Flickr user Lorenia
Qualifying for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) can be a huge relief for federal loan borrowers. After some hard work in the public service sphere, graduates can find their debt vanishing.
So, if students with private loans do the same thing—work as teachers, enlist in the military, work for the government, join a non-profit—could they qualify for PSLF?
In short: No. Let’s break it down.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness Is a Federal Program
Federal program, federal loans. Unfortunately, despite your humanitarian efforts and dedicated payments, private student loans are not eligible for forgiveness. Ideally, you should have taken out federal loans before you took out private loans, so be sure to check out your eligibility for the fed loans.
Are There Any Private Loan Forgiveness Programs?
The PSLF is a specific program, but are there any similar opportunities out there for private loans? Yes! Most programs are relatively new and have stringent requirements, but they’re out there. Some are on the state level, others are for particular fields, some are even based on which lender your loan comes from. Make sure you do plenty of research into the programs before you apply.
Use College Raptor’s free Student Loan Finder to compare lenders and interest rates side by side.
| Lender | Rates (APR) | Eligibility | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Variable APR: 1.99%* +
Fixed APR: 2.98%* +
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT EARNEST |
 |
Variable APR: 1.90%* +
Fixed APR: 2.95%* +
|
Undergraduate, Graduate, Parent PLUS
|
VISIT LENDKEY |
 |
Variable APR: 1.89%* +
Fixed APR: 2.55%* +
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT CREDIBLE |
 |
Variable APR: 1.89%* +
Fixed APR: 2.50%* +
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT LAUREL ROAD |
 |
Variable APR: 2.50%* +
Fixed APR: 2.59%* +
|
Undergraduate, Graduate, Parent PLUS
|
VISIT COMMONBOND |
 |
Fixed APR: 2.74%* +
|
Undergraduate, Graduate, Parent PLUS
|
VISIT ISL Education Lending |
*APR includes a 0.25% interest rate reduction for enrollment in automatic payments.
