Student Loan Forgiveness for Military, Firefighters and Police: What Programs Exist?

If you serve in the military, fight fires, or work in law enforcement, there are real federal programs that can lower or erase your student loans. The problem is that each one has its own rules, and picking the wrong loan type or repayment plan can quietly cost you years of credit. Here is what exists in 2026, who likely qualifies, and how Legal Touch handles the paperwork for you.

The Short Answer

For most service members, firefighters, and police officers, the biggest program is Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), which can forgive the remaining balance on Direct Loans after 120 qualifying payments. Older Perkins Loans have their own cancellation for firefighters, officers, and some military service. Service members also get special interest benefits, and veterans with a qualifying VA disability rating likely qualify for a disability discharge. Many people qualify for more than one.

1. Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

PSLF is open to anyone who works full-time for a qualifying employer. Government employers qualify, which covers the U.S. Armed Forces, federal agencies, and state, county, city, and tribal fire and police departments. Many nonprofit fire and EMS organizations also qualify.

• Full-time work. Generally at least 30 hours a week for a qualifying employer. Contractors usually do not count, because you must be employed by the qualifying employer itself.
• Eligible loans. Only Direct Loans count. FFEL and Perkins Loans must be consolidated into a Direct Consolidation Loan first.
• A qualifying repayment plan. Today that includes the new Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP), Income-Based Repayment, and the 10-year Standard plan. PAYE and ICR count only through June 30, 2028.
• 120 qualifying payments. They do not have to be in a row.
• Not taxed. PSLF forgiveness is not treated as taxable income for federal tax purposes.

2026 note: The SAVE plan has ended, and borrowers who were in it are being told to choose a new plan. Choosing a plan that does not count for PSLF can stall your progress. Learn more on our PSLF help page.

2. Perkins Loan Cancellation for Firefighters, Police, and Military

If you still have a Federal Perkins Loan, you may not need PSLF for it at all. Perkins cancellation can erase up to 100% of the loan over five years of full-time service as:

• A full-time firefighter for a local, state, or federal fire department or fire district
• A sworn law enforcement or corrections officer for a publicly funded agency whose main job is enforcing criminal law
• A member of the U.S. Armed Forces on active duty in an area of hostilities that qualifies for special pay

Each year of qualifying service must be 12 consecutive months. The school or servicer cancels 15% of the original balance for each of years one and two, 20% for years three and four, and 30% for year five, plus the interest that built up during each year. Administrative and support roles generally do not qualify. One warning: if a Perkins Loan is consolidated, the Perkins cancellation option is gone for good.

3. Benefits Just for Service Members

• 0% interest in hostile areas. Direct Loans first disbursed on or after October 1, 2008, can stop charging interest for up to 60 months while you serve in an area that qualifies for hostile fire or imminent danger pay.
• 6% interest cap (SCRA). Federal student loans taken out before active duty are capped at 6% interest during qualifying military service. Loan holders often apply this automatically.
• Military service deferment. Payments can be paused during qualifying active duty connected to a war, military operation, or national emergency.
• Branch loan repayment programs. Some branches repay loans as an enlistment benefit. For example, the Regular Army Loan Repayment Program can repay up to $65,000 for eligible new enlistees, but it must be written into the enlistment contract.

4. Disability Discharge for Veterans and First Responders

Veterans the VA rates as 100% disabled from a service-connected condition, or totally disabled based on individual unemployability, likely qualify for a Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) discharge. The Department of Education matches records with the VA and sends a letter to borrowers it identifies, but letters can be delayed or missed. Firefighters and officers who were seriously injured on the job may also qualify through a Social Security disability determination or a doctor. See our guide to SSDI and TPD discharge.

Side by Side: Which Program Fits?

Common Mistakes That Cost People Years

• Making payments on FFEL loans for years, not knowing they never counted for PSLF
• Consolidating a Perkins Loan and losing Perkins cancellation without meaning to
• Staying on a plan that does not count for PSLF after SAVE ended
• Never certifying employment, so payment counts are wrong and problems show up late
• Missing a VA disability discharge letter, or not knowing it applies

For more on how military and federal service count, see our older guide to military and federal employee loan forgiveness.

What Legal Touch Does for You

You tell us about your service and your loans. We do the work:

1. We pull and review your federal loan records to see which loan types you have.
2. We check which programs likely apply: PSLF, Perkins cancellation, military benefits, or a disability discharge.
3. We map out the right order, so a consolidation does not wipe out a better option.
4. We prepare and file your PSLF employment certification, consolidation, repayment plan request, or discharge application.
5. We follow up with your servicer until each request is processed.

Each service is a $495 flat fee. See all of our Loan Help Services, our guide to Teacher Loan Forgiveness vs. PSLF, and our help for borrowers in student loan default or deciding between rehabilitation and consolidation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do firefighters and police officers qualify for PSLF?

Usually, yes. Full-time employees of a city, county, state, tribal, or federal fire department or police agency work for a government employer, which is a qualifying employer for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Full-time generally means at least 30 hours a week. You still need eligible Direct Loans, a qualifying repayment plan, and 120 qualifying payments.

Does active duty military service count toward PSLF?

Yes. Active duty service and full-time National Guard duty count as qualifying public service. Weekend drills alone usually do not count as full-time employment. Months in a military service deferment can often count toward PSLF too, with some limits for borrowers enrolled in the new Repayment Assistance Plan.

Can Perkins Loans be canceled for firefighters, police, or military service?

Yes. Federal Perkins Loans can be canceled for full-time service as a firefighter, a sworn law enforcement or corrections officer, or for active duty in an area of hostilities that qualifies for special pay. Cancellation is 15% for each of the first two years, 20% for years three and four, and 30% for year five, up to 100%.

Should I consolidate my Perkins Loan to get PSLF?

Not without checking first. Consolidating a Perkins Loan into a Direct Consolidation Loan makes it eligible for PSLF, but it permanently gives up Perkins cancellation. If you work as a firefighter or officer, Perkins cancellation may wipe out that loan in five years, so the order matters.

What changed for PSLF after the 2025 law?

The new Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) became available on July 1, 2026, and it counts toward PSLF. The SAVE plan ended, and borrowers who were in SAVE must pick a new plan. For loans first made on or after July 1, 2026, only RAP payments count toward PSLF. PAYE and ICR payments count only through June 30, 2028.

Do disabled veterans have to pay back student loans?

Many do not. Veterans the VA rates as 100% disabled from a service-connected condition, or totally disabled based on individual unemployability, likely qualify for a Total and Permanent Disability discharge. The Department of Education matches records with the VA and sends a notice to borrowers it identifies.

Does Legal Touch guarantee forgiveness?

No. Your loan holder and the U.S. Department of Education make every decision. Legal Touch is not a law firm and makes no guarantees.

Get Your Free Service Loan Review

Find out in one call which programs likely fit your service. Check My Eligibility or call 800-261-2946.

Questions first? Contact our team.

Legal Touch is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. Results are not guaranteed. Every decision is made by your loan holder or the U.S. Department of Education. Legal Touch is not affiliated with the U.S. military, the Department of Defense, or the VA. You can apply for these programs yourself for free through your loan servicer or StudentAid.gov.