With the resumption of federal student loan collections scheduled for May 5, the New York State government is implementing multiple student loan forgiveness programs to help graduates alleviate financial pressures.
One of the current open applications for loan forgiveness in New York is the “Get on Your Feet Loan Forgiveness Program” and the “Nursing Faculty Loan Forgiveness” (NFLF) program.
The eligibility criteria for the “Get on Your Feet” program include graduating from a higher education institution based in New York within the past two years, participating in the federal Income Based Repayment (IBR) plan, having an annual income (adjusted gross income) below $50,000, graduating from a New York state high school or having an equivalent diploma, applying within two years of receiving a bachelor’s degree, and if employed, the primary work location must be within New York State. Those who meet the criteria can apply here: https://www.hesc.ny.gov/
To apply for the Nursing Faculty Loan Forgiveness program, applicants must hold a registered nursing license, currently work full-time or part-time as faculty at a nursing school in New York State, be a resident of New York State, and have continuously lived there for at least 12 months. The deadline for this program is May 16, 2025.
Other upcoming student loan forgiveness programs that will soon open for applications include the District Attorney and Public Interest Legal Services Lawyer Forgiveness Program (DALF) and the Licensed Social Worker Loan Forgiveness Program (LSWLF), both of which will open for applications in July.
For more details on these programs, you can visit the New York Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) website.
In March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government announced the suspension of student loan repayments, interest, and collections. This “pause order” was issued by then-President Trump and later extended multiple times by the Biden administration. In mid-2023, President Biden’s comprehensive student loan forgiveness plan was rejected by the Supreme Court, leading the U.S. Department of Education to announce that as of May 5, 2025, unpaid student loans will once again enter the collections process.