Can my loan(s) ever be discharged?

Yes. A discharge releases you from all obligations to repay your loan. Your loans can be partially or totally discharged if:

• You become totally and permanently disabled. This cannot be for a condition that existed at the time you applied for the Direct Loan unless a doctor certifies that your condition substantially deteriorated after the loans were made.
• You are unable to complete a course of study because your school closed or because your school falsely certified your eligibility.
• You were a victim of identity theft.
• Your obligation to repay your loan was discharged in bankruptcy court proceedings. This may occur when conditions of extreme financial hardship are present and a judge orders the discharge of the loan(s) in an adversary proceeding.
• You die.
• The student for whom a PLUS Loan was obtained dies.
• You taught in a selected low-income school for 5 consecutive years. You must also have received new loans after October 1, 1998 and have no outstanding balance on a Direct Loan or FFEL Program loan disbursed before this date. For more information on eligibility requirements for Teacher Loan Forgiveness, please click here.
• You are due but are unable to obtain a refund from your school on your Direct Loan.
• You have a Consolidation loan obtained jointly with your spouse and one of you dies or becomes totally and permanently disabled.
• You have a Consolidation loan that includes a Federal PLUS and/or Direct PLUS loan borrowed for a student that has died. The portion of the Consolidation loan attributable to the student that has died may be discharged.