Order Code RL32516
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Student Loan Forgiveness Programs
August 9, 2004
Gail McCallion
Specialist in Labor Economics
Domestic Social Policy Division
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress
Student Loan Forgiveness Programs
Summary
Student loan forgiveness and service payback programs provide financial
incentives in exchange for a specific work commitment. Loan forgiveness programs
repay a percentage of an employee’s student loan after service commences; service
payback programs cover a portion of a student’s school costs in return for an
agreement to work in a specific job for a specified period of time in the future. These
programs have one or more of the following four goals: to provide financial
assistance to students to help them with the costs of college, to entice individuals to
choose a particular occupation or field of specialization, to entice individuals to work
for a period of time in a certain job or underserved region, or to entice individuals to
remain in a high need occupation, region or underserved facility. Over 40 bills have
been introduced in the 108th Congress that would expand existing loan forgiveness
or service payback programs, or would extend them to additional occupational
groups.
The first major federal loan forgiveness program, the National Defense Student
Loan Program, was authorized by the National Defense Education Act in 1958. It
was a loan forgiveness program for public school teachers. Loan forgiveness
provisions currently applicable to Federal Family Education Loans and Direct Loans
were adopted in the 1998 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as
amended (HEA). These provisions are for a teacher loan forgiveness program as well
as a demonstration loan forgiveness program for childcare providers. Loan
forgiveness is also available for Perkins Loans (low-interest loans made by
institutions of higher education to students with financial need) for borrowers who
work in specific public service jobs.
In addition to the U.S. Department of Education administered provisions, there
are federal loan forgiveness and service payback programs specific to particular
occupations or categories of borrowers, for example, the military and health
professions. States also offer many loan forgiveness and service payback programs.
A survey of 100 state programs in 2000-2001 indicated that 43 states had one or more
of these programs. The majority of financial aid administrators interviewed about
these programs for this survey reported that they were effective in meeting students’
financial needs and workforce needs. Nevertheless, concerns about the efficacy of
these programs were also expressed by financial aid administrators.
The policy debate in the 108th Congress has focused mainly on how to improve
existing programs, and on whether new categories of individuals should be covered
by these programs. In particular, existing teacher loan forgiveness programs have
received a lot of attention. These programs are viewed by many as inadequate to
attract and retain sufficient numbers of teachers in shortage areas.
This report will be updated to reflect Congressional action.
Contents
Department of Education: Student Loan Forgiveness Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL) and William D. Ford Direct
Loan Program (DL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Loan Forgiveness for Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Loan Forgiveness for Childcare Providers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Federal Perkins Loans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Additional Large Federal Loan Forgiveness/Service Payback Programs . . . . . . . 7
Programs For Federal Employees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
For Military Employees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
For Civilian Employees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Programs for Medical and Health Researchers and Professionals . . . . . . . . . 8
State Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Policy Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Legislation in the 108th Congress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
List of Tables
Table 1. Student Loan Forgiveness Programs Administered by the
U.S. Department of Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Student Loan Forgiveness Programs
Student loan forgiveness and service payback programs are generally instituted
to provide financial aid to students to make college more accessible, and to attract
individuals to serve in jobs or work in regions experiencing shortages. The first
major federal loan forgiveness program, the National Defense Student Loan Program,
was authorized by the National Defense Education Act in 1958. It was a loan
forgiveness program for public school teachers. Subsequently, federal loan
forgiveness provisions have expanded and have been extended to new categories of
borrowers. Many loan forgiveness proposals have been introduced in recent
Congresses. In the 108th Congress over 40 bills have been introduced which include
student loan forgiveness or service payback provisions.
This report will provide an overview of the current major federal loan
forgiveness programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education (ED). It
will also briefly summarize some of the other major federal loan forgiveness
programs. Finally, it will discuss policy issues and active legislation.
Loan forgiveness and service payback programs are variations of work-
contingent student financial aid:
! Service payback programs cover all or a portion of a student’s school costs if
the student agrees to work for a specific period of time in a specified field or
job after completing his/her education. These programs pay for a student’s
costs (or a portion thereof) while he/she is in school. Recipients in these
programs are required to provide service in return for this assistance; they
agree to provide this service in advance (sometimes years in advance) of
providing the service. There is generally a financial penalty for students who
fail to meet the terms of their agreement.
! Loan forgiveness programs repay a percentage of a former student’s
educational debt in exchange for work in a designated job. These programs
pay off a student’s loan (or a portion thereof) after he/she starts working in a
specified job. Recipients’ loans (or a portion thereof) may be repaid on a
graduated basis over a period of years during which they provide service, or
not until the end of a specified period of service.
