NOTICE: The 1998 reauthorization of regulations governing partial cancellation of Perkins Student Loans has amended some of the cancellation provisions effective October 7, 1998.
Under certain conditions, a borrower may have all of part of his or her loan cancelled. Cancellation means that a portion of all of the principal borrowed plus accrued interest will never have to be repaid by the borrower.

Important note: Before consideration may be given for any partial cancellation request, the borrower's account must be current to the beginning date of qualifying employment or, for borrowers of older loans requesting the new October 1998 reauthorization cancellations, current to October 1, 1998. Please contact the Long Term Loan office if you need additional information.
Forms may be obtained by contacting the Long Term Loan office at (616) 331-2208 or go to forms and print them off.

CANCELLATION

TEACHER
Full time teacher in a public or nonprofit elementary or secondary school serving students from low-income families or;

Click on the following link to see if your school qualifies as low-income: https://studentloans.gov/myDirectLoan/tcliDirectorySearch.action

 

Full time teacher of handicapped student in a public or nonprofit elementary or secondary school. The majority of the students that borrower teaches must be handicapped children;

Full time special-education teacher, including teachers of infants, toddlers, children, or youths with disabilities in a public or other nonprofit elementary or secondary school system;

Full time teacher in a public or other nonprofit elementary or secondary school in the fields of mathematics, science, foreign languages, or bilingual education or in any other field of expertise that is determined by a state education agency to have a shortage of qualified teachers in that state;

Full time staff member in HEAD START.

* NURSE

A licensed practical nurse, a registered nurse, or other individual who is licensed by the appropriate state agency to provide nursing services.

* MEDICAL TECHNICIAN

An allied health professional (working in fields such as therapy, dental hygiene, medical technology or nutrition) who is certified, registered, or licensed by the appropriate state agency in the state in which he or she provides health care services; an allied health professional is someone who assists, facilitates, or complements the work of physicians and other specialists in the health care system.

* QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL PROVIDER OF EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES

A provider of services, as defined in section 672(2) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Section 672(2) of that Act defines developmental services as those services that are provided under public supervision; are provided at no cost except where federal or state law provides for a system of payments by families, including a schedule of sliding fees; are designed to meet a handicapped infants' or toddler's developmental needs.

* CHILD OR FAMILY SERVICE AGENCY EMPLOYEE

To receive loan cancellation for being employed at a child or family service agency, a borrower must be providing services only to high-risk children who are from low-income communities. The borrower may also be providing services to adults, but these adults must be members of the families of the children from whom services are provided. The services provided to adults must be secondary to the services provided to the high-risk children. The Department had determined that an elementary or secondary school system or a hospital is not an eligible employing agency.

* LAW ENFORCEMENT OR CORRECTIONS OFFICER

To establish the eligibility of a borrower for the law enforcement or corrections officer cancellation provision, the school must determine that 1) the borrower's employment agency is eligible and 2) the borrower's position is essential to the agency's primary mission. Please contact the Long Term Loan office to determine if you are eligible. (Agencies that are primarily responsible for enforcement of civil, regulatory or administrative laws are ineligible.)

*STAFF MEMBERS IN A PREKINDERGARTEN OR CHILD CARE PROGRAM

*PUBLIC DEFENDERS

*FACULTY MEMBERS AT A TRIBALLY CONTROLLED UNIVERSITY

*LIBRARIANS WITH A MASTER'S DEGREE IN LIBRARY SCIENCE

Must be employed in a school served under Title I of the ESEA, or a public library serving a Title I school.

FIREFIGHTERS

MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES WHO SERVED IN AN AREA OF HOSTILITY

PARTIAL CANCELLATIONS ARE TYPICALLY GIVEN AT THE FOLLOWING RATES:
15% for each of the first and second years; 20% for each of the third and fourth years; and 30% for the fifth year.

TOTAL CANCELLATIONS (DEATH)
Regardless of the repayment status of a loan, the school that was the lender must cancel the unpaid balance of the loan, including interest, upon receipt of a certified copy of a death certificate.

TOTAL AND PERMANENT DISABILITY

Effective July 1, 2013, when any borrower files for total and permanent disability, the borrower must submit proof to the Department of Education. They will make a determination if the loan meets the criteria for disability cancellation. Once the Department of Education has made their initial determination that the borrower is totally and permanently disabled, the loan is conditionally discharged for up to three years from the date that the borrower became totally and permanently disabled, as certified by the physician. The department suspends collection activity on the loan from the date of the initial determination until the end of the three year conditional period. If the borrower satisfies the criteria for disability discharge during and at the end of the conditional discharge period, the balance of the loan is discharged. For more information, please go to: https://www.disabilitydischarge.com or call 1-888-303-7818.