STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — New Yorkers are eligible for repayment of all or part of their student loans for working in certain fields or performing a qualifying service, according to the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC).
Citizenship and residency requirements apply, and those receiving reimbursement may owe taxes on the amount the state repays in cases where the amount is considered income, HESC said.
Deadlines and details for each individual program vary, as do the opening dates for application.
Licensed social workers
Under this program, loan forgiveness is available for licensed social workers (LSW) working in critical human service areas.
- Be a social worker professionally licensed to practice in New York state
- Worked full-time as a licensed social worker in a critical human service area for at least 35 hours per week during the calendar year prior to your application
- Must have an outstanding balance on an eligible student loan debt
Applications will be accepted beginning July 2025.
Nursing faculty members
Qualifications include:
- Being a registered nurse licensed to practice in New York state
- Qualifying as nursing faculty or adjunct clinical faculty
- Those employed at a nursing school located in New York
- State residents for 12 continuous months prior to application
District attorneys and indigent legal services attorneys
Awards of $3,400 are available under this program, and the maximum award is $20,400 or the applicant’s actual eligible student loan indebtedness at the time eligibility is established, whichever is less.
Those eligible must have worked full-time as a district attorney, assistant district attorney, or indigent legal services attorney in New York state for between four and nine years and have an outstanding balance on an eligible student loan debt.
Applications may be submitted every year for up to six years of qualifying service. Applications will be accepted beginning July 2025.
Child welfare workers
Loan forgiveness is available to individuals who provide direct care services at a New York state-licensed child welfare agency.
Applicants must:
- Agree to work full-time at a licensed agency in New York state for five years
- Be a state resident for 12 continuous months prior to application
- Have obtained a degree from a state college or university
- Apply within two years after college graduation
- Have signed a service contract agreeing to work full-time as a child welfare worker providing direct care services in an Office of Child and Family Services-licensed voluntary not-for-profit child welfare agency in New York state for five years
Awards are up to $10,000 are available per year, not to exceed five years, or the total amount of student debt whichever is less.
The maximum award is no more than $50,000 for a five-year period.
Applications will be accepted beginning November 2024.
Teachers
Teachers serving hard-to-staff districts or who teach in subject shortage areas in New York state can apply for loan forgiveness.
Qualifications include:
- Being a certified as a teacher in New York state
- Being employed full-time in an elementary or secondary school in the state
- Teaching in either a subject-shortage area or a hard-to-staff district
- Being a state resident for 12 continuous months prior to application
- Having an outstanding balance on an eligible student loan debt.
The maximum lifetime award is $20,000, or the applicant’s actual eligible student loan indebtedness at the time eligibility is established, whichever is less. Awards will be paid in annual disbursements up to $5,000 annually for up to four years.
Applications will be accepted beginning January 2025
Farmers
Recent college graduates who pursue a career in farming in New York state qualify for reimbursement.
Applicants must:
- Have obtained an undergraduate degree from an approved state college or university
- Be within the first 10 years of operating a farm, on a full-time basis in New York state that produces an agricultural product
- Have an outstanding balance on an eligible student loan debt(s) from obtaining such degree
- Agree to operate a farm in New York state on a full time basis for at least five years.
