Guide to Texas Student Loan Forgiveness Programs

Sulaiman Abdur-RahmanUpdated August 7, 2023

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Editor’s note: Lantern by SoFi seeks to provide content that is objective, independent and accurate. Writers are separate from our business operation and do not receive direct compensation from advertisers or partners. Read more about our Editorial Guidelines and How We Make Money.

Texas has multiple student loan forgiveness programs available to eligible borrowers. These programs generally require that you perform professional work for at least one year to receive student loan repayment assistance.Lawyers, law enforcement officers, health professionals, and dentists in the Lone Star State may benefit from these programs. Below we highlight 12 student loan forgiveness programs in the Lone Star State, including Texas student loan forgiveness for teachers.

12 Student Loan Forgiveness Programs in Texas

Texas Student Loan Forgiveness Programs by Name	Amount of Repayment Assistance
Math and Science Scholars Loan Repayment Program	Up to $10,000 annually
Teach for Texas Loan Repayment Assistance Program	Up to $2,500 annually
Border County Doctoral Faculty Education Loan Repayment Program	Up to $5,000 annually
Nursing Faculty Loan Repayment Assistance Program	Up to $7,000 annually
Loan Repayment Program for Mental Health Professionals	$10,000 to $160,000 maximum over a five-year period
Dental Education Loan Repayment Program	Up to $10,000 after 12 months of service
Physician Education Loan Repayment Program	Maximum of $30,000 to $60,000 per year of service
St. David’s Foundation Public Health Corps Loan Repayment Program	Maximum of $15,000 to $30,000 per year
Texas Access to Justice Foundation Loan Repayment	Up to $500 per month ($6,000 per year)
Texas Student Loan Repayment Assistance Program	Up to $6,000 per year
Educational Loan Repayment Program for Attorneys Employed by the Office of the Attorney General aka OAG Lawyers Loan Repayment Program	Up to $6,000 per year
Peace Officer Loan Repayment Assistance Program	Up to $20,000 over a five-year period

1. Math and Science Scholars Loan Repayment Program

The Math and Science Scholars Loan Repayment Program is a student loan forgiveness Texas program that may provide up to $10,000 annually to individuals who meet the following eligibility requirements:

U.S. citizen
Completed an undergraduate or graduate program in mathematics or science
Earned a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 on a four-point scale
Be certified to teach math or science in a Texas public school
Secured an employment contract as a full-time classroom teacher to teach math or science in a Texas public school that receives federal funding under Title I, Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
May not receive any other state or federal loan repayment assistance to be eligible for this teacher student loan forgiveness Texas program
Can’t be in default on any student loan obligations
Must enter into an agreement with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to work four consecutive school years as a math or science teacher at an eligible school

2. Teach for Texas Loan Repayment Assistance Program

The Teach for Texas Loan Repayment Assistance Program is a teacher student loan forgiveness Texas program that may provide up to $2,500 in student loan repayment assistance annually to individuals who meet the following eligibility requirements:

Be certified in a shortage teaching field
Currently teach full time at an eligible Texas public school
Have taught for at least one year at an eligible Texas public school
Have submitted a timely application to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

3. Border County Doctoral Faculty Education Loan Repayment Program

The Border County Doctoral Faculty Education Loan Repayment Program may not always be funded by the Texas Legislature. When funded in the past, this program previously provided up to $5,000 in annual state-funded loan repayment assistance to individuals who met the following eligibility requirements:

Received a doctoral degree from an accredited institution on or after Sept. 1, 1994
Working full time as a doctoral faculty member with instructional duties at a Texas postsecondary institution near Mexico
Working at the approved institution for one academic year

4. Nursing Faculty Loan Repayment Assistance Program

The Nursing Faculty Loan Repayment Assistance Program is a student loan forgiveness Texas program that may provide up to $7,000 annually to individuals who meet the following eligibility requirements:

