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State Level Student Loan Forgiveness Programs

Federal student loan forgiveness is available but not evenly distributed. Some students and former students have seen their debt wiped out, but many are still paying.

The good news is that many borrowers can explore options with state-level student loan relief programs. Some target specific professions, like those in healthcare. State student loan relief options may include private student loans, which federal programs do not, while others offer forgiveness based on financial need rather than occupation.

Examples of Loan Forgiveness and Student Loan Discharge Programs by State

Not every state has programs for forgiving or discharging students, but many do and may have multiple options depending on the state and other variables. Below are examples of some programs that may help you with loans or allow you to earn tax credits. You can also search for other programs that may be offered at the official sites listed below.

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Alabama

The Alabama Math and Science Teacher Education Program (AMSTEP) encourages students to pursue certification in math or science and addresses teaching shortages by promoting careers in public schools. AMSTEP offers up to $7,500 per year for four years to teachers who graduated in 2018 or later.

Alaska

Alaska’s SHARP Program supports the recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals in rural and underserved areas. Participants work at eligible facilities and must commit to 2 to 3 years of service depending on the program tier. SHARP-1 requires 80 percent direct patient care in a shortage area, while SHARP-3 is more flexible and requires only 50 percent direct patient care.

Arkansas

The Rural Physician Recruitment Program through the University of Arkansas allows physicians in residency or within two years of completing it to apply jointly with a rural community in the state. In exchange for a four-year commitment to practice primary care, applicants get $10,000 a year from both the community and the state, totaling $80,000 over four years.

Arizona

The Department of Health Services Loan Repayment Program is designed for fully licensed medical professionals who commit to working for two years in shortage areas or underserved areas. Award amounts vary based on the level of need in the designated area and whether the applicant is in their first two years of service or has extended their commitment.

California

The CDA Foundation Student Loan Repayment Grant grant is intended for recent dental school graduates eligible to practice in California who commit to serving in a dental professional shortage area for at least three years. The grant offers up to $50,000 annually, with a maximum of $250,000 over five years, in exchange for providing care to underserved populations.

Colorado

The state Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program is available for healthcare providers working in designated health professional shortage areas to repay qualifying educational loans by serving underserved patients at approved clinical sites. Award amounts vary based on full- or part-time work and the specific medical or dental profession, with a maximum of $105,000 for full-time physicians and dentists. A three-year service commitment is required.

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Connecticut

The Connecticut Student Loan Repayment Program offers up to $50,000 in loan repayment to healthcare providers who commit to working full-time in underserved areas for at least two years. Part-time participants can receive $12,500 per year.

Delaware

The Delaware Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program offers up to $50,000 a year for up to four years to primary care providers. Both full-time and part-time advanced degree practitioners are eligible, however, part-time participants receive prorated repayment. A minimum two-year commitment to practice in the state is required, with the option to renew for another two years.

District of Columbia

Washington D.C.’s Loan Repayment Assistance Program is available to qualified attorneys employed by eligible organizations in the District of Columbia, providing up to $12,000 annually to help repay educational loans.

Florida

The Sunshine State’s Reimbursement Assistance for Medical Education Program (FRAME): This program is designed for professionals practicing in underserved areas of Florida, offering up to $20,000 per year for physicians to repay loans incurred for medical or nursing degrees or studies leading to medical licensure.

Georgia

Georgia’s Veterinary Education Loan Repayment Program was created for working veterinarians or final-year students who will practice in board-approved rural areas. Applicants cannot participate in both the USDA Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) and this program at the same time. The repayment award $20,000 per year.

Hawaii

The Hawaii State Loan Repayment Program (HSLRP) awards federal grants to help pay off loans for primary care and behavioral health providers working at non-profit organizations in designated shortage areas across Hawaii. Award amounts vary.

Idaho

Idaho’s Rural Physician Incentive Program (RPIP) gives repayment assistance to doctors working in healthcare shortage areas. The program provides up to $100,000 over four years to help with academic debt. Preference is given to physicians who have contributed to the RPIP fund, but funds are still available to everyone who is eligible.

Illinois

The Illinois Teachers Loan Repayment Program is for Illinois residents who have received federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness but have a remaining balance on Stafford loans. The program offers up to $5,000 in additional relief.

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Indiana

Law school students who work in nonprofits addressing the civil legal needs of low-income individuals and families can apply for the  Richard M. Givan Loan Repayment Assistance Program. It covers undergraduate, graduate, and law loans. Eligible applicants can receive up to $5,000 per year.

