For Federal Stafford Loan and Perkins Loan Borrowers:

The government has approved an application and forbearance form for the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program. The Teacher Loan Forgiveness Application is used to evaluate eligibility for up to $5,000 in forgiveness benefits for highly qualified teachers or up to $17,500 for highly qualified mathematics, science, and special education teachers. The Teacher Loan Forgiveness Forbearance form is used to determine forbearance eligibility for borrowers who are completing their teaching service requirements prior to applying for teacher loan forgiveness.

The Teacher Loan Forgiveness Application and the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Forbearance form may be used by -

• Teachers who started their qualified teaching service before October 30, 2004 . These teachers may receive up to $5,000 in loan forgiveness for service as a full-time elementary school teacher who demonstrates knowledge and teaching skills in reading, writing, mathematics, and other areas of the elementary school curriculum or for service as a full-time secondary school teacher teaching in a subject area that is relevant to their academic major;
  
  
  
• Teachers who started their qualified teaching service on or after October 30, 2004 . These teachers may receive up to $5,000 in loan forgiveness for service as a highly qualified, full-time elementary or secondary school teacher, as defined in the application;
  
  
  
• Teachers who started their qualified teaching service on or after October 30, 2004 . These teachers may receive up to $17,500 in loan forgiveness for service as a highly qualified, as defined in the application, full-time mathematics or science teacher in an eligible secondary school or for service as a highly qualified special education teacher; and
  
  
  
• Certain teachers who previously received teacher loan forgiveness under the previous provisions of the law . These teachers may receive loan forgiveness up to the difference between $17,500 and the amount that had previously been forgiven only if the borrower is otherwise eligible and has five complete consecutive years of qualified teaching service that met the definition of a highly qualified full-time mathematics or science teacher in an eligible secondary school or a highly qualified special education teacher.

The Teacher Loan Forgiveness Forbearance form reflects the requirements pertaining to granting forbearance to an eligible borrower who will be performing qualified teaching service and whose loan forgiveness benefit, up to $5,000 or up to $17,500, as applicable, will not satisfy the anticipated outstanding balance at the end of the borrower's fifth year of qualifying teaching service.

You will need to contact your lender to obtain these applications.

For more information, please visit the Department of Education website on Teacher Forgiveness.