Student Loan Forgiveness & Repayment Programs for Nurses

Eligibility

The DOE provides a useful PSLF help tool you can use to determine your eligibility. You’ll qualify based on your employer, not your job title, which means nurses at any level of practice may qualify depending on where they work (LPNs, RNs, APRNs, etc.). Eligible borrowers must be employed full-time by a qualifying employer.

Beneficiaries must also hold Direct Loans or loans consolidated into a Direct Loan and consistently make at least 120 qualified monthly payments. Qualified payments must be made on time during the repayment period, which doesn’t count deferment, forbearance, your grace period, or when you’re in school. Those payments must also be made using an income-driven repayment plan.

How to Apply

To get started, you’ll need to complete a PSLF Certification and Application form. The form asks for basic identifying and biographical information, along with additional data to determine your eligibility. Once processed and verified, the DOE will return the form to you indicating how many qualifying payments it believes you have made.

The running total for those payments is only updated when you notify the DOE, and it recommends that borrowers submit a new PSLF form annually to keep your status up to date. You can also check your qualifying payments using the online PSLF portal.

Requirements & Restrictions

Borrowers must keep their employment status up to date when moving from one qualifying job to another. If you become ineligible for PSLF at any time, or if some of your monthly payments do not qualify, you can pursue Temporary Expanded PSLF.

The DOE places no tax restrictions on the PSLF program. This means forgiven loan amounts will not count as income when tax season rolls around, ultimately reducing your liability. Normally, administrative forbearance periods keep borrowers from making qualified monthly payments. However, the DOE has recently rolled back some of those restrictions. Suspended payments made during COVID-19 relief, for example, still count as qualified monthly payments.

Eligibility

Qualified borrowers must fulfill the following application requirements:

• Be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident
• Hold a current, unencumbered nursing license; a degree or diploma from a nursing school; and qualified outstanding loans (see below)
• Maintain full-time licensed employment at an eligible organization

On that last requirement, the HRSA specifies eligible organizations as those designated as a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) critical shortage facility. To locate a shortage facility or to see if your employer qualifies, consult the HRSA’s data tools. For nursing faculty applicants, eligible organizations include accredited public or private nursing schools.

How to Apply

The HRSA publishes an informative NCLRP program guide each year to help new participants navigate the application process. Interested applicants must submit their materials in February each year with final decisions to follow in September. Materials include an online application, supporting documents, and any additional documentation required.

Borrowers must provide their loan information on the application, along with biographical and employment information and self-certification. Required supporting documents include release authorization forms, transcripts, and a curriculum vitae or resume. Faculty applicants may need to provide certification that 50% of students come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Requirements & Restrictions

Successful applicants must complete a two-year service obligation with their employer and cannot switch to a different service obligation during that period. In exchange, you receive loan payments covering 60% of outstanding debt. Recipients must also comply with other rules regarding worksite absences, transfer requests, and waivers. NCLRP loan payments are taxable.

One of the key advantages of NCLRP is its broad applicability and relative lack of restrictions. For example, borrowers can opt for an additional service year and receive an extra 25% in assistance (up to 85%). The NCLRP also covers a wider range of student debt. Qualified loans include federal and commercial loans, consolidated student loans, and Perkins loans not subject to cancellation.

Eligibility

The program accepts licensed primary care providers with qualified student loan debt related to their nursing degree. In addition, applicants must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national
• Be fully trained and licensed as a care provider
• Provide or be eligible to provide care in state and federal programs (Medicare, Medicaid, etc.)
• Work at a NHSC-approved facility within an HPSA

The program also welcomes military reserve applicants. However, military service does not satisfy NHSC’s service commitment. If deployed, the organization expects recipients to return to their service site afterward.

