How To Apply For Total And Permanent Disability Loan Discharge
The Department of Education proactively works to identify student loan borrowers who qualify based on VA or SSA criteria, so there’s generally no application necessary for those who meet those qualifications.
If you’re found to be eligible, the Department of Education should send a letter to notify you and provide a date by which you can tell the agency that you don’t want the discharge. If you don’t respond, your loans will be automatically forgiven.
If you haven’t received such a letter and believe you qualify or if you think you’re eligible based on a physician’s certification, you can submit an application with your documentation to Nelnet, the servicer that handles TPD cancellations, via the TPD discharge website.
You can also apply by phone or email if you prefer. If this is the case, payment requirements on your federal loans will pause for 120 days, so you have time to submit any supporting documents.
If your disability makes it so you can’t apply on your own, someone can help you. Before they apply on your behalf, though, you and your representative will need to complete an applicant representative designation form, which you can download from the TPD Discharge website.
Once your application is submitted, Nelnet will explain the review process. You won’t be required to make monthly payments while the application is being reviewed.
What Is Total And Permanent Disability Loan Forgiveness
The total and permanent disability discharge program provides complete forgiveness for eligible student loan borrowers with direct loans, Federal Family Education Loans and federal Perkins loans.
Additionally, if you received a TEACH Grant, you may qualify to be exempt from the program’s service obligation. There are three ways you can qualify for TPD forgiveness.
Changes To The Student Loan Discharge Will Result In A Significant Increase In Forgiveness
Start by reviewing the qualifying requirements if you want to pursue student loan forgiveness disability possibilities. Once youve confirmed your eligibility, schedule your preliminary visits so you may receive the disability designation and have your debts forgiven.
With the new negotiated rulemaking process set to begin in October 2021, future student loan borrowers will most likely only need to obtain a disability designation from the V.A. or SSA that lasts at least 5 years in order to receive total student loan forgiveness disability for federal student loans tax-free.
This is a significant change. If you are a student loan borrower who is deeply in debt and feel you should be eligible for student loan forgiveness disability, you may need to contact an attorney who specializes in arguing for disability claims if you are having difficulty with the application process.
At the very least, you no longer need to pursue the procedure with the Department of Education in addition to the
Given the nature of the disability, it is understandable that many borrowers would struggle to submit yearly income verification for three years while also handling an additional bureaucratic application.
Also Check: Do Companies Have To Offer Short Term Disability
What This Benefit Offers
Borrowers with a severe permanent disability who are unable to repay their Canada Student Loans may be eligible to have their debt cancelled through the Severe Permanent Disability Benefit.
You have to apply and qualify for this benefit. Receipt of the benefit is not automatic or guaranteed. Also, once you have received this benefit, you would not be eligible to receive any additional Canada Student Grants or Canada Student Loans.
Note: The Repayment Assistance Plan for Borrowers with a Permanent Disability is also available to Student Loan borrowers who have a permanent disability.
How Must I Prove That I Am Totally And Permanently Disabled In Order To Qualify For Permanent Disability Loan Forgiveness
For a borrower to be awarded forgiveness, they must demonstrate that they are physically or mentally incapable of working. To do this, borrowers can obtain applicable supporting documentation from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs , the Social Security Administration , or a physician certification.
Also Check: Can You Purchase Short Term Disability Insurance
What Types Of Loans Qualify For The Plsf Program
All loans borrowed under the William D. Ford Direct Loan Program are eligible for PLSF. PSLF does not cover loans you received through the Federal Perkins Loan Program or the Federal Family Education Loan Program, but may be eligible if you consolidate them into a Direct Consolidation Loan. Loans from private lenders do not qualify.
Deferment Or Forbearance Request
It is critical to create a repayment strategy for your student loans. Payment deferment or forbearance might be requested. Your debts will most likely continue to accrue interest. Borrowers can choose forbearance to make reduced payments or to stop payments for up to 12 months.
Payments can be deferred for up to three years. Those who are eligible for deferral have financial difficulties, high medical costs, military duty, or have returned to school.
Don’t Miss: How Many People Are On Disability
Contact A Skilled Student Loan Lawyer At Mccarthy Law
Student loan forgiveness may seem too good to be trueespecially for those with private loansbut there are legitimate ways to reduce your student debt if you have the right student loan lawyer by your side. Thats where the attorneys at McCarthy Law come in. If youre someone who has a permanent disability or is overwhelmed with student loan payments, consider reaching out to our attorneys who help you explore the best options for getting on top of your finances. A skilled student debt lawyer can provide you with practical legal advice after fully analyzing your situation and determining the most strategic method that will have you feeling financially reassured.
The lawyers at McCarthy Law understand the stress of student debt, especially for individuals with disabilities burdened with private loan debt. We are dedicated to fighting for your financial freedom. To schedule a free consultation with a knowledgeable and experienced debt settlement professional, call 976-5777 or fill out our contact form today.
