Loan Forgiveness: A State-by-State Guide

Student loan forgiveness is an option for some types of federal student loans, offering a beacon of hope for those pursuing specific public service-focused careers or long-term volunteer work.

You may choose to pursue a loan forgiveness program in 2020 because your career lines up with the program’s requirements. Conversely, you may choose this option because you have many student loans and are looking for different approaches to paying the loans back.

Loan forgiveness programs do not apply to private student loans, but most graduates have a combination of federal and private student loans. Pursuing loan forgiveness can help to alleviate your federal student loans and decrease your overall debt.

You may find different loan forgiveness options depending on which state you live in. Keep reading to learn about student loan forgiveness programs for each state in the United States. 

2020 Student Loan Forgiveness Options in Each State

This guide will help you understand which states offer student debt forgiveness and which options are best for your needs.

• Alabama: The southern state of Alabama has no state-specific student loan repayment programs; however, a debt relief company called Golden Financial Services offers tips for Alabama residents looking for federal student loan forgiveness.
  
• Alaska: This state has a generous set of student loan forgiveness programs for healthcare professionals, which is one method Alaska uses to attract people working in this profession. The SHARP-I Health Care Professions Loan Repayment and Incentive Program forgives loans for doctors and health care staff. Award amounts are split between two tiers based on position, with positions that are considered “very hard to fill” receiving more money.
  
  If you are not a health care professional in Alaska, you can contact the Alaska Commission on Post-Secondary Education (ACPE) for help with federal student loan forgiveness.
  
• Arizona: This southwestern state has three student loan forgiveness programs:
  
  1. Primary Care Provider Loan Repayment Program (PCPLRP) and Rural Private Primary Care Provider Loan Repayment Program (RPPCPLR): This program forgives between $4,000 and $50,000 per year based on profession, amount of time contracted, and need.
  2. Math, Science, Special Education Teacher Loan Forgiveness: This is for teachers in the fields of math, science, and special education.
  3. Joyce Holsey’s Arizona’s Legal Legacy (ALL) Loan Repayment Assistance Program: This is for legal aid attorneys working for approved nonprofit organizations.
     
• Arkansas: There are two unique loan forgiveness programs for Arkansas residents:
   
  1. State Teacher Education Program (STEP): This is for applicants who graduated from a teacher education program after April 2004 and teach in a public school district during the award year. Teachers can receive up to $4,000 per year.
  2. Out-Of-State Veterinary Medical Education Loan Repayment Program: This program helps repay federal loans for up to five years for graduates of the Mississippi State College of Veterinary Medicine who moved to Arkansas to work with food supply animals.
     
• California: This western state is one of the largest by landmass and by population, so there are dozens of postsecondary schools serving residents. With a strong focus on education, California also offers many student loan forgiveness programs.
  
  The largest is the California State Loan Repayment Program (CSLRP), offering up to $50,000 in loan forgiveness for those working in health care who are committed to working in underserved areas for two to four years.
  
• Colorado: This Rocky Mountain State offers three student loan forgiveness programs:
  
  1. Colorado Health Service Corps: This forgives up to $90,000 in student debt for those healthcare practitioners in certain nonprofits or underserved areas.
  2. University of Denver Sturm College of Law Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP): This is for Denver law alumni who work in law fields for the public interest. One marker is that the lawyer makes less than $75,000.
  3. Colorado’s Law Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP): This program offers forgiveness of up to $5,500 per year for those doing qualified legal work for underserved populations.
     
• Connecticut: There are no student loan forgiveness programs specific to this New England state, but students with federal loans can use federal forgiveness options to alleviate some of their debt.
  
• Delaware: This small state offers one loan forgiveness program for state residents. The Delaware State Loan Repayment Program (LRP) encourages more health care practitioners to enter primary care, dentistry, and mental health care, especially in chronically underserved areas. Delaware forgives up to $100,000 of student loan debt.
  
• Florida: The Sunshine State offers two loan forgiveness programs:
   
  1. Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness Program: This program forgives up to $4,000 every year for four years, encouraging qualified nurses to seek employment in areas of the state where critical nursing shortages exist.
  2. Loan Repayment Assistance Program for Lawyers: This forgives up to $5,000 per year for lawyers working in legal aid and legal service organizations.
     
• Georgia: This southern state has one student loan forgiveness program for Georgia residents: the Physicians for Rural Areas Assistance Program, which forgives up to $25,000 of debt annually, for a total of $100,000 over four years. This was designed for physicians who agree to practice in rural areas of Georgia, with underserved populations.
  