Iowa

Iowa’s Fulfilling Iowa’s Need for Dentists (FIND) Project is for trained and licensed dentists who practice in rural or underserved areas and dedicate at least 35 percent of their patient load to  seniors, young children, nursing home residents, Medicaid, and Dental Wellness Plan members. Amounts vary by program but can reach up to $200,000 over five years.

Kansas

Primary care and psychiatry resident physicians can apply for the Kansas Bridging Plan as long as they commit to working in approved residency programs within rural areas for at least 36 months. Instead of directly repaying existing loans, approved participants receive funds as new loans, which are gradually forgiven over the 36-month service period. The program provides at least $26,000 with the possibility of qualifying for a higher amount.

Kentucky

The Kentucky State Loan Repayment Program is available to healthcare professionals who commit to working in shortage areas for at least two years. The program covers all loans used for healthcare degrees. Funding amounts vary.

Louisiana

If you live in the Bayou State, you may be eligible for its Loan Repayment Assistance Program if you meet specific eligibility criteria. The program offers up to $7,500 annually to repay loans used for an undergraduate or law school education and expenses.

Maine

Dental students and dentists who commit to practicing in underserved areas of Maine can apply for its Dental Education Loan Repayment Program. The program typically opens online each February.

Maryland

The Maryland Student Loan Debt Relief Tax Credit is available to residents who have maintained residency throughout the tax year, have at least $20,000 in undergraduate or graduate loan debt, and have at least $5,000 in outstanding debt when applying. The credit offers up to $5,000, and recipients must use the awarded amount to pay their student loan debt within two years.

Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program for Health Professionals is for primary healthcare providers in various medical, dental, and mental health fields who commit to working in state- or federally-designated shortage areas for at least two years. The program covers most federal, state, and private loans used for healthcare degrees. Awards can be up to $50,000 for a two-year commitment.

Michigan

If you’re a healthcare worker and commit to working in health professional shortage areas for at least two years, you can receive up to $300,000 in loan repayments over ten years through its State Loan Repayment Program.

Minnesota

The Minnesota Rural Public Health Nurse Loan Forgiveness Program’s eligible participants must be licensed Registered Nurses (RNs) with a public health nurse certification. The program requires service of three to four years in rural Minnesota. Participants receive an annual repayment amount of $6,000.

Mississippi

The Winter-Reed Teacher Loan Repayment Program (WRTR) supports teachers by repaying their post-secondary student loans. To be eligible, teachers must have a valid five-year Mississippi educator’s license and carry outstanding student loans. Participants can receive up to three annual repayment awards, if they work full-time as a teacher or librarian in a state public school district.

Montana

If you practice medicine in rural (or underserved) Montana, its Rural Physician Incentive Program offers up to $150,000 in loan repayment over five years, with payments starting lower and gradually increasing throughout the qualifying service period.

Nebraska

The Nebraska Loan Repayment Program for Rural Health Professionals provides repayment assistance to healthcare professionals who commit to practicing in healthcare shortage areas for up to four years. To qualify, applicants must be fully licensed and have completed their residency by the start of the repayment contract. Funding ranges from $180,000 to $200,000 for doctors and dentists and $90,000 to $100,000 for other healthcare professionals.

Nevada

The Nevada Health Service Corps is for professionals with unrestricted DEA certificates who agree to serve an assigned community for approximately two years. Awards are based on individual evaluations and available funding each cycle.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire’s State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) offers loan repayment support to healthcare professionals who agree to work in underserved areas of the state. Participants must commit to a contract for at least three years full-time or two years part-time. The distribution of funds depends on the availability of designated SLRP funding in the state budget for each fiscal year.

New Jersey

The Primary Care Practitioner Loan Redemption Program of New Jersey is for health professionals committing to a shortage area for two to four years. Participants may receive up to $120,000.

New York

The New York State Nursing Faculty Forgiveness Incentive Program is for registered nurses who are state residents, hold a master’s degree or doctorate, and work as nursing faculty members or adjunct clinical faculty providing instruction at a nursing school in the state. The program offers up to $8,000 per year, with a maximum of $40,000 over five years of service.

New Mexico

New Mexico’s Public Service Law Loan Repayment Program is for attorneys who commit to public service employment in New Mexico, provided they agree to a three-year obligation. The program offers up to $7,200 annually, but your eligibility may be affected if you make more than $75,000 a year.

North Carolina

The Forgivable Education Loans for Service (FELS) program provides forgivable loans to students committed to working in North Carolina shortage areas. Graduates can apply for loan forgiveness by completing one year of full-time qualified employment per year of funding received, or two years of part-time work for each year of funding. Loan forgiveness must be completed within ten years, and all worksites must be approved.

