Student Loan Forgiveness Options for Connecticut Residents

Connecticut is one of a handful of states that has no student loan forgiveness programs specific to state residents. All isn’t lost, though. Connecticut residents qualify for all the non-state-specific student loan forgiveness programs available elsewhere in the country. Here’s an overview.

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

Long-touted as a way for people in lower-paying public service jobs to pay off their loans, this program has been plagued with problems.

Ideally, you’re supposed to get your student loans forgiven after you’ve made 120 qualifying payments (which takes about 10 years) and work for a qualifying employer.

But recent reports have uncovered that 99% of applicants have been denied coverage.

The government has introduced a program meant to give some borrowers a second chance; the funds for that are first-come, first-serve.

See also: Breaking: 99% of People Who Apply for Student Loan Forgiveness Get Denied 

The fallout for this is still going on, and the future of this program is yet to be determined. If you’re already committed to a public service career and are ready to jump through the hoops, go ahead and apply. But be sure to cross all your i’s and dot your t’s.

See also: 9 Ways People Accidentally Sabotage Student Loan Forgiveness  

Income-Driven Repayment

This consists of four different repayment programs you can enroll your federal student loans in. Each one has slightly different terms, but the gist is that you reduce your monthly payment to a percentage of your disposable income—between 10 and 20%.

This program has its own pitfalls—most notably that it can reduce your payments so much that they don’t even cover the interest, so your loans actually grow while you’re paying them. So, you know, keep that in mind.

But the upside is that after you’ve made payments for 20-25 years (depending on the program), your federal student loans get forgiven. 

See also: A Beginner’s Guide to Income-Driven Repayment Plans

Career-based student loan forgiveness

There are several national-level loan forgiveness programs aimed at getting people in certain professions to work in high-needs areas. Here’s a few:

• The Veterinarian Medical Loan Repayment Program:  Work for three years in a shortage area and get as much as $25,000 per year toward your vet-school debt.

• The Herbert S. Garten Loan Repayment Assistance Program: This is a lottery system that offers up to $5,600 in grants to attorneys who work with the program’s grantees. 

• Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program:  Earn up to $17,500 toward your federal loans if you teach for five years in a low-income school district.

• National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Programs:  Earn up to $35,000 per year by committing to conduct research held in high priority by the NIH.

Military student loan forgiveness

There are numerous student loan forgiveness programs for members of the military. These include:

• The Army Loan Repayment Program. Serve for three years and meet other qualifications, and you could get up to $65,000 paid toward your loans.

• Army Reserve College Loan Repayment Program. Get up to $50,000 toward your loans if you serve in a specific specialty for a minimum of six years.

• Iraq-Afghanistan Service Grant. If you had a parent in the military who died during service in Iraq or Afghanistan, you could earn up to $6,095—the maximum Pell Grant amount for that year.

• Health Professions Student Loan Repayment Program. Healthcare professionals who enlist can get up to $120,000 in exchange for about three years of service (depending on the profession).

• Other student loan forgiveness programs for the National Guard, the Navy, and the Air Force JAG program.

Want a more complete list? Check out the ultimate list of grants to pay off student loans. 

Looking for other ways to reduce your student loan debt? Check out Refi Ready—and see how much you could save by refinancing.