• Hawaii: The most recent addition to the U.S., this Pacific Island state offers one loan forgiveness program to Hawaiian residents. The Hawaii State Loan Repayment Program (LRP) forgives various amounts of debt for primary care physicians who agree to provide services to underserved parts of Hawaii.
  
• Idaho: This western state offers one student loan forgiveness program: the Idaho State Loan Repayment Program (LRP), which provides a variable amount of financial help for medical practitioners across disciplines who agree to live and work in Idaho and help underserved areas.
  
• Illinois: This midwestern state offers four student loan repayment or forgiveness programs:
  
  1. Illinois Teachers Loan Repayment Program: This program forgives up to $5,000 for academically talented Illinois postsecondary students to teach in low-income areas across the state.
  2. John R. Justice Student Loan Repayment Program: This program offers up to $4,000 each year for a possible total of $60,000 in loan forgiveness. It helps state and federal public defenders and prosecutors who keep working with those in need for up to three years.
  3. Nurse Educator Loan Repayment Program: This program gives qualified nurses who teach in their field up to $5,000 per year for up to four years.
  4. Veterans Home Nurse Loan Repayment Program: This program offers up to $5,000 annually for up to four years to nurses who work in the State of Illinois veterans’ homes.
     
• Indiana: The state offers one loan forgiveness program: the Honorable Richard M. Givan Loan Repayment Assistance Program. It offers a range of financial forgiveness for attorneys who would not otherwise be able to accept certain public good positions due to the salary.
  
• Iowa: This midwestern state offers an impressive four student loan forgiveness or repayment options:
  
  1. Teach Iowa Scholars: This program forgives up to $4,000 annually for up to five years for those who teach in designated teacher shortage areas in the state.
  2. Rural Iowa Primary Loan Repayment Program: This forgives up to $200,000 for qualifying participants who address critical doctor shortages in rural Iowa communities.
  3. Rural Iowa RN and PA Loan Repayment Program: This forgives up to $20,000 for physician assistants and registered nurses who work in rural Iowa communities.
  4. Health Professionals Recruitment Program (HPRP): This forgives up to $100,000 for graduates of Iowa’s DO, DPM, DPT, and physician assistant programs.
     
• Kansas: This state offers three generous loan forgiveness programs to incentivize intelligent graduates to live and work in Kansas:
  
  1. Rural Opportunity Zones Student Loan Repayment Program: This can forgive up to $15,000 for recent graduates who want to become full-time residents in the state.
  2. Kansas State Loan Repayment Program: This forgives up to $25,000 per year for doctors and other medical professionals who stay in Kansas and meet the needs of underserved populations.
  3. Kansas Bridging Plan: This can remove up to $26,000 in student debt for physicians in Kansas residency programs for family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, or medicine/pediatrics.
     
• Kentucky: There is one student loan repayment option, the Kentucky State Loan Repayment Program, founded in 2003. This program helps to retain high-quality physicians in the state who work in rural areas with underserved populations. Kentucky forgives between $20,000 and $80,000 of debt, depending on where you work and the medical profession you work in.
  
• Louisiana: There are three loan forgiveness programs for Louisiana graduates:
  
  1. Louisiana State Loan Repayment Program​: This program encourages the retention of primary health care providers who serve areas with few medical professionals.
  2. John R. Justice Student Loan Repayment Program: This is similar to Illinois’s legal aid program, except Louisiana offers to remove up to $20,000 from eligible outstanding loans.
  3. Louisiana Bar Foundation Loan Repayment Assistance Program: This is for full-time bar members making less than $50,000 per year while working 35 hours per week or more. They must also work at qualifying legal nonprofits.
     
• Maine: The northernmost state in the U.S. has five loan assistance or repayment programs:
  
  1. Educators of Maine: This forgives one year’s loan total for each year of service as a full-time teacher or childcare provider, including speech pathologists.
  2. Maine Health Professions Loan Program Forgiveness: This program cancels a variable amount of student debt for physicians who live and work in rural or underserved areas of the state.
  3. Maine Veterinary Medicine Loan Program Forgiveness: This is for students who began studying veterinary medicine after 2011, who remain in the state and work in underserved areas needing veterinary services.
  4. Maine Dental Education Loan Repayment Program: This removes up to 25% of student debt for those who work in dental medicine in underserved areas.
  5. Maine Bar Foundation Loan Repayment Assistance Program: This forgives up to $3,000 per year in law student debt for lawyers who work in public service.
      
