1. How it Works
People with undergraduate loans, graduate loans, spousal loans, or Parent PLUS & Grad PLUS loans can get up to $20,000 in student debt cancellation.
- The one-time federal student loan debt cancellation is currently not accepting applications.
- Must be a US citizen.
- The debt relief applies only to loan funds you received before June 30, 2022.
- The application will be open until December 31, 2023.
- You will receive a refund for any loan payment you made during the federal payment pause (anytime after March 13, 2020) if:
- you successfully apply for and get debt relief and
- the voluntary payments you made during the pause brought your loan balance below your eligible maximum debt relief amount but did not pay off your loan in full.
- If you paid off your entire loan during the payment pause, contact your servicer for a refund. Once your loans are added back to your student loan balance, you are eligible for cancellation.
- If you paid off your loans before the federal payment pause began (March 13, 2020), you will not receive any loan cancellation.
- Learn more on the Federal Student Aid webpage.
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More ways to get help with this program
Visit the website
Visit the Federal Student Aid website to learn more.
Find more loan forgiveness programs and information on NYC Consumer and Worker Protection.
2. Determine your eligibility
You may receive debt cancellation if you have eligible loans and meet the following income requirements:
| Tax Filing Status | 2020 or 2021 Income |
| Did not file taxes | Made less than required income to file federal taxes |
| Single | Under $125,000 |
| Married, filed taxes separately | Under $125,000 |
| Married, filed taxes jointly | Under $250,000 |
| Head of household | Under $250,000 |
| Qualifying widow(er) | Under $250,000 |
You can get:
- Up to $20,000 in debt cancellation if you have federal student loans and received Pell Grants.
- Up to $10,000 in debt cancellation if you have federal student loans and did not receive Pell Grants.
Cancellation applies to any student loan held by the U.S. Department of Education, including undergraduate loans, graduate loans, spousal loans, Parent PLUS & Grad PLUS loans.
Cancellation does not apply to privately held loans, including privately held Perkins and FFEL loans.
Take a short survey to see if you might be eligible for this or 30 other programs.
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3. How to apply
Here are your options.
Apply online
The one-time federal student loan debt cancellation is currently not accepting applications.
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We can send you a link to this page to help you get back to it when you’re ready.
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