Federal forgiveness programs at a glance in October 2026
| Program | Who it targets | Benefit | Service requirement | Status |
|---|
| PSLF | Borrowers with qualifying Direct Loans | Remaining balance after 120 qualifying payments | Full-time work for a qualifying employer | Open, with a broad employer list after the June 2026 ruling |
| Teacher Loan Forgiveness | Teachers in low-income schools | Up to $17,500 | Five complete consecutive academic years, full-time | Open |
| Perkins Teacher Cancellation | Teachers holding Perkins Loans | Up to 100 percent of the Perkins Loan | Five years full-time at a low-income school or in a shortage subject | Open |
| Income-driven repayment discharge | Borrowers on IBR, PAYE, ICR or RAP | Remaining balance after the term | 20 to 30 years of qualifying payments | Open, PAYE and ICR end by July 1, 2028 |
| Total and permanent disability discharge | Borrowers with a qualifying disability | Full remaining balance | None | Open |
| Bankruptcy discharge | Borrowers with eligible private education debt | Unpaid balance with no payment | None | Open |
Which health profession repayment programs pay the most?
The largest single award in the health field goes to medical students through Students to Service, at up to $120,000. The National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program pays up to $80,000 for a full-time clinician in primary care and up to $42,500 for a half-time commitment.
A one-time $5,000 award is added for Spanish-language practice. Both figures come from the NHSC program page, not the older HRSA overview page.
Be careful with award figures. The HRSA overview page still shows the older $75,000 full-time primary care number, so check the NHSC program page for the current figure before you budget around it.
Health workforce loan repayment programs and 2026 cycle status
| Program | Maximum award | Service commitment | 2026-27 cycle |
|---|
| NHSC Students to Service | Up to $120,000 in four installments of $30,000 | Three years at a site in a Health Professional Shortage Area scoring 14 or higher | Fiscal 2027 applications close November 19, 2026 |
| NHSC Loan Repayment | Up to $80,000 full time, $42,500 half time, plus $5,000 for Spanish language | Two years of primary care service | 2026 cycle closed, award status notified by September 30, 2026 |
| Nurse Corps Loan Repayment | Up to 85 percent of unpaid nursing education debt | Two years at a Critical Shortage Facility or as nursing faculty | 2026 cycle closed |
| NHSC Substance Use Disorder Workforce | Up to $100,000 | Three years | Open through HRSA |
| STAR Loan Repayment | Up to $250,000 | Three years | Open through HRSA |
| HRSA Faculty Loan Repayment | Up to $40,000 | Two years as faculty | Open through HRSA |
Students to Service also offers a maternity care supplement of up to $40,000 for candidates who score 16 or higher on the maternity care assessment. These awards are competitive, and every federal program pays off a share of your balance.
Which state forgiveness programs are open in 2026?
New York runs the largest state forgiveness menu, with more than 25 programs, and its flagship aid restarts for fall 2026.
Get on Your Feet pays 100 percent of your monthly federal income-driven repayment payment for up to 24 months, according to the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation in October 2026.
To qualify for Get on Your Feet, your adjusted gross income must be under $50,000 and you must be enrolled in federal IBR, PAYE or REPAYE.
You must also be a New York resident for 12 continuous months with a high school diploma or GED from New York and a bachelor's degree or lower from a New York institution.
The program was postponed and is set to return in fall 2026.
State student loan forgiveness programs verified in October 2026
| State | Program | Award | Status |
|---|
| New York | Get on Your Feet | 100 percent of the monthly federal IDR payment for up to 24 months | Postponed until fall 2026 |
| New York | Teacher Loan Forgiveness | $5,000 a year, up to $20,000 over four years | Not accepting applications |
| Colorado | Health Service Corps | Up to $120,000 over three years | Open |
| Nebraska | State Loan Repayment Program | $30,000 a year for three years | Open |
| Nebraska | NHSC Nebraska | $25,000 a year for two to four years | Open |
| Pennsylvania | Nurse relief and teacher support programs | Varies by award | Listed as current funding opportunities |
| Mississippi | Winter-Reed Teacher Loan Repayment | Varies by award | Suspended for the 2026-27 cycle |
Pennsylvania also warns about an active scam that impersonates a state loan forgiveness program. Use the official PHEAA site rather than a form sent to you by someone you did not contact, and check your state forgiveness program listing before you start a form.
State student loan forgiveness programs are the last layer to check, because most of them pay a share of a balance that exists only if you keep the federal loan.
What happens to forgiveness if you refinance a federal loan?
Refinancing a federal loan into a private one ends your claim to most federal forgiveness programs, and no private lender offers a replacement.
You give up Public Service Loan Forgiveness, income-based repayment, income-contingent repayment, extended repayment plans, PAYE and the SAVE plan, plus federal deferment and forbearance, so any pause must be negotiated with the private servicer.
Two more rules trip up borrowers. Parent PLUS loans cannot be refinanced into RAP, so a parent PLUS balance cannot reach PSLF through an income-driven plan, and a consolidation loan containing a parent PLUS is also ineligible for RAP.
One free move keeps every federal benefit. The auto-pay interest rate reduction rose from 0.25 percent to 1 percent on July 1, 2026 and runs through June 30, 2028.
You must enroll by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on December 31, 2026. Our debt consolidation loan calculator guide compares the federal and private options side by side.
What are the next steps to pick a forgiveness program?
Work through the list in a fixed order, because each step can rule out the options behind it. Choosing among the student loan forgiveness programs listed above comes down to one decision first: keep the federal loan.
Start with the repayment plan, then check the employer, then check whether the same service years can be claimed twice.
- Confirm your current plan and check whether any loan was first disbursed on or after July 1, 2026, since that date decides if PAYE or ICR are still open to you.
- Check whether your payments count for PSLF. Tiered Standard payments never do, and RAP payments do when paid in full and on time.
- Verify your employer status before you count on PSLF, and treat any employer claim as unverified until your servicer confirms it in writing.
- Compare the Teacher Loan Forgiveness overlap rule before claiming five teaching years, because those years cannot also count for PSLF.
- Look at state and health workforce awards only after the federal plan, because most of them pay a share of a balance that exists only if you keep the federal loan.
File the paperwork early. Each program runs its own processing times, and a missing form can push an award past the end of your service commitment.
Verify current requirements. Program rules, award amounts and court decisions change often. Confirm your eligibility on StudentAid.gov and with your loan servicer before you pick a repayment plan.
Photo: kaboompics, Pixabay Content License, via Pixabay (https://pixabay.com/photos/woman-write-notepad-girl-female-792162/)
Fazlur Rahman