Have a master’s or doctoral degree in nursing
Licensed by the Texas Board of Nursing
Must apply to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board by the application deadline
Have at least one year of full-time employment experience as a faculty member of an eligible nursing program
Currently employed full time as a faculty member of a nursing program at an eligible institution in a position that requires an advanced degree in professional nursing

5. Loan Repayment Program for Mental Health Professionals

The Loan Repayment Program for Mental Health Professionals is a Texas student loan forgiveness program that may provide $10,000 to $160,000 in student loan repayment assistance over a five-year period to individuals who meet the following eligibility requirements:

Completed one, two, three, four, or five consecutive years of practice in a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area providing direct patient care to enrollees of Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or providing care to individuals committed to a secure correctional facility

6. Dental Education Loan Repayment Program

The Dental Education Loan Repayment Program may not always be funded by the Texas Legislature. When funded in the past, this Texas student loan forgiveness program previously provided up to $10,000 in state-funded loan repayment assistance to individuals who met the following eligibility requirements:

Licensed by the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners with no disciplinary action taken
Agree to provide at least 12 consecutive months of comprehensive general or pediatric dental services in a Dental Health Professional Shortage Area
Must provide direct patient care to individuals enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP
Submit a completed application to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

7. Physician Education Loan Repayment Program

The Physician Education Loan Repayment Program is one of the state-run Texas student loan forgiveness programs that may provide a maximum of $30,000 to $60,000 per year of service in student loan repayment assistance to individuals who meet the following eligibility requirements:

Submit a completed and timely application
U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident of the United States
Have a full physician license from the Texas Medical Board with no restrictions
Not be in postgraduate training or fellowship programs
Not be currently participating in another student loan repayment assistance program
Have board certification or eligibility to take a board exam from an American specialty board affiliated with the American Board of Medical Specialties or the Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists
Have completed one, two, three, or four consecutive service periods in a Health Professional Shortage Area, secure correctional facility, or any eligible facility with Medicaid or Texas Women’s Health Program enrollees

8. St. David’s Foundation Public Health Corps Loan Repayment Program

The St. David’s Foundation Public Health Corps Loan Repayment Program may provide a maximum of $15,000 to $30,000 per year in student loan repayment assistance to individuals who meet the following eligibility requirements:

U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident of the United States
Agree to provide four years of service at an approved practice site for outpatient primary or behavioral health care
Physicians must have a current unrestricted license from the Texas Medical Board and be board certified or eligible to take a board exam from an American specialty board affiliated with the American Board of Medical Specialties or the Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists
Dentists must have an unrestricted license from the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners
Physician assistants must be certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants or be eligible to take the NCCPA exam
Nurse Practitioners must be licensed as a nurse practitioner or be eligible to take an exam by a certifying institution recognized by the Texas Board of Nursing

9. Texas Access to Justice Foundation Loan Repayment

The Texas Access to Justice Foundation (TAJF) administers a program that may provide up to $500 per month ($6,000 per year) in student loan repayment assistance to individuals who meet the following eligibility requirements:

Submit a timely application
Graduate of an American Bar Association-accredited law school
Licensed to practice law in a state or territory of the United States in good standing
Work for a program that receives TAJF funds
Annual salary must not exceed $80,000

10. Texas Student Loan Repayment Assistance Program

The Texas Student Loan Repayment Assistance Program is the program administered by TAJF that provides up to $6,000 per year in student loan repayment assistance to individuals who meet the following eligibility requirements:

Submit a timely application
Graduate of an American Bar Association-accredited law school
Licensed to practice law in a state or territory of the United States in good standing
Work for a program that receives TAJF funds
Annual salary must not exceed $80,000

11. Educational Loan Repayment Program for Attorneys Employed by the Office of the Attorney General

The Educational Loan Repayment Program for Attorneys Employed by the Office of the Attorney General is a Texas student loan forgiveness program that may not always be funded by the Texas Legislature. Also known as the OAG Lawyers Loan Repayment Program, this program previously provided up to $6,000 per year in student loan repayment assistance to individuals who met the following eligibility requirements:

