Who It’s For: Borrowers whose signature was forged or their personal information was used without permission resulting in a loan fraudulently made in their name. How to Apply: Fill out the forgery discharge application and send it to your servicer. You may also need to…

Who It’s For: Students who attended school for a course of study that they could not benefit from due to a pre-existing status or condition, which the school was aware of when they accepted the loan. (For example: if a…

Borrower Defense to Loan Repayment Who It’s For: Students who can demonstrate that their school willfully misled them or otherwise violated certain state laws in order to trick them into attending. How to Apply: Either apply online or fill out…

Who It’s For: Borrowers who believe that an employee of the school that determined their eligibility for the loan signed their name on the promissory note or other loan documents without their authorization.. How to Apply: Fill out the false…

Who It’s For: People who have worked full-time in a qualifying public service job for at least ten years while simultaneously making qualifying monthly payments. How to Apply: Sign up for a qualifying payment plan; in most cases this means…

Who It’s For: Students who were given loans for higher education despite failure to provide any proof they were prepared to begin their college studies, such as a high school diploma or GED. How to Apply: Fill out the false…

Who It’s For: Students whose school closed down while they were still/recently attending, keeping you from completing your course of study. How to Apply: Fill out the closed school discharge form and send it to your loan servicer. What Loans…

Who It’s For: People who have declared Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy, and whose loans have been deemed an “undue hardship” by the bankruptcy court. How to Apply: You need to file an “adversary proceeding” in bankruptcy court to…

Who It’s For: People who are medically unable to work for the foreseeable future (at least five years). How to Apply: You can apply online at https://studentaid.gov/tpd-discharge. There is also a paper application available. What Loans Qualify: Any federal student…

Who It’s For: Borrowers who sign up for one of the income-driven payment plans (such as income-based repayment, income-contingent repayment, Pay As You Earn, or REPAYE) and make eligible on-time payments for an extended period of time. This usually means…

Who It’s For: People who work in various public service jobs, such as teaching, nursing, or law enforcement. You can find a list of possible qualifying jobs here. How to Apply: Contact your school or, if applicable, your school’s Perkins…

Who It’s For: Deceased borrowers, or the borrower of a Parent PLUS loan that benefits a deceased student. How to Apply: Send proof of death to the servicer on the loan in question. What Loans Qualify: Any federal student loan…

Who It’s For: Highly qualified federal employees, at the discretion of their employing agency. How to Apply: Contact your federal employer to find out if you are eligible for this program. If so, you will need to agree to a…

Who It’s For: AmeriCorps participants who have completed an approved term of service. How to Apply: You should be able to access the award through the My AmeriCorps Portal. What Loans Qualify: Most federal loans and state-funded loans, although Parent…

Who It’s For: Students who withdrew from a course of study early enough that they were entitled to a refund on some amount of their federal loans, but who never received the refund in question. How to Apply: Fill out…