student loan payments required for PSLF. But for a limited time, the Education Department is allowing borrowers to consolidate and receive credit not only for payments made prior to consolidation but also for the time spent in deferment and forbearance. TheLimited PSLF Waiverends Oct. 31, 2022. Read more aboutPSLF retroactive credit.
Learn More: PSLF Medical School
Income-Driven Repayment Plan Forgiveness
The PSLF Program is great if you have worked at public and nonprofit hospitals for several years. But if you didn’t, theincome-driven repayment plan forgivenessopportunity may be your best option.
IDR Forgiveness writes off the balance you owe on federal student loans after you’ve made 25 years’ worth of payments* under an income-driven repayment plan like the Income-Based Repayment or Revised Pay As You Earn Plan.
Unfortunately, many doctors — especially those who earn higher incomes — didn’t make payments under one of those plans. Instead, they paid under the Standard or Graduated Plans because their monthly bill was lower than the amount based on their income. Those payments would normally not count towards IDR forgiveness, but the Education Department announced earlier this year that they would — for a limited time. It also said it would count time spent in long forbearances and some deferments.
Learn More:IDR Waiver Student Loans
* The Education Department writes off loans after 20 years only if you didn’t borrow federal loans for graduate or medical school.
Student Loan Repayment Programs
There are different programs to help people who have private student loans or don’t qualify for federal student loan forgiveness. These programs can help you get a portion of your student loan debt forgiven just for doing your job.
National Health Service Corps Students to Service Loan Repayment Programpromises up to $120 thousand in loan repayment assistance for medical professionals — physicians, dentists, and nurses — who work three years full-time at an NHSC-approved site.Check the eligibility requirements for the NHSC Program.
National Institutes of Health LRPspay off a portion loan balance (up to $35 thousand) for those who agree to work in a biomedical or biobehavioral research career path — e.g., pediatric, AIDS, or infertility research.Check the eligibility requirements for the NIH LRPs.
The NHSC Substance Use Disorder Workforce LRPoffers up to $75 thousand in student loan repayment to doctors who work at an approved substance abuse treatment facility for at least three years.Check the eligibility requirements for the Substance Use Disorder LRP.
Indian Health Service LRPawards up to $40 thousand in repayment assistance in exchange for a two-year commitment to doctors who practice in health facilities serving American Indian and Alaska Native communities.Check the eligibility requirements for the IHS LRP.
Military LRPsoffer doctors several thousand dollars yearly in student loan repayment, depending on the branch. For example, the Air Force offers $40 thousand per year for up to two years (for a total of $80,000) in exchange for a two-year, active-duty commitment. Read more aboutmilitary student loan forgivenessor speak with a recruiter at the branch of service you’re interested in.
Related: Student Loan Forgiveness for Nurses
