If you re totally and permanently disabled, you may qualify for a discharge of your federal student loans and/or Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant service obligation. 
A total and permanent disability TPD discharge relieves you from having to repay a William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Direct Loan Program loan, a Federal Family Education Loan FFEL Program loan, and/or a Federal Perkins Loan or to complete a TEACH Grant service obligation. To qualify for a TPD discharge , you must complete and submit a TPD discharge application, along with documentation showing that you meet our requirements for being considered totally and permanently disabled, to Nelnet, the servicer that assists the U.S. Department of Education with the TPD discharge process. Note: Throughout this page , the words " we, " " our, " and " us " refer to the U.S. Department of Education. 

How do I show that I qualify for a TPD discharge? 
You can show that you qualify for a TPD discharge by providing documentation from one of three sources : the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VA the Social Security Administration SSA a physician There are specific requirements for each type of supporting documentation that you can submit to show your eligibility. 

VA Documentation 
If you re a veteran , you can qualify for a TPD discharge by providing documentation from the VA that shows you have received a VA disability determination because you 1 have a service - connected disability that is 100 percent disabling; or 2 are totally disabled based on an individual unemployability rating. 

SSA Documentation 
If you re eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income , you can qualify for a TPD discharge if you provide a copy of your SSA notice of award or Benefits Planning Query showing that your next scheduled disability review will be five to seven years or more from the date of your last SSA disability determination. We work with th

user: Do I qualify for a discharge of my federal student loan?

assistant: You can qualify if you are totally or permanently disabled.

assistant: Are you totally and permanently disabled?

user: Yes I am.

assistant: To qualify you must complete and submit a TPD discharge application, along with various documentation.

user: What if I submit VA documentation?

assistant: We will notify you that your obligation has been discharged based on VA documentation.

user: Through the document, who does the term "we", "our", and "us" refer to?

assistant: The US Department of Education.

user: What other documents will I need?

assistant: You will need documents that show that you meet our requirements for being considered totally and permanently disabled.

user: Can I qualify for a TPD discharge by having a doctor certify that I am disabled on an application? 

assistant: Is your disability expected to result in death?

user: Sadly, yes.

assistant: I am terribly sorry to hear that. You can have your doctor certify on the TPD discharge application that you are unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity due to a physical or mental impairment.

user: Does a TPD discharge mean that I won't have to repay my loan back?

assistant: Yes. You will not have to pay your loan back.