• Maryland: Three student loan forgiveness programs incentivize recent graduates to remain in Maryland:
  
  1. Maryland SmartBuy Home Buyer Assistance & Forgiveness Program: This is an innovative loan forgiveness program that encourages graduates to buy houses. If you, the home buyer, have at least 5% of the house down payment, you can get up to 15% of the home’s purchase price removed from your student loan debt.
  2. Janet L. Hoffman Loan Assistance Repayment Program (LARP): This forgives a variable amount for Maryland residents and college graduates who work in nonprofit or public services benefitting-low income or underserved Maryland residents.
  3. Maryland Dent-Care Loan Assistance Repayment Program: This can remove up to $23,740 of student debt for dental specialists for three years of work with the state’s vulnerable populations.
      
• Massachusetts: This New England state offers one loan forgiveness program, the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program for Health Professionals​, which removes up to $50,000 in student debt for primary health care professionals working in dental, medical, and mental health fields.
  
• Michigan: This midwestern industrial state offers two student loan forgiveness programs:
  
  1. Michigan State Loan Repayment Program: This can forgive up to $200,000 for graduates of medical programs who stay in the state and work in dental, medical, and mental health services. 
  2. John R. Justice Student Loan Repayment Program: As administered in Michigan, this will forgive up to $60,000 of student debt total, or $10,000 per year, for lawyers serving needy populations.
     
• Minnesota: This state is the most generous in terms of student loan forgiveness programs, offering ten options for help with student debt:

• Minnesota Rural Physician Loan Forgiveness Program​
• Minnesota Urban Physician Loan Forgiveness Program
• Minnesota Rural Mid Level Practitioner Loan Forgiveness Program
• Minnesota Nurse Loan Forgiveness Program
• Allied Health Care Faculty or Nurse Faculty Minnesota Loan Forgiveness Program
• Minnesota Rural Pharmacist Loan Forgiveness Program
• Minnesota Dentist Loan Forgiveness Program
• Minnesota State Loan Repayment Program
• Minnesota Loan Repayment Assistance Program for Law
• Dedicated to Minnesota Dental Program Loan Repayment

Each of these loans encourages medical and legal professionals to stay in Minnesota after graduation by forgiving variable amounts annually. In some cases, the program forgives up to $25,000 in student debt. 

• Mississippi: There is one student loan forgiveness program for Mississippi graduates and residents, the Mississippi Teacher Loan Repayment Program,​ which incentivizes teachers to stay in the state and work with public school students in underserved areas.
  
• Missouri: There are two student debt forgiveness programs for Missouri residents:
  
  1. PRIMO Student Loan Program: This program gives forgivable loans to students in health care training programs that will lead to licensure in the state.
  2. Missouri Health Professional State Loan Repayment Program: This eases student debt for qualifying health care professionals who agree to be licensed and work in Missouri.
     
• Montana: This large western state offers three loan forgiveness programs:
  
  1. Quality Educator Loan Assistance Program​: This forgives up to $5,000 every year for four years and helps to keep high-quality educators in Montana working in impacted schools.
  2. Montana Rural Physician Incentive Program: This program encourages physicians to stay and work in Montana in underserved areas, including rural areas, by forgiving up to $150,000 in debt.
  3. Montana Institutional Nursing Incentive Program: This is a loan reimbursement program for registered professional nurses who work in Montana state prisons or state hospitals.
     
• Nebraska: This large midwestern state offers one student debt forgiveness program, the Nebraska Student Loan Repayment Program, which forgives up to $200,000 of student loan debt for qualifying health care professionals in all medical fields who work with underserved Nebraska populations.
  
• Nevada: There is one student loan forgiveness program in Nevada, the Nevada Health Service Corps, which was established in 1989 to send qualified clinical physicians to areas in need across the state.

• New Hampshire: Two student loan forgiveness programs in New Hampshire incentivize graduates to stay and work in the state:
  
  1. New Hampshire State Loan Repayment Program​: This forgives up to $75,000 in student debt for health care professionals who work with needy populations.
  2. New Hampshire Bar Foundation Loan Forgiveness Program: This eliminates a variable amount of student debt to help legal service providers recruit and maintain a diverse set of highly qualified attorneys.
     