How to Apply

The application process takes three weeks to complete. Borrowers must submit an online application and provide information on their eligibility, employment, training, certification credentials, and loan status. In addition, applicants should be prepared to provide the following:

• Be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national
• Proof of citizenship
• Loan verification and a disbursement report
• Specialty certification
• Other supporting documentation verifying an existing service obligation or a disadvantaged background

Selection factors in the application process include commitment to continued primary care service in a shortage area, previous service commitment history, and legal obligation history. NHSC prioritizes applicants with in-demand specialty training, NHSC scholarship recipients, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Requirements & Restrictions

Recipients working full-time at an approved site must log a minimum of 40 hours per week for 45 weeks each year to receive up to $50,000 in loan assistance. Part-time borrowers can receive up to $25,000, provided they work a minimum of 20 hours per week during the same period. All program participants must submit a service verification document every six months to indicate their compliance and attest to the number of hours worked.

NHSC loan repayments are not subject to tax liability. Participants may qualify for continued loan assistance if they still have outstanding eligible loans. Continuation is not guaranteed and applicants must have a demonstrated record of clear program compliance.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants for Perkins loan assistance must have received their loan after 1998 and provide qualifying services during that same period. Funds associated with the Perkins loan must have covered training and education for the qualifying service professions. This means that if you plan to participate as a nursing applicant, your loan should have helped with your nursing education, not some other subject or profession.

Virtually all nursing occupations qualify, including RNs, practical or vocational nurses, and specialized nurse practitioners. Qualified applicants within the nursing profession must maintain full-time employment during their eligible service period.

How to Apply

Because Perkins loans are paid directly to colleges and universities–not the federal government–eligible applicants must apply through their school or its loan servicer.

The best approach here is to contact your institution’s financial aid office for more information. Administrators and loan officers will likely provide you with instructions and an official application. Be prepared to verify your employment status and prove your work history as a licensed nursing professional.

Requirements & Restrictions

Qualified full-time nurses can receive up to 100% in Perkins loan assistance for at least five years of eligible service. That figure covers the principal loan amount as well as interest accrued during each year of qualified service.

Recipients can also qualify for a complete discharge of their Perkins loan under certain conditions like bankruptcy, death, and permanent disability. Other school-based restrictions and requirements may also apply.

Army Active Duty Health Professions Loan Repayment Program

Active duty service members with a background in nursing may qualify for this program with the Army, depending on the length of their service. The initiative repays up to $120,000 in nursing educational loans across three consecutive years totaling $40,000 annually.

Recipients may also be eligible for an additional $10,000 accession bonus if they agree to accept a commission as an Army Medical Corps officer. Participation in this program does not affect eligibility for other benefits like health insurance, retirement investing, or housing.

Army Reserves Healthcare Professionals Loan Repayment Program

This program is similar to the previous one but supports nursing professionals in the U.S. Army Reserves and not on active duty. In addition to other benefits and incentives, it offers up to $50,000 in assistance for eligible loans secured during your nursing education and training. Participants receive $20,000 annually for two consecutive years of service with an optional third year covering an additional $10,000 in student debt.

Army Reserves College Loan Repayment Program

The Army also extends broader student loan relief options open to a wider range of applicants, including those with a background in nursing. Its College Loan Repayment Program accepts initial-term Army Reserve members. Eligible participants must decline GI Bill enrollment and plan to enlist for at least six years.

The program aids with student loans covered under the Higher Education Act of 1965 and repays 15% of the outstanding balance or $1,500 for each year of service, whichever is greater. All funds are subject to tax liability.

Navy Nurse Candidate Program

Nursing students serving full-time can receive up to $34,000 to help cover education expenses through the Navy Nurse Candidate Program. The program offers an initial $10,000 grant up front and then provides a $1,000 monthly stipend for up to 24 months.

Service obligations go into effect after training and education are complete. Once fully licensed and credentialed, participants are eligible for commissions as Navy Nurse Corps Officers.

Air Force Active Duty Health Professions Repayment Program

Like the Army, the Air Force administers a Health Professional Loan Repayment Program to help aspiring nurses early in their careers. If you’re a nurse on active duty with qualifying student loans that were used to finance your health education, you could receive up to $80,000 in relief, minus taxes (around 25%). The program repays a maximum of $40,000 each year for two years, covering principal balances and incurred interest.