Submit a formal application
Been employed for at least one year as a current attorney of the Texas OAG

12. Peace Officer Loan Repayment Assistance Program

The Peace Officer Loan Repayment Assistance Program is one of the Texas student loan forgiveness programs that may provide up to $20,000 in student loan repayment assistance over a five-year period to individuals who meet the following eligibility requirements:

Be initially appointed as a full-time peace officer
Earned at least 60 semester credit hours at an eligible institution of higher education in Texas prior to initial appointment as a peace officer
Currently employed and have completed at least one year of employment as a full-time peace officer in Texas

Other Ways to Pay Back Student Loans

Below we highlight other ways to pay off student loans:

Federal Student Loan Forgiveness

Federal student loan borrowers may have access to federal repayment plans or service programs that can lead to student loan forgiveness. Educators who teach in a low-income school, for example, may be eligible for up to $17,500 in federal student loan forgiveness under the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program.

Student Loan Refinancing

Another possible option for repaying education debt is student loan refinancing. How student loan refinancing works is that borrowers submit an application with a private lender requesting a new loan agreement for refinancing student loan debt.Refinancing federal student loans can allow borrowers to replace their existing federal loans with the terms and conditions of a private loan agreement. There are several student loan refinancing pros and cons. One of the advantages of refinancing student loans is it may provide you with a lower interest rate. One of the big disadvantages of refinancing student loans with a private lender, however, is you’ll be forfeiting federal benefits, including income-driven repayment plans and federal student loan forgiveness programs.Here are additional factors you may want to consider:

You may refinance student loans without a degree with certain lenders
For subprime borrowers, it might be difficult to refinance student loans with bad credit
You may ask, how long does it take to pay off student loans? It can take borrowers between 10 to 30 years to pay off federal student loans and five to 25 years to pay off private student loans
What happens to student loans when you die is the debt might be discharged, although some private lenders may demand repayment from your estate
Refinancing federal student loans will remove your access to all federal loan forgiveness programs, including military student loan forgiveness for members of the U.S. armed forces
Borrowers may refinance federal student loans and private student loans

Recommended: Federal Student Loan Forgiveness Guide

Income-Based Repayment Plans

The U.S. Department of Education offers the following four income-driven repayment (IDR) plans to help borrowers pay down their federal student loan debt:

Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan, which replaces the Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE) Plan
Pay As You Earn (PAYE)
Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR)
Income-Based Repayment (IBR)

Private student loans are not eligible for any federal repayment options, including IDR plans. Depending on your income and family size, all four IDR plans may offer a lower monthly payment compared with the Standard Repayment Plan.All IDR plans can end with a borrower’s outstanding balance being forgiven at the end of the repayment period. Forgiveness may come after 20 or 25 years under any of the IDR plans, but forgiveness may come earlier for eligible SAVE Plan enrollees who had original principal balances of $12,000 or less.After a three-year payment pause, the Covid-19 forbearance is set to end on Aug. 30, 2023. As a result, interest accrual on federal student loans will resume on Sept. 1, and payments will be due starting in October 2023.If your annual income is low enough, an IDR plan may provide you with $0 monthly payments for at least one year.

The Takeaway

Texas student loan forgiveness for teachers, lawyers, law enforcement officers, and health professionals may provide some relief. Other borrowers who don’t qualify for such programs may want to explore other options.If you’re interested in student loan refinancing, Lantern by SoFi can help. Refinancing might be right for you if you can lock in a lower interest rate. Find and compare student loan refinance options with Lantern.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the state of Texas have any student loan forgiveness programs?

Who qualifies for student loan forgiveness in Texas?

Are you able to get federal and state student loan forgiveness?

Photo credit: iStock/Golden_Brown

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About the Author

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman writes about personal loans, auto loans, student loans, and other personal finance topics for Lantern. He’s the recipient of more than 10 journalism awards and served as a New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists board member. An alumnus of the Philadelphia-based Temple University, Abdur-Rahman is a strong advocate of the First Amendment and freedom of speech.

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