Wondering whether you can get your federal student loans forgiven for your service as a teacher? 
Learn about the forgiveness program to see whether you qualify. Under the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program , if you teach full - time for five complete and consecutive academic years in a low - income school or educational service agency, and meet other qualifications , you may be eligible for forgiveness of up to $17,500 on your Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans and your Subsidized and Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans. If you have a Direct Consolidation Loan or a Federal Consolidation Loan , you may be eligible for forgiveness of the outstanding portion of the consolidation loan that repaid an eligible Direct Subsidized Loan, Direct Unsubsidized Loan, Subsidized Federal Stafford Loan, or Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan. 

What are the eligibility requirements? 
You must not have had an outstanding balance on Direct Loans or Federal Family Education Loan FFEL Program loans as of Oct. 1 , 1998, or on the date that you obtained a Direct Loan or FFEL Program loan after Oct. 1 , 1998. You must have been employed as a full - time, highly qualified teacher for five complete and consecutive academic years , and at least one of those years must have been after the 1997 98 academic year. You must have been employed at an elementary school, secondary school, or educational service agency that serves low - income students a " low - income school or educational service agency ". The loan for which you are seeking forgiveness must have been made before the end of your five academic years of qualifying teaching service. 

Teaching for Less Than a Complete Academic Year 
If you were unable to complete a full academic year of teaching , that year may still be counted toward the required five complete and consecutive academic years if you completed at least one - half of the academic year ; and your employer considers you to have fulfilled your contract requirements for t

user: I need to know if I'm teaching at a low-income school or educational service agency, please

assistant: The school or educational services agency must be listed in the Teacher Cancellation  Low Income (TCLI) Directory, published each year by the US Department of Education.

assistant: Have you found out if your school or educational services agency is classified as low income?

user: Not yet

assistant: Is the TCLI Directory available before May 1?

user: No, just after May 1

user: What if I am applying for forgiveness of loans that are with different loan servicers?

assistant: In that case, you must submit a separate form to each of them

user: I have taeaching full time for eight complete and consecutive academic years in a low-income school, am I eligible?

assistant: Yes, you may be eligible for forgiveness of up to $ 17,500 on your Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans and your Subsidized and Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans

user: Can I receive loan forgiveness under both the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program?

assistant: Yes, You can potentially receive forgiveness under both the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program , but not for the same period of teaching service.
Any payments you made on your Direct Loans during that five - year period can not be counted toward the required 120 monthly payments for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program