• New Jersey: This New England state offers three student debt forgiveness options:
  
  1. John R. Justice Federal Student Loan Redemption Program​: This offers variable amounts of law student debt forgiveness administered through New Jersey. 
  2. Primary Care Physician and Dentist Loan Redemption Program: This program forgives up to $120,000 in student debt for medical professionals who work for two to four years in medically underserved areas of New Jersey.
  3. Nursing Faculty Loan Redemption Program: Like the physician and dentist program, this program removes some student debt in exchange for qualified nurses working in medically underserved areas of New Jersey.
     
• New Mexico: Like many states, the southwestern state of New Mexico offers three student debt forgiveness programs:
  
  1. Health Professional Loan Repayment Program​: This repays up to $25,000 per year for practicing health care professionals who serve medically needy populations for a minimum of two years.
  2. John R. Justice Loan Repayment Program: As administered by New Mexico, this program forgives up to $8,300 per year, with a maximum of $60,000.
  3. Public Service Law Loan Repayment Program: This can forgive up to $7,200 every year for legal experts who assist in public service programs in government or nonprofit programs serving those in need.
     
• New York: As a densely populated state with several educational institutions, New York offers nine student loan forgiveness programs:
  
  1. District Attorney and Indigent Legal Services Attorney Loan Forgiveness Program​
  2. NYS Licensed Social Worker Loan Forgiveness Program
  3. Nursing Faculty Loan Forgiveness Incentive Program
  4. New York State Young Farmers Loan Forgiveness Incentive Program
  5. Regents Physician Loan Forgiveness Award Program
  6. Albany Law School Loan Repayment Assistance Program
  7. Physician Loan Repayment – Qualified Educational Loan Repayment
  8. New York City Loan Forgiveness Program
  9. Steven C. Krane Loan Assistance for the Public Interest Program

These loans vary in how much debt they forgive, but totals range from up to $4,000 per year to up to $150,000 in total. 

• North Carolina: This southern state, famous for the Research Triangle of postsecondary educational institutions, offers three loan forgiveness programs:
  
  1. Forgivable Education Loans for Service​ (FELS): Established in 2011, this program offers loan forgiveness to students studying for careers in critical employment shortage areas of North Carolina.
  2. North Carolina State Loan Repayment Program: This forgives up to $50,000 for medical professionals committed to working in mental health professions in particular.
  3. NC LEAF Loan Assistance Repayment Program: This provides forgivable loans to public interest attorneys who have the least ability to repay their law school debt.
     
• North Dakota: As of 2020, North Dakota’s legislature removed all state-based student loan forgiveness programs.
  
• Ohio: There are two student loan forgiveness programs in this midwestern state:
  
  1. John R. Justice Loan Repayment Program: This forgives up to $1,054 for law students in Ohio.
  2. ​Ohio Dental Loan Repayment Program: This forgives a variable amount of student debt for dentists who remain in Ohio and practice in underserved areas.
     
• Oklahoma: This is one of the many states offering three student debt relief programs geared toward keeping medical professionals in Oklahoma after they graduate:
  
  1. Oklahoma Medical Loan Repayment Program: This repays up to $160,000 in student debt for licensed primary care physicians who agree to establish a practice in an appointed community.
  2. Oklahoma Dental Loan Repayment Program: This forgives at least $25,000 per year for qualified dentists who work with underserved metropolitan and rural populations.
  3. Physician/Community Match Loan: This program forgives up to $50,000 for physicians who establish a practice in a needy rural Oklahoma area.
     
     
• Oregon: This state provides two student loan forgiveness options:
  
  1. Health Care Provider Incentive Program: This cancels up to $35,000 annually on half (50%) of a qualifying loan balance to encourage doctors and medical professionals to set up practices in underserved parts of the state.
  2. Oregon State Bar Loan Repayment Assistance Program: This eliminates up to $7,500 every year for up to three years, as long as the law school graduate practices public service law, which can be a financial loss for attorneys.

• Pennsylvania: One of the original 13 colonies, Pennsylvania currently offers two student loan forgiveness programs:
  
  1. Pennsylvania Primary Care Loan Repayment Program​: This forgives up to $100,000 of student debt for medical professionals serving Pennsylvania’s neediest groups.
  2. Pennsylvania Bar Foundation – PA IOLTA Board Loan Repayment Assistance Program: This offers a variable amount of financial help for attorneys who want to work in public assistance firms or nonprofits.
     
