Get Student Loan Forgiveness through These 4 Ways

Delinda Hathcock
4 min readDec 17, 2016

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Student loans can be either an incredible investment in your future, or a burden if not completely deliberated. In the event that you as of now have a student loan or are contemplating to get student loan, you ought to realize that student loans can’t be discharged in bankruptcy (as a rule).

This implies that they will hang on with you forever, unless you repay all of them in full, or on condition that you are really fortunate to qualify for student loan forgiveness programs. In specific situations, all or some portion of your student loan can be written off in loan forgiveness process. To qualify, there are some great options such as doing volunteer work, enrolling in military service, performing practice of medicine in particular communities, or by fulfilling other criteria.

Assuming that you don’t qualify, refinancing of your student debt introduces another window of opportunity to save thousands. The best thing regarding student loan forgiveness, as opposed to other debt, is that the sum forgiven is not regarded as taxable income. Other kinds of student loan discharges are taxable.

Here are top ways through which you can say farewell to your student loans:

Teaching

Students who take up jobs as full-time teachers in an elementary or secondary school that serves low-income households can have a part of their Perkins Loan Program. This program forgives 15 percent of your principle amount in each of the first and second years, 20 percent in each of the third and fourth years, and the residual 30 percent in the fifth year.

Volunteering

While some volunteer work can be felt like a burden, but organizations like VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) is a great way to serve the country. Plus, they offer funds which can be utilized towards relieving your student debt, and it is an incredible way to fall under the student loan forgiveness programs.

Peace Corps — In the event that you volunteer for the Peace Corps, you automatically obtain the deferment of Stafford, Perkins, or Consolidation loans. You can furthermore get partial cancellation of Perkins Loans, contingent upon the years of services that you put in. As of now, you can get 15 percent every year, with a maximum of 70 percent.

AmeriCorps — On condition that you perform 12 months of full-time service, you can get $4,725 towards your student loans.

VISTA — Volunteer work performed for 1,700 hours, gets you a reward of $4,725 towards your student loans.

Perkins Loan Cancellation & Discharge

Did you use Perkins loans to pay for tuition and sundry expenses in College? Well, then the following news is going to make you happy. Borrowers of Perkins loans can have their full debt forgiven after lapse of five years, provided that they fit a certain criteria. The professions that fit the bill for forgiveness are reasonably wide-ranging and comprise anything from a lawyer to a curator, librarian, and even a speech pathologist.

Total and Permanent Disability Discharge

While nobody plans to be incapacitated, it’s great to realize that in case you have an appalling mishap, your student loans could be forgiven. Provided that, you have a condition that keeps you from working which has lasted for over sixty months or is likely to last for over sixty months, then you might qualify to get your student loans discharged.

The Bottom Line

In case you’re experiencing difficulty paying your student loans, it’s critical to search for a workable solution so you don’t default on them. Generally, student loans aren’t dischargeable in Chapter 11, and falling behind on your payments can hurt your credit score and may even prompt wage garnishment.

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