Terminology for these programs can be confusing. In some cases the term loan
forgiveness is used to refer to both loan forgiveness and service payback programs.
These programs are also described as work-contingent financial aid because both are
provided in exchange for a student or an employee providing (or promising to
provide) specific services. Additionally, service payback programs are sometimes
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called scholarship programs because they provide financial aid during college.1
Programs referred to in this report as “loan forgiveness programs” are sometimes
referred to as “loan repayment programs” elsewhere. To attempt to minimize
confusion, for purposes of this report, when these programs are being discussed in
general, they will be described as “loan forgiveness and service payback programs”;
when specific programs are discussed, they will be described as either “loan
forgiveness” or “service payback programs.” These distinctions become relevant in
considering the potential of each type of program to achieve specific policy goals, as
their efficacy in accomplishing these goals may differ. Most current legislative
proposals for ED programs are for loan forgiveness programs, and the currently
authorized ED programs discussed in this report are loan forgiveness programs.
Department of Education: Student Loan
Forgiveness Programs
Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL) and William D. Ford
Direct Loan Program (DL)
The largest student loan programs are the FFEL and DL programs administered
by ED; together FFEL and DL provided $45.8 billion in new loans in FY2003, and
they will provide an estimated $52.2 billion in FY2004. They constitute the nation’s
largest source of direct aid for educational expenses of postsecondary students.2
Loan forgiveness provisions currently applicable to FFEL and DL loans were adopted
in the 1998 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA).
These provisions are for a teacher loan forgiveness program as well as a
demonstration loan forgiveness program for childcare providers. These provisions
apply to outstanding principal and accrued interest from subsidized and
unsubsididized Stafford loans through the FFEL and DL programs.3 The teacher loan
forgiveness program is an entitlement program, i.e., qualified teachers who apply for
the forgiveness will receive it; however, the loan forgiveness program for childcare
providers is subject to appropriations. Under both programs, ED is obligated to repay
loan holders for student loans forgiven. Those qualified for this loan forgiveness,
and the relevant ratios of required service to amounts of debt forgiven, are
summarized in Table 1.
Loan Forgiveness for Teachers. The teacher loan forgiveness programs
offered through FFEL and DL, provide qualified teachers up to $5,000 in total loan
principal and interest forgiveness after five consecutive years of full-time teaching
(HEA, Sections 428J and 460). Teaching is considered consecutive even if there is
1However, when such a program includes a subsequent work obligation, and requires the
recipient to repay the loan, and possibly pay a penalty, for failure to meet this obligation,
it is really a service payback program.
2CRS Report RL30656, The Administration of Federal Student Loan Programs:
Background and Provisions, by Adam Stoll.
3As well as portions of consolidation loans attributable to these underlying loans.
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a break in teaching, if the break is due to a return to college for teaching related
education, leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, or a call to active military
duty of more than 30 days.
Teaching must be in a low income public or private non-profit school which is
in a district eligible for Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title I-A
funding. (A low-income school is defined as one in which the percentage of children
from low-income families enrolled in the school exceeds 30% of total enrollment.)
Only new borrowers as of October 1, 1998, with no outstanding loan balances, are
eligible for this loan forgiveness. Secondary school teachers must be teaching in a
subject area relevant to their academic major as certified by the chief administrative
officer of their school; elementary school teachers must have demonstrated (as
certified by the chief administrative officer of their school) knowledge in reading ,
writing, math, and other areas of the elementary curriculum.
Because teachers must accrue five years of consecutive teaching before they are
entitled to receive loan forgiveness, and they must be a new borrower as of October
1, 1998, it is anticipated that the numbers of teachers who are eligible, and
consequently, the amount of loans forgiven, will not be large until FY2009. ED data
indicate that between FY2001 and FY2003, approximately $11 million in teacher
loans were forgiven. However, ED projections indicate that between FY2005 and
FY2014, as more teachers become eligible, over $1.6 billion in teacher loans will be
forgiven.
Loan Forgiveness for Childcare Providers. The 1998 reauthorization
of the HEA also incorporated a demonstration loan forgiveness program for childcare
providers. The program was authorized at $10 million in FY1999. The program
received no funding in the first two years after its authorization (1999 and 2000); it
received $1 million in funding in each of FY2001, FY2002, and FY2003. Only new
borrowers as of October 7, 1998 (those with no outstanding loan balances), are
eligible for this loan forgiveness. Eligible childcare providers must have a degree in
early childhood education and work in a child care facility that meets state or local
requirements, provides child care services for children five or younger, and provides
service in a low income community.4
Childcare providers are eligible for loan forgiveness after the second
consecutive year of employment at the annual rate of 20% of the outstanding loan
balance after each of the second and third consecutive years of service, and at the
annual rate of 30% of the loan balance after each of the fourth and fifth consecutive
years of service.