Student Loan Disability Discharge Form
To discharge your loans due to a physical or mental impairment, youll need to complete the Total and Permanent Disability Discharge Application. The TPD Discharge form is two pages long.
Youll complete the first page and, if youre applying based on a disability rating from the SSA or VA, youll attach a benefits letter from the agency and submit the application.
If youre getting your doctor to certify that youre severely and permanently disabled, then youll complete the first page and have your treating physician complete the second page.
Once done, youll submit the form to Nelnet for processing using one of the options listed above.
You May Like: For Veterans With Service Related Disabilities
Social Security Administration Documentation
If you’re eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security income, you can qualify for TPD forgiveness by providing documentation from the Social Security Administration that your next scheduled disability review is five to seven years or more from your last disability determination.
What Is A Disability Discharge
Total and permanent disability discharge is a type of student loan forgiveness for borrowers who cannot work due to a physical or mental impairment.
To be granted forgiveness, you have to prove that youre unable to work due to a physical or mental impairment.
As of Aug. 16 a total of $9 billion in debt has been discharged for more than 425,000 borrowers with a total and permanent disability.
Recommended Reading: When Did Social Security Began Paying Disability Payments
Is There Any Disadvantage Of A Discharge
You will have to go through some hoops in the future to acquire federal student loans, and if you apply for a new loan within three years of your discharge, you will have to begin payments on the dismissed debt.
Although all discharges are currently tax-free, your state may tax you on the amount of the discharged debts. For further information, contact your state tax agency.
You are no longer subject to a three-year monitoring period in which your income is checked as of March 2021 if you are willing to try student loan forgiveness disability programs. Previously, if you earned more than a particular amount of money in the three years following your discharge , your duty to repay the debt might be revived. The post-discharge monitoring period waiver is planned to last until the conclusion of the COVID-19 emergency relief period on January 31, 2022. Veterans who are completely handicapped are exempt from the post-discharge monitoring period.
Can I Get Total And Permanent Disability Discharge Of My Student Loans
Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list ofour partnersandhere’s how we make money.
Student loan borrowers who qualify as totally and permanently disabled may receive an automatic discharge of their federal student loans. As a result, some borrowers will no longer need to send in an application to have their loans discharged.
In August of 2021, the Department of Education changed the rules around loan discharges for individuals with disabilities. Anyone with a disability as recognized by the Social Security Administration, or SSA, will have their loans automatically discharged through a data match. A similar system has been in place since 2019 for those whose disabilities are recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs, or VA.
If your disability is not on file with the SSA or VA, you will still need to apply for a disability discharge of your student loans.
At the time of the rule change, there were 323,000 borrowers with disabilities who received automatic loan discharges. Future borrowers with total and permanent disabilities on file with either the SSA or VA will automatically qualify, but they can opt out if they prefer to do so.
Also Check: Is Being A Midget A Disability
Go For Private Student Loan Cancellation Alternatives In The Event Of Disability
In the area of private student debts, the route to student loan forgiveness disability is less straightforward. Everything is dependent on the bank, credit union, or online firm from which you borrowed.
To discover more about your lenders policies, see your loan agreement or call them. Discover Sallie Mae student loans, and Wells Fargo, which are among the lenders who provide student loan forgiveness disability when the principal borrower suffers from a certain permanent handicap. Prepare to provide documentation of your disability to your lender.
If your lender isnt as generous, inquire about its alternative sources of assistance.
For example, your disability may prevent you from generating a regular salary. In such cases, you might apply for an economic hardship forbearance or unemployment protection program through your lender .
A forbearance would only halt your payments temporarily, not cancel them, but its a start. However, keep in mind that interest will continue to collect on your loan balance while you are not repaying it.
In the following sections, we will mention what disabilities qualify for student loan forgiveness disability, how to apply, and more.
Student Loan Forgiveness For Disability Questions
Can my student loans be forgiven if my spouse is disabled? You cannot get your federal student loans forgiven if your spouse is disabled. However, your spouse may be eligible to have their student loan debt forgiven through the Total and Permanent Disability Discharge Program.
Do I qualify for student loan forgiveness if my spouse is a 100% disabled veteran? There are no student loan forgiveness programs for spouses of 100% disabled veterans. While your disabled spouse can get rid of their loans, there aren’t any options to eliminate any of your debt even if you’re the primary caretaker.
Is there student loan forgiveness for partially disabled veterans? Veterans with less than a 100% disability rating can discharge their student loan debt if a doctor certifies that their mental or physical impairment for example, posttraumatic stress disorder prevents them from engaging in substantial gainful employment.
Can my student loans be forgiven if my child is disabled? If your child is permanently disabled, the Department of Education will not forgive the Parent PLUS Loans you borrowed on their behalf. However, it will forgive the loans you borrowed for yourself if you become severely disabled.