North Dakota

The North Dakota Dental Loan Repayment Program offers loan repayment assistance to dentists working in shortage areas and underserved communities. Priority is given to those with dental specialties or who work in pediatric dentistry. Eligible dentists must hold a North Dakota license, work full-time directly with patients, and meet specific requirements if working within 15 miles of a large city. The program provides up to $100,000 in loan repayment.

Ohio

Ohio offers a Veterinary Medical Licensing Board Student Loan Repayment Program for practitioners of large animal medicine, public health-related veterinary services, or law enforcement-related veterinary services. The program offers $10,000 per year, with a maximum benefit of $20,000.

Oklahoma

The Physician/Community Match Loan Program supports primary care physicians who commit to serving in rural and underserved areas of Oklahoma for at least two years. Rather than directly paying off existing loans, participants receive a loan up-front, which is forgiven as they fulfill their service commitment. These funds (up to $40,000) can be used to cover student loans.

Oregon

The Oregon Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program is for professionals across various health fields who commit to serving underserved communities for at least three years. Full-time providers can receive an award of up to 50 percent of their qualifying debt balance, with a maximum of $50,000 per year, while part-time providers can receive up to 25% of their debt, with a maximum of $25,000.

Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania Bar Foundation’s IOLTA Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) helps attorneys at IOLTA-funded legal services organizations manage their student loan debt and stay in public service. Loan amounts vary based on funding and the number of qualified applicants.

Rhode Island

The state’s Commerce Corporation Wavemaker Fellowship is for workers in various fields. It offers $6,000 annually for Fellows with a graduate degree and up to $4,000 for undergraduates, with support available for up to four years. The benefit is provided as an annual tax credit.

South Carolina

South Carolina Teacher Loan Forgiveness is available to teachers who teach in critical subject areas or underserved geographic locations. Loan forgiveness is granted at 20 percent or $3,000 per year of teaching in a critical subject or geographic area. If teaching in both, forgiveness is 33 ⅓ percent or $5,000 annually.

South Dakota

Delta Dental of South Dakota’s Loan Repayment for Service Program designed to assist dentists with their student loans. This program offers up to $100,000 in repayment support for those who commit to treating a specified percentage of Medicaid patients in their practice. Alternatively, dentists can fulfill their commitment by seeing Medicaid patients through a combination of their practice and Delta’s Mobile Dental Program.

Tennessee

The Tennessee State Loan Repayment Program is designed for health professionals who have worked in a health professional shortage area for at least two years. It offers up to $50,000 for the initial two-year commitment and an additional $20,000 per year.

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Texas

The Texas Mental Health Professionals Loan Repayment Program provides loan repayment awards ranging from $10,000 to $160,000 for eligible mental health professionals working in shortage areas and serving patients under a medical assistance program. Award amounts vary based on specialty.

Utah

Utah’s Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance Program (HCWFAP) offers repayment support to healthcare professionals who agree to work in the state’s underserved areas. Participants must commit to a three-year service term, with their practice site required to contribute 20 percent of the awarded amount.

Vermont

The Vermont Educational Loan Repayment for Health Care Professionals covers healthcare professionals who commit to working in shortage areas for typically between 12 and 24 months. It provides up to $20,000 per year, depending on available funding.

Virginia

The Virginia State Loan Repayment Program (VA-SLRP) supports those in medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy roles working in shortage areas. Eligible participants can receive up to $140,000 in loan forgiveness, with a service commitment ranging from two to four years.

Washington

Healthcare professionals applying for a State Health Professional Loan Repayment Program (HPLRP) must agree to work at least three years with a minimum of 24 hours per week at an eligible site. Award amounts can reach up to $75,000.

West Virginia

Teachers and counselors working in high-need areas of West Virginia can apply for the  Underwood-Smith Teacher Scholarship Loan Assistance Program.  The program requires a two-year commitment, with recipients eligible for up to $3,000 a year. After fulfilling the initial commitment, the award can be renewed based on continued eligibility and available funds, with a total maximum of $15,000.

Wisconsin

The Health Professions Loan Assistance Program (HPLAP) supports qualified healthcare professionals in Wisconsin with up to $50,000 in loan repayment. To qualify, professionals must work full-time in an outpatient setting located in an eligible shortage area and commit to a three-year service term.

Wyoming

The goal of the Wyoming State Loan Repayment Program (WY-SLRP) is to retain primary care, dental, and mental health providers in shortage areas. The program offers up to $50,000 in loan repayment for two years of full-time service at approved National Health Service Corps (NHSC) sites.

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