If appropriations are not sufficient to fund all eligible applicants in a given fiscal
year, loan forgiveness is to be given on a first-come first-served basis, with priority
given to borrowers who received forgiveness under this program in the prior fiscal
4A low income community is defined as one in which 70% of the population earns less than
85% of the state median household income.
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year. ED estimates that between FY2000 and FY2003, $700,000 in loan forgiveness
for child care workers was committed.5
Federal Perkins Loans
Perkins Loans are low-interest loans made by institutions of higher education
to students with financial need. The program was incorporated into the Higher
Education Act in the Educational Amendments of 1972 (P.L. 92-318). Federal
money is allocated by formula to institutions, and is used by institutions, in
combination with an institutional match, to capitalize revolving loan funds in order
to make Perkins loans.6 Perkins Loan forgiveness is available for borrowers who
work in specific public service jobs. Although the amount available for granting
Perkins loans is subject to appropriations, as well as repayments into its revolving
loan funds, Perkins borrowers who meet the criteria for loan forgiveness are entitled
to receive it. Those qualified for this loan forgiveness, and the relevant ratios of
required service to amounts of debt forgiven, are summarized in Table 1.7
Borrowers eligible for forgiveness of their Perkins loan due to public service
include:
! Full-time teachers employed in public or nonprofit elementary or secondary
schools in districts eligible for ESEA Title I-A funding, where the percentage
of children from low-income families enrolled in the school exceeds 30% of
total enrollment,
! Full-time Head Start staff,
! Full-time special education teachers in public or nonprofit elementary or
secondary schools (including teachers of infants and toddlers) or qualified
professional providers of early intervention services under the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA),
! Members of the Armed Forces for service in an area of hostilities,
! Volunteer service under the Peace Corps Act or the Domestic Volunteer
Service Act of 1973,
! Full-time law enforcement or corrections officers (including prosecuting
attorneys, but not public defenders), for service in local, state or federal law
enforcement or corrections agencies,
! Full-time teachers of math, science, foreign languages, bilingual education, or
other fields determined to have a shortage by the state educational agency,
! Full-time nurses or medical technicians providing health services, and
5This is the full amount that will be forgiven if borrowers maintain their eligibility.
However, because it will be paid out over a five year period , the entire $700,000 has not yet
been disbursed. Since borrowers in FY2003 have until Sept. 2004 to apply for forgiveness,
this total may increase.
6CRS Report RL31618, Campus-Based Student Financial Aid Programs Under the Higher
Education Act, by David Smole.
7CRS Report RL31618, Campus-Based Student Financial Aid Programs Under the Higher
Education Act, by David Smole. Perkins loans are also cancelled due to borrower death or
disability, but ED is not required to repay institutions for these loans.
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! Full-time employees of public or private nonprofit child or family service
agencies who provide or supervise service for high-risk children from low-
income communities.8
Since 1972 the program has forgiven more than $524.8 million and $0.7 million
in loan principal for teachers and the military, respectively. For the newer Perkins
Loan forgiveness categories: volunteer service, law enforcement, early intervention
and nurse/medical technicians, $5.4 million, $34.8 million, $33.2 million and $72.9
million in loan principal has been forgiven, respectively.9 ED is obligated to
reimburse institutions for Perkins Loans cancelled due to eligible public service by
the borrower. ED reimburses institutions for loan cancellations to the extent funded
by appropriations. Data are not currently available on the extent to which
appropriations have been sufficient to cover outstanding obligations.
8Higher Education Act of 1965, Section 465 (20 U.S.C. 1087ee).
9These data were provided by the U.S. Department of Education and reflect cumulative
cancellations as of June 30, 2002. Teacher and military cancellations prior to 1972 are not
included here.
