7 Jobs That Qualify for Student Loan Forgiveness

If you have student loan debt, you might qualify for a forgiveness or repayment assistance program that could ease your financial burden. Regardless of whether you're a doctor, nurse, veterinarian, teacher, lawyer, member of the military, or volunteer, let's explore career-based student loan forgiveness options that may provide a path to debt relief.

 

 

**National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program**

 

Healthcare providers have several student loan forgiveness options available to them through various government programs at both the federal and state levels. Offered by the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program assists healthcare providers—such as physicians , dentists, behavioral health professionals, and nurses—who work in underserved areas with repaying their medical school loans.

 

As an incentive to bring advanced training and skills to areas lacking adequate healthcare access, participants receive financial assistance to reduce their student debt. This program aims to improve healthcare access for vulnerable populations across the United States. Use the list below to learn about additional student loan forgiveness opportunities through HRSA:

 

 

 

**Student Loan Forgiveness Programs for Nurses**

 

Nurses may have various student loan forgiveness options available to them, depending on factors such as their specialty, employment type, and geographic location. This guide highlights the Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program, a popular initiative from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) . For a comprehensive overview of student loan forgiveness programs for nurses, visit our resource, "How Nurses Can Get Student Loan Forgiveness."

 

**Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program**

 

The Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program is designed for qualifying registered nurses, nurse practitioners, and nurse faculty working in underserved communities. This program offers up to 85% of their student loan balance paid off within three years.

 

**Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP)**

 

In addition to healthcare providers, veterinarians working in rural or underserved areas may also qualify for student loan forgiveness. The Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP), offered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), provides repayment assistance to veterinarians serving in regions with a shortage of veterinary professionals. This program is a valuable option for veterinarians dedicated to meeting the needs of underserved communities.

 

**Student Loan Forgiveness Programs for Teachers**

 

Educators have several options for student loan debt relief as well. The Teacher Loan Forgiveness program, for instance, aims to ease the financial burden on teachers working in low-income schools. Eligible teachers can receive up to $17,500 in student loan forgiveness for federal student loans. To qualify, teachers must work full-time in low-income schools or educational service agencies for five consecutive years. Learn more about the qualification criteria for this program here.

 

**Student Loan Forgiveness Programs for Lawyers**

 

Legal professionals in both public and private sectors also have access to forgiveness options. A good starting point for lawyers to explore loan repayment assistance programs (LRAPs) available to them is the American Bar Association's website. Some notable LRAPs designed specifically for lawyers include:

 

 

Volunteer student loan forgiveness

 

If you work as a volunteer at a nonprofit organization, you may have forgiveness opportunities and LRAPs available to you. Start by checking with your organization's benefits administrator. additionally, compensated volunteer and nonprofit work through organizations such as AmeriCorps and Peace Corps qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) – more on that in the next section.

 

Other federal forgiveness programs

Beyond job-specific LRAPs and forgiveness opportunities offered by various government and other organizations, the federal government offers programs such as PSLF, Income Driven Repayment (IDR), and Perkins Loan Cancellation to provide relief to federal student loan borrowers