You'll find that loads of people have student loans as they are often required in order to complete their educations. It might be that you were one of these people and the good news is that the government is trying to help. Two new programs have been rolled out as of July 2009 that will help you pay off your debts acquired as a student.


The wonderful news for those who have signed up for this program is that when you reach 25 years of paying off the loan, you will no longer have to pay a single dime. This time aslo includes any time that your loan is in deferment or when your income falls below one hundred fifty percent of the federal poverty guideline according to the size of your family.

Also, interest that is in excess of the minimum payment will be paid by the government on for you.

However this program won't be open to everyone and there are some requirements that you need to meet. However if you're lucky enough to qualify then you can seriously save some cash.

The program that you should look at relates to those who are employed by nonprofit or government agencies. The program gives forgiveness of student debt after a 120 month period of working for a qualified employer and making student loan payments.

Examples of qualifying employers include government agencies and 501(c)(3) nonprofit agencies. Again you will need to check to see if your employer qualifies you for this program. State, local, tribal and federal organizations do come under this.

The law is retrospective, so any payments you have made from October 2007 will be counted toward the ten year time frame. You may well find that debts are forgiven by October 2017 for some people. This program can also be in conjunction with the IBR.

Student debts that are covered include all Stafford loans and Grad PLUS loans. If consolidated loans are included in the Direct Loan Program, they are also included. Guaranteed loan program debt will have to be switched over to Direct Loans in order to qualify.

If you are a graduate who is really struggling with paying back the debt over a ten year period then changing to one of the programs you be of great releif to you. It can really give you hope of becoming debt-free.
Keywords: student, debt, education, government