You May Like: Do You Pay Income Tax On Disability Social Security
Student Loan Forgiveness Based On Disability
If you have federal student loans, you may be eligible to have your loans canceled through a total and permanent disability discharge. A discharge means that you dont have to repay the loans .
Which loans are eligible for discharge?
You can get a TPD discharge for William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program loans, Federal Family Education Loan Program loans, Federal Perkins Loans, or Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant service obligations. Other loan programs and private loans have their own discharge rules.
Who is eligible for a discharge?
The rules for a federal TPD discharge are similar to Social Securitys eligibility rules, but are even more difficult to meet. Being approved for Social Security disability benefits does not necessarily mean that you will be approved for a TPD discharge.
For a TPD discharge, you must be unable to do any substantial gainful activity because of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that has lasted 60 months, can be expected to last for 60 months, is expected to result in death, or is due to a 100% military-service-connected disability.
There are two differences between this definition of disability and Social Securitys definition. First, Social Security requires that your inability to work last, or be expected to last, only one year, not five years. Second, Social Security doesnt automatically grant disability for service-connected disabilities.
How do I apply for a discharge?
How To Apply For Forgiveness
Those people can still have their loans forgiven, though it means that they or their representatives will have to reenter the rabbit hole of red tape.
First, they need to download a TPD discharge application or fill one out online. Second, they have to get a doctor to verify their disability and gather other materials. Third, they have to wait for their loan servicer to give them an answer.
Thanks to a repayment pause thats been in place since March 2020, eligible federal student loan holders are not required to make payments until after the end of August, when the pause is set to expire. But after that, assuming the pause is not extended again, they will.
For the majority of people who have been on disability for some time, theyre going to get discharges at some point. What wed hate to see is for collections to start up again before that happens, Whitelaw said. Its a short-term, temporary problem, but it could be a devastating one.
AARP Membership $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal
Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine.
Also Check: Is Selective Mutism Considered A Disability
The Student Loan Attorneys At Mccarthy Law Can Help
If you have a private student loan, the attorneys at McCarthy Law can help. Under our student loan debt settlement program, an experienced attorney contacts your student loan lenders and begins a negotiation process to significantly reduce the balance on your private loans. At the end of a successful student loan settlement, youll end up paying only a fraction of the original balance claimed by the lender. The rest of the debt is forgiven by the lender and the settlement is a full and final settlement of the debt, leaving you without the burden of student loan debt going forward.
Start by giving our offices a call and telling us about your unique situation during a free phone consultation. One of our Engagement Team Members will thoroughly review your case. Once we have a full understanding of your case, we can give you the best possible options.
Private Student Loan Forgiveness Due To Disability Through Your Lender
If you borrowed from a bank, credit union, or another private lender, your access to loan forgiveness, even in cases of disability, is likely more limited. However, some lenders will forgive your remaining balance in the case of a disability or death. If your lender offers this option, be prepared to provide documentation of your disability.
You May Like: What Does Permanent And Total Va Disability Mean
How Disabled Borrowers Prove Eligibility
There are three options to prove your disability and start the discharge process:
- Physicians certification: Your primary care physician or specialist can certify they believe you can no longer work due to your medical issues. To apply, you will need to download a PDF copy of the Total and Permanent Disability Discharge Application form and get your doctors certification.
- Social Security Notice of Award: You qualify if two things are true: First, you receive Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income benefits. Second, your notice of award letter from the Social Security Administration must say that your next scheduled disability review will be within five to seven years from the date of your most recent SSA disability determination.
- Veteran Affairs Determination Letter: If you are a veteran with a service-connected condition that has left you unemployable, you can qualify for this type of loan discharge without providing documentation from your doctor. As a veteran, you will qualify if you have a letter from the VA stating you either have a service-connected disability that is 100% disabling or if you are totally disabled based on an individual unemployability rating.
Learn More:$10,000 Student Loan Forgiveness
How To Apply For Disability Student Loan Forgiveness
Not long ago, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona announced the department would provide automatic TPD discharges using data matching to identify borrowers listed in the SSA and VAs system as having a qualifying disability rating.
In addition to removing this application barrier, the department shared it would:
- Stop asking borrowers to provide information about their current income.
- Pursue eliminating the three-year monitoring period for income.
Borrowers seeking disability discharge based on a physicians certification do not qualify for this automatic forgiveness. They can start the student loan forgiveness for disability process by visiting disabilitydischarge.com. That website, which is administered by the student loan servicer Nelnet, allows you to apply online or by submitting a paper form.
You have four options to submit the application:
- Submit TPD form by postal mail: US Department of Education, PO Box 87130, Lincoln, NE 68501-7130.
- Submit TPD form by fax: 303-696-5250.
- Submit TPD form by email:DisabilityInformation@Nelnet.net.
- Submit TPD form online:.
Learn More:Student Loan Forgiveness During Coronavirus
Also Check: Assistive Technology For Students With Disabilities