Student Loan Forgiveness for Teachers: PSLF & More

• PSLF forgives your entire federal loan balance after 120 qualifying payments in public or nonprofit schools. No cap, no tax bill.

• Teacher Loan Forgiveness offers up to $17,500, but only for specific subjects and five straight years at a low-income school.

• Substitute teachers can qualify for PSLF if they’re full-time, directly employed by a qualifying school, and submit the Employer Certification Form.

If you’re a teacher with serious student loan debt, PSLF is probably your best shot at full forgiveness.

Teacher Loan Forgiveness maxes out at $17,500 and comes with strings attached. Perkins Cancellation is almost gone. But PSLF wipes out your entire remaining federal balance tax-free.

Between messy paperwork, confusing eligibility rules, and constant changes, it’s enough to make your head spin. But we’re about to make this simple.

Here’s exactly what teachers need to know.

If you’re a teacher with federal student loans, Public Service Loan Forgiveness is still your best shot at full, tax-free forgiveness.

After 120 qualifying payments, your entire balance is wiped out. No forgiveness cap. No requirement to teach a specific subject or work at a Title I school. If your employer qualifies and you follow the rules, you can get your loans forgiven. Period.

But as of March 2025, that path may be getting harder. The Trump administration has proposed new rules that could narrow who qualifies.

Read more: Trump PSLF Order

Early drafts suggest some charter schools and nonprofits might lose eligibility. There’s also a proposal to move loan servicing from the ED to the Small Business Administration, raising big questions about oversight and delays.

Nothing is final yet, but changes are coming fast.

Here’s how to stay protected no matter what happens next:

1. Make sure your employer still qualifies. Most public schools, charter schools, and nonprofit private schools are eligible. But don’t guess. Use the PSLF Employer Search Tool to double-check right now.

2. Be on an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan. IDR plans are the only way your payments count. PAYE and ICR are back open for enrollment. If you’re not on an IDR plan, switch now.

3. Submit your Employer Certification Form (ECF) every year. This is your proof that your job qualifies. Submit it annually and any time you change jobs. Skipping this step is one of the fastest ways to lose progress.

4. Track your payment count yourself. Log in to StudentAid.gov to see your PSLF tracker. Don’t assume it’s accurate. Servicers still make mistakes, and it’s on you to catch them. You can also use our PSLF Calculator to check how much you’ll have to pay towards forgiveness.

Don’t coast. PSLF is still viable, but it’s not bulletproof.

With new rules on the table and agency changes looming, this is the time to double-check everything and lock in your progress before things shift.

Related: Are Teachers Public Service Workers?

Sometimes. But only if a few key things line up.

PSLF isn’t about your job title. It’s about who employs you, how many hours you work, and how your employer classifies you.

To qualify for PSLF as a substitute teacher, all three of these must be true:

• You’re directly employed by a qualifying school or district. That means a public or nonprofit school. If your paycheck comes from a staffing agency, it likely won’t count even if you’re working in a public school classroom.

• You’re considered full-time by your employer. PSLF defines full-time as 30+ hours a week, or whatever your employer considers full-time. Some districts count long-term subs as full-time. Others don’t. Ask HR and get it in writing.

• You submit an Employer Certification Form, and it gets approved. This form confirms your job qualifies and tracks your progress toward forgiveness. If it’s denied or your payment count looks off, something isn’t right. Fix it now before those payments disappear from your record.

What to do if you’re subbing and not sure you qualify:

• Ask HR how you’re classified. Are you considered full-time? Are you employed directly by the district?

• Check your W-2. It should list the school or district (not a third-party contractor) as your employer.

• Submit your ECF every year, or whenever your job changes. This is your PSLF insurance.

Subbing can count. But only if the paperwork checks out. Don’t assume you’re covered. Confirm it on paper.

The Teacher Loan Forgiveness (TLF) program offers up to $17,500 in federal student loan forgiveness after five full, consecutive years of teaching in a qualifying low-income school or educational service agency.

It’s faster than PSLF, but it’s more limited. As of April 2025, there have been no major updates to the program. The rules and requirements are still the same.

Here’s what you need to qualify:

• You must teach full-time for five straight years. Your service has to be at a low-income public school or a qualifying educational service agency. No breaks. No gaps.

• Your loans must be eligible. Only Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans and Federal Stafford Loans qualify. PLUS loans and Perkins Loans don’t count.

• Your subject area matters. To get the full $17,500, you must be a highly qualified special education teacher or teach secondary math or science. If you teach something else, the max you can get is $5,000.

How to Apply for Teacher Loan Forgiveness

1. Complete the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Application after finishing your fifth consecutive qualifying year.

2. Have the chief administrative officer at your school or educational service agency certify your employment.

3. Submit the completed form to your loan servicer. They’ll process it and apply the forgiveness if you meet all the criteria.

