In addition to federal teacher loan forgiveness and child-care provider loan forgiveness, loan forgiveness also is available for certain public service occupations through the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program. Some state governments also sponsor student-loan-forgiveness programs for certain occupations or classes of borrowers. Contact your state department of education, higher-education agency or state student-loan secondary market. In addition, some employers offer loan-payment benefits to their employees. Check with your employer’s benefits department for more information.

In rare cases, all or a portion of a Federal Stafford loan, PLUS loan or consolidation loan may be discharged, relieving you of any further obligation to pay that portion of the remaining balance.

For example, your obligation to repay your loans may be discharged if you meet one of the following conditions:

• You die, or the dependent student for whom you obtained a PLUS loan dies.
• You meet or your spouse meets the criteria for total and permanent disability.
• You prove undue hardship in an adversary proceeding before a bankruptcy court.
• You are unable to complete your studies because your school closes.
• Your school falsely certified your eligibility for a loan or failed to make a refund owed to your lender.

If you believe that you qualify for one of these options, contact your lender or loan servicer for more information. You will be asked to submit the appropriate loan-cancellation form and supporting documentation.