A great many educators across Texas rely on student loans to help pay for their education. While these loans can often enable people to pursue careers in education, the payments can be burdensome—especially for those beginning their careers. 

Luckily, a number of resources are available to educators that might ease those burdens. Educators with certain types of student loans may qualify for partial loan forgiveness, deferment, or cancellation benefits. 

Visit the websites below to learn more about various programs and eligibility requirements. 

• Student Loan Forgiveness for Teachers. Every year TEA submits a list of teacher shortage areas by subject matter and a list of designated low-income schools to the U.S. Department of Education. Teachers with certain types of student loans may qualify for partial loan forgiveness, deferment, or cancellation benefits.
• Federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program. To be eligible for this program, your school must be found on the Teacher Cancellation Low Income (TCLI) Directory.
• Loan repayment programs from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. This list of resources includes financial aid and loan repayment programs.
• Federal Student Aid. Here, you can find the latest information from the U.S. Department of Education and details on how to manage your loan.
• You can also contact your loan servicer for additional information. A loan servicer is a company that handles the billing and other services on your federal student loan.

For other options and information about student loan forgiveness for teachers, check out these articles from NerdWallet, Student Loan Hero, and Accredited Schools Online. 

And don’t forget about ATPE’s $3,000 Student Debt Relief drawing, where one lucky first-year teacher will win up to $3,000 to pay off their student loans.