If you’re weighing your options between TLF and PSLF, the key difference comes down to how much debt you have and how long you plan to stay in public education.

Let’s look at how the two programs compare so you can figure out which one makes more sense for your situation.

If you still have Federal Perkins Loans, you could get up to 100% of your balance canceled through eligible teaching service, even though the program stopped issuing new loans in 2017.

This option is still active for existing borrowers. Unlike PSLF or Teacher Loan Forgiveness, you don’t have to wait five full years to see results. Cancellation happens gradually, year by year.

You must teach full-time in one of these qualifying roles:

• At a low-income public or nonprofit school

• In special education, math, science, foreign language, or bilingual education

• In another high-need subject area defined by your state

Here’s how the cancellation schedule works:

• 15% canceled after year 1

• 15% canceled after year 2

• 20% canceled after year 3

• 20% canceled after year 4

• 30% canceled after year 5

That adds up to 100%. But if you leave before five years, you still get forgiveness for the years you completed.

To apply, contact your Perkins Loan holder directly. That’s usually the school that issued the loan or a loan servicer they work with. If you’re not sure who to call, log in to the FSA website or ask your current servicer.

Perkins Loan Cancellation is a solid option, especially if you have a smaller Perkins balance and don’t qualify for PSLF. But because it only applies to a limited group of older loans, it’s smart to look at how this fits with your other forgiveness options.

Federal programs like PSLF and TLF get the spotlight, but many states offer their own teacher loan forgiveness or repayment assistance, especially for teachers in high-need subjects like special education, STEM, or bilingual education.

These state forgiveness programs aren’t as well known, but they can offer real relief. If your loan balance is manageable and you’re teaching in a high-need area, they’re worth a serious look.

Every state runs things differently. Some offer grants. Others reduce your loan balance over time. Some programs are tied to geography (like rural or underserved schools) while others focus on subject shortages.

Here are a few active examples as of April 2025:

• Texas offers loan forgiveness for teachers in shortage areas, often alongside TLF.

• Wisconsin provides grants and forgiveness for rural teachers, bilingual educators, and special ed professionals.

• North Carolina supports teachers in high-poverty districts through its Educator Compensation Programs.

• Michigan runs Educator Loan Forgiveness Programs for teachers in under-resourced schools and critical subject areas.

Since these programs change often, your best move is to check your state’s Department of Education website. If your debt isn’t massive, a state program could knock down your balance faster, especially when combined with TLF.

But if you’ve got a high balance and plan to stay in public or nonprofit education long-term, PSLF is still your best shot at full forgiveness with no cap.

If you don’t qualify for PSLF or TLF (or you have private loans), you still have options. They’re not as generous, and they come with trade-offs, but here’s what’s on the table:

• Income-Driven Repayment Forgiveness: For federal loans only. Forgives your remaining balance after 20–25 years of payments. Slow, but helpful if your income is low and debt is high.

• Refinancing: Available for federal or private loans. You can lower your interest rate, but don’t refinance federal loans unless you’re 100% sure you won’t need PSLF, IDR, or deferment protections.

• Grants and Fellowships: The TEACH Grant offers up to $4,000 a year for future teachers in high-need subjects. Some states and nonprofits also offer Loan Repayment Assistance Programs (LRAPs), which are less common but worth searching for.

• Loan Settlement: For private loans only. Some lenders may settle for less than you owe, but usually only if you’re in default. Comes with serious credit damage and collection risks. Last resort territory.

• Bankruptcy: Discharging private loans in bankruptcy is rare, but it’s more possible in 2025. Judges are approving more cases for borrowers with extreme financial hardship. Still tough, but no longer impossible.

If you’re stuck, don’t guess. Talk to a student loan lawyer or counselor who can help you figure out what’s actually on the table and what’s a dead end.

Related: Private Student Loan Forgiveness for Teachers

If you’re a teacher with federal loans, PSLF is still your best shot at full forgiveness. No cap, no tax bill. Make 120 qualifying payments while working in public or nonprofit education, and the rest of your balance is gone.

Teacher Loan Forgiveness can help sooner if your debt is smaller and you meet the five-year service rule, especially if you teach math, science, special ed, or work in a low-income school.

Subs can qualify for PSLF, but only if you’re full-time and directly employed by a qualifying school, not through a contractor. Get it confirmed in writing.

Need help sorting it all out? Talk to a student loan expert who knows how to cut through the fine print.

Book a call with our student loan expert today and take the next step toward real forgiveness.

We help borrowers clear their debt with one-on-one guidance tailored to their situation.

Related reading:

• Navient Teacher Loan Forgiveness

• Student Loan Forgiveness for Early Childhood Educators

• Student Loan Forgiveness For Professors

• School Counselor Student Loan Forgiveness

• Librarian Student Loan Forgiveness