• Rhode Island: The smallest state offers three student loan forgiveness programs:
  
  1. Primary Care Practitioner Loan Forgiveness Program: This forgives up to $80,000 for physicians and other medical professionals who stay in Rhode Island and meet the health care needs of the state’s underserved populations.
  2. Health Professional Loan Repayment Program: This encourages providers of health care services to stay in the state through student debt reduction.
  3. The Wavemaker Fellowship: This is a redeemable tax credit in Rhode Island with a maximum limit of $6,000 for graduate degree holders, $4,000 for bachelor’s degree holders, and $1,000 for associate’s degree holders who pursued a career in technology, engineering, design, or other key sectors
     
• South Carolina: This southern state provides one student loan forgiveness option, the Public Interest Law Loan Forgiveness Fund (PILLFF), which offers financial help to graduates of the University of South Carolina’s School of Law who work in public interest law.
  
• Tennessee: There are no student loan forgiveness programs offered through Tennessee.
  
• Texas: Like California, Texas is a large state by both landmass and population, so there are several postsecondary institutions providing education to residents. There are also nine student loan forgiveness programs:
  
  1. Border County Doctoral Faculty Education Loan Repayment Program​
  2. Loan Repayment Program for Speech-Language Pathologist and Audiologists
  3. Nursing Faculty Loan Repayment Assistance Program
  4. Physician Education Loan Repayment Program
  5. St. David’s Foundation Public Health Corps Loan Repayment Program
  6. Teach for Texas Loan Repayment Assistance Program
  7. Texas Student Loan Repayment Assistance Program
  8. Educational Loan Repayment Program for Attorneys Employed by the Office of the Attorney General
  9. Texas Student Loan Repayment Assistance Program

These programs forgive anywhere from $2,500 to up to $160,000 in student debt accrued from various levels of education. Programs are designed to encourage legal specialists, medical professionals, and teachers to stay in Texas and work for the public good. 

• Utah: There are no student loan forgiveness or debt relief options at the state level.
  
• Vermont: This picturesque state in New England offers five student loan forgiveness programs:
  
  1. Vermont Educational Loan Program for Primary Care Practitioners​
  2. Vermont Educational Loan Program for Nurses
  3. Vermont Educational Loan Program for Dentists
  4. Vermont Educational Loan Repayment for Nurse Educators/Faculty
  5. Vermont Bar Foundation Loan Repayment Assistance Program

By reducing student debt for medical professionals and attorneys, Vermont encourages more professionals to stay in Vermont after they graduate and offer services to needy populations in rural or urban areas. 

• Virginia: This southern state offers three student debt relief programs:
  
  1. Virginia State Loan Repayment Program: This program removes some student debt from medical professionals to encourage them to remain in the state and practice for a few years.
  2. Virginia Loan Forgiveness Program: This program alleviates some student debt from lawyers who remain in Virginia and serve needy populations.
  3. LSC Loan Repayment Assistance Program: This program forgives up to $5,600 per year for up to three years. It focuses on recruiting and retaining qualified attorney staff.
     
     
• Washington: There is one student debt forgiveness program in this state. The Health Professional Loan Repayment Program can alleviate $35,000 in student loans per year for two years. This forgiveness program encourages Washington graduates in the medical profession to stay in the state and work with underserved populations.
  
• West Virginia: The state famous for coal mining currently has no student loan forgiveness programs.
  
• Wisconsin: The Cheese State has one student loan forgiveness program, the Health Professions Loan Assistance Program. This can relieve $100,000 of student debt for medical professionals in all fields who stay in the state and set up a practice.
  
• Wyoming: This large midwestern state, famous for its scenic beauty, offers two student debt forgiveness programs:
  
  1. Wyoming Healthcare Professional Loan Repayment Program: This can forgive up to $30,000 per year for three years of service. It encourages medical professionals in any field to stay in Wyoming and serve needy groups. 
     
     While the program still exists, it is not currently funded through 2020. It may be renewed with funding after that.
     
  2. Wyoming Veterinary Loan Repayment Program: Like the Healthcare Professionals Program, this program forgives up to $30,000 per year for three years of service in veterinary medicine focused on food animals.

Student Debt Can Be Eliminated Through Several Means

The goal of many state-based student loan forgiveness and cancellation programs is to encourage specific professionals to stay and work in the state, helping to build the economy, support children through their education, ensure a healthy population, and bring other benefits.

If a state you reside in does not offer student loan forgiveness directly through state programs, you can still qualify for federal forgiveness options or find financial assistance while you are in school.