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Table 1. Student Loan Forgiveness Programs Administered by
the U.S. Department of Education
Stafford student loans ( FFEL and DL)
Type of Service
Forgiveness Period
Maximum Forgiven
Elementary or secondary school teacher in
$5,000 after five years of
$5,000
school serving low income children (For
qualifying service
new borrowers on or after Oct. 1, 1998)
Child Care Provider Demonstration — for
20% for each of years two
Up to 100%
providers serving in child care facility
and three
serving low-income community (For new
30% for each of years four
borrowers on or after Oct. 7, 1998)
and five
Perkins Student Loans
Type of Service
Forgiveness Period
Maximum Forgiven
Full-time elementary or secondary school
15% for each of years one
Up to 100%
teacher in a school serving low income
and two
students
20% for each of years three
and four
30% for year five and each
successive year
Full-time Head Start staff
15% for each year of
Up to 100%
service
Full-time special education teacher or
15% for each year of
Up to 100%
qualified provider of early intervention
service
services for the disabled
Member of Armed Forces in area of
12½% for each of years
Up to 50%
hostilities
one through four
Vista or Peace Corps volunteer
15% for each of years one
Up to 70%
and two
20% for each of years three
and four
Full-time law enforcement or corrections
15% for each of years one
Up to 100%
officer
and two
20% for each of years three
and four
30% for fifth year and each
successive year
Full-time teacher in shortage area
15% for each of years one
Up to 100%
and two
20% for each of years three
and four
30% for fifth year and each
successive year
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Perkins Student Loans
Type of Service
Forgiveness Period
Maximum Forgiven
Full-time nurse or medical technician
15% for each of years one
Up to 100%
and two
20% for each of years three
and four
30% for fifth year and each
successive year
Full-time employee of provider of services
15% for each of years one
Up to 100%
to high-risk children and families in low
and two
income communities
20% for each of years three
and four
30% for fifth year and each
successive year
Source: HEA, Sections 465, 428J, 460, and 428K.
Additional Large Federal Loan Forgiveness/Service
Payback Programs
This section briefly summarizes some of the other major federal student loan
forgiveness and service payback programs. These programs are limited to specific
groups of employees (e.g., federal employees) or to those training or working in
specific occupations (e.g., medical shortage occupations). Each section includes
references or links for more information about these programs.
Programs For Federal Employees
For Military Employees. The military has an extensive array of programs
that can help students with college costs in return for military service. These
programs include funds to assist with education expenses and full-scholarship
programs (for example, Service Academies and ROTC scholarships);10 access to
educational resources; as well as assistance with loan repayment.11
Student loan forgiveness programs constitute a small share of the educational
assistance programs available to military personnel.12 An example of a loan
forgiveness program available to eligible borrowers is the Army’s College Loan
10See Rebecca Kilburn and Beth Asch, eds., Recruiting Youth in the College Market:
Current Practices and Future Policy Options (Santa Monica, CA: RAND National Defense
Research Institute, 2003).
11For detailed information on available assistance, including relevant links, please see
[http://www.todaysmilitary.com].
12For more information on Department of Defense personnel issues, see CRS Issue Brief
IB10089, Military Pay and Benefits: Key Questions and Answers, by Robert Goldich; and
CRS Report RL32151, DOD Transformation Initiatives and the Military Personnel System:
Proceedings of a CRS Seminar, by Lawrence Kapp.
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Repayment Program which will forgive one-third of approved student loans for each
year of full-time duty served, up to a maximum of $65,000. The Navy’s Loan
Repayment Program also offers a loan forgiveness program for up to $65,000 for
full-time duty soldiers who have no prior military service, a high school diploma and
a qualified loan. The Air Force College Loan Repayment Program offers up to
$10,000 in loan forgiveness to eligible new recruits.
For Civilian Employees. Federal agencies may use loan forgiveness to
recruit new employees — agencies may pay up to $10,000 per year, and $60,000 in
total, toward an employee’s student debt. In return, the employee must agree to work
for the agency for at least three years.13
Programs for Medical and Health Researchers and
Professionals
The following discussion provides examples of some of the many loan
forgiveness and service payback provisions available to qualified individuals. The
National Institutes of Health has several loan forgiveness programs (both extramural
and intramural), to help attract individuals to research careers. In exchange for a two-
year work commitment (of at least 20 hours per week), NIH will repay up to a total
of $70,000 of a researcher’s qualified education debt.14
The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) has both loan forgiveness and
service payback programs to encourage health professionals to work as primary
health providers in selected health professional shortage areas, as identified by the
Department of Health and Human Services. Recipients selected for the loan
forgiveness program must sign a contract agreeing to provide two years of clinical
service in the shortage area. The NHSC will pay up to $50,000 of outstanding
qualified student loans for the first two years of service.15
The Nurse Reinvestment Act (P.L. 107-205), signed into law on August 1, 2002,
established a service payback program which provides a scholarship to nursing
students in exchange for a commitment to work two years in a healthcare facility in
a critical nursing shortage area. In addition, it established a loan forgiveness program
for nurses who agree to work as nursing faculty for a period of time.16
13CRS Report RL31102, Student Loan Repayment Program for Federal Employees, by
Lorraine Tong and Barbara Schwemle.
14[http://www.lrp.nih.gov/].
15[http://nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov/].
16CRS Report RL31090, Long-Term Care: Nursing and Paraprofessional