The Earnest Blog > Student Loan Relief, Managing Student Debt
All the States That Will Pay Off Your Student Loans (140+ Programs)
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If you’re interested in working in education or healthcare, you might already know about the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. But did you know that you might also be able to get your loans paid off by your state, too?
Nationwide, dozens of states are willing to pay down federal or private student loan debt for student loan borrowers in qualifying careers. Here’s what you need to know about all the states that will pay off your student loans.
Note that many states also have grants or scholarships sponsored by private or nonprofit organizations, so it’s still worth doing your own search if you don’t see a program here for which you meet the eligibility requirements.
Alabama
The Alabama Math and Science Teacher Education Program (AMSTEP) offers up to $5,000 per year in federal loan repayments for qualifying teachers.
Alaska
Alaska’s Department of Health offers the SHARP Program, a public-private partnership to help employers recruit workers by reimbursing student loan payments. The program is focused on healthcare practitioners.
Arizona
Arizona’s State Loan Repayment Programs offer up to $20,000 for healthcare professionals, including the Primary Care Provider Loan Repayment Program and Rural Private Primary Care Provider Loan Repayment Program.
The Arizona Teacher Student Loan Program is for current students studying to teach in Arizona schools and may cover up to four years of tuition, fees, and materials at qualifying universities.
Arkansas
The Arkansas State Teacher Education Program offers up to $6,000 in loan repayment for qualifying teachers.
California
California’s State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) is for healthcare professionals in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs).
The California Dental Corps Loan Repayment Program offers up to $50,000 in assistance to dentists.
Colorado
Colorado’s three main loan forgiveness programs include:
The Colorado Health Service Corps offers up to $120,000 in loan forgiveness for eligible doctors and healthcare workers.
Colorado Educator Loan Forgiveness offers up to $5,000 per year in loan forgiveness for qualifying teachers, generally in rural and underserved areas.
The Loan Repayment Assistance Program, specifically for graduates of the University of Colorado Law School, who can receive up to $6,500 per year for up to five years if they work in a qualifying legal job.
Connecticut
The Minority Teacher Incentive Program offers a stipend of up to $10,000 over two years to students of color studying to teach in Connecticut schools.
Delaware
The Delaware Healthcare Provider Loan Repayment Program offers up to $200,000 in student loan repayment assistance for new primary care providers—$50,000 per year for up to four years. The Delaware State Loan Repayment Program offers up to $100,000 in loan repayment for qualifying healthcare workers in HPSAs.
Florida
The Florida Bar Foundation Loan Repayment Assistance Program offers forgivable loans of up to $5,000 per year for people in qualifying legal professions.
The Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness Program offers up to $4,000 per year for four years to qualifying nurses in areas with critical worker shortages.
Georgia
Georgia offers five programs to help healthcare workers pay off their student loans:
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Loan Repayment Program
Dentists for Rural Areas Assistance Program
Georgia Physician Loan Repayment Program
Physician Assistant Loan Repayment Program
Physicians for Rural Areas Assistance Program
Hawaii
The Hawaii Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program offers up to $50,000 in loan relief for eligible healthcare practitioners in Hawaii.
Idaho
The Idaho State Loan Repayment Program offers up to $25,000 per year for healthcare professionals in HPSAs.
Illinois
Illinois offers at least seven state-run loan repayment programs:
For teachers and social workers:
For lawyers and legal professionals:
For healthcare professionals:
Indiana
Indiana’s State Loan Repayment Program (IN-SLRP) offers up to $40,000 over four years for qualifying healthcare professionals.
Iowa
Iowa offers at least eight programs:
For vets and healthcare professionals:
For teachers:
For prosecutors and public defenders
Kansas
The Rural Opportunity Zones Student Loan Repayment Program offers up to $15,000 over three years to new residents of qualifying Kansas counties.
The Kansas State Student Loan Repayment Program provides up to $20,000 per year for qualifying medical, dental, and mental health staff in HPSAs.
The Kansas Bridging Plan provides at least $26,000 over three years to physicians in primary care, OB-GYN, and psychiatry in qualifying Kansas counties.
Kentucky
The Kentucky State Loan Repayment Program offers up to $100,000 for healthcare workers in rural and underserved areas throughout the state.
Louisiana
The Louisiana Bar Foundation Loan Repayment Assistance Program offers up to $5,000 per year to attorneys with law school debt.
The State Loan Repayment Program offers up to $30,000 per year for healthcare professionals in HPSAs.
Maine
Maine’s Student Loan Repayment Tax Credit (formerly known as the Opportunity Maine Tax Credit) is an income tax credit for Maine residents to help offset the cost of repaying student loans.
Educators for Maine is a forgivable loan program for teachers.
The Maine Dental Education Loan Program is for dentists working in underserved areas.
The Maine Veterinary Medicine Loan Program is a forgivable loan for veterinary students.
Maryland
The Janet L. Hoffman Loan Assistance Repayment Program (LARP) is for public service employees in low-income and underserved areas.
The Maryland Dent-Care Loan Assistance Repayment Program is for dentists providing care to Maryland Medical Assistance Program recipients.
The Student Loan Debt Relief Tax Credit provides a state income tax credit to help offset loan repayment.
Massachusetts
The Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program for Health Professionals is for certain healthcare workers in HPSAs.
Michigan
The Michigan State Loan Repayment Program provides up to $300,000 in educational debt repayment over a period of 10 years.
Minnesota
Minnesota offers at least 21 plans for loan forgiveness and reimbursement for careers spanning from government employees to pilots. These include:
For lawyers:
For healthcare professionals:
For teachers:
For pilots:
For vets:
For government employees:
Mississippi
The Winter-Reed Teacher Loan Repayment Program offers up to $15,000 over three years for up to 150 first-year teachers each year.
The Mississippi State Loan Repayment Program offers up to $25,000 for healthcare professionals in HPSAs.
Missouri
Missouri offers four programs for healthcare professionals through the Department of Health & Senior Services:
Montana
The Montana State Loan Repayment Program offers up to $37,500 per year for certain primary care providers in HPSAs.
The Montana Rural Physician Incentive Program (MRPIP) offers assistance to physicians working in rural and underserved areas.
The Montana Agriculture Student Loan Assistance Program offers up to five years of aid for farm owners, heirs, successors, and assignees.
Nebraska
The Nebraska Loan Repayment Program for Rural Health Professionals offers up to $200,000 of debt repayment for healthcare professionals in shortage areas.
Nevada
The Nevada Health Service Corps (NHSC) offers scholarship and loan repayment programs for various healthcare professions.
New Hampshire
The New Hampshire State Loan Repayment Program offers up to $115,000 in loan repayments for eligible healthcare professionals.
New Jersey
New Jersey has at least five programs for employees of specific careers:
For prosecutors and public defenders:
For healthcare professionals:
For careers in science, tech, engineering, and math:
New Mexico
New Mexico offers at least five programs:
For healthcare professionals:
For public service employees:
For teachers and faculty at public colleges and universities:
New York
New York offers at least 10 plans;
For teachers and professors:
For lawyers and social workers:
For farmers:
For healthcare professionals:
For graduates from New York State colleges and universities:
North Carolina
North Carolina’s Forgivable Education Loans for Service (FELS) is a forgivable loan for qualified students committed to working in specific areas of the state.
NC LEAF provides assistance for attorneys working in fields of public service.
The North Carolina State Loan Repayment Program awards up to $50,000 for healthcare professionals in underserved areas.
North Dakota
North Dakota offers four programs for healthcare professionals and vets:
Ohio
Ohio offers two programs for doctors and dentists: the Ohio Physician Loan Repayment Program and the Ohio Dentist Loan Repayment Program.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma offers four programs for healthcare professionals:
Oregon
The Oregon Health Care Provider Incentive Loan Repayment Program is for medical professionals who serve communities regardless of their ability to pay.
The Primary Health Care Loan Forgiveness Program is for students in approved programs to receive funding during school in exchange for fulfilling a future service obligation.
Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Primary Care Loan Repayment Program offers up to $80,000 for certain healthcare professionals in HPSAs.
The PA IOLTA Loan Repayment Assistance Program offers forgivable loans to repay higher education costs.
Rhode Island
The Rhode Island Health Professional Loan Repayment Program is for certain healthcare professionals working in underserved communities.
The Educator of Color Loan Forgiveness Program forgives up to $25,000 of debt for educators of color after three consecutive years of working in Providence schools.
The Wavemaker Fellowship provides funding for recent grads launching certain types of businesses within Rhode Island.
South Carolina
The Public Interest Law Loan Forgiveness Fund offers loan repayment for qualifying graduates from the University of South Carolina School of Law.
South Dakota
South Dakota offers four options for healthcare professionals:
Tennessee
The Tennessee State Loan Repayment Program offers up to $50,000 for eligible primary care workers.
Texas
The Texas Primary Care Office (TPCO) offers a wide variety of loan repayment programs for professionals working in healthcare careers. Eligible professions include doctors; the substance use disorder workforce; midwives; healthcare educators; Veterans Affairs and Indian Health Service employees; and many others.
Utah
Utah’s Rural Physician Loan Repayment Program and Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance Program offer incentives to medical workers in underserved areas of the state.
Vermont
Vermont’s Dental Educational Loan Repayment Program offers dentists up to $300,000 over six years.
Virginia
Virginia’s State Loan Repayment Program offers up to $140,000 over four years to qualifying medical professionals.
Washington
The Washington Nurse Educator Loan Repayment Program provides assistance for professionals working to educate nurses.
West Virginia
The West Virginia State Loan Repayment Program offers up to $90,000 in loan repayment for healthcare professionals working in HPSAs.
Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Health Professional Loan Assistance Program and Rural Provider Loan Assistance Program offer up to $50,000 for qualifying healthcare workers in rural areas and HPSAs.
Wyoming
Wyoming’s Veterinary Loan Repayment Program offers up to $30,000 per year for three years.
Learn more about Earnest student loan refinancing
If your profession isn’t covered here, you may still be able to save money by refinancing1 your student loans into a private student loan for a lower interest rate. Check out Earnest’s student loan calculator today to see how much you could save.
About the Author
Kassondra Cloos
Kassondra Cloos is a writer, editor, and former Earnest client. She refinanced her own student loans with Earnest after graduating and has first-hand experience with the refinancing process. She has been writing about personal finance and student loans since 2017. She also writes about sustainable travel and adventure for The Guardian, Outside, Backpacker, and many other publications. You can find more of her work via her travel newsletter, Out of Office.
Disclaimer
Disclaimer: This blog post provides personal finance educational information, and it is not intended to provide legal, financial, or tax advice.
1 You may lose benefits associated with your underlying federal and/or private loans if you refinance such as federal Income-driven Repayment Plans, Economic Hardship Deferment, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, or other deferment and forbearance options. If you file for bankruptcy, you may still be required to pay back this loan.
Choosing to refinance to a longer term may lower your monthly payment, but increase the amount of interest you may pay. Choosing to refinance to a shorter term may increase your monthly payment, but lower the amount of interest you may pay. Review your loan documentation for total cost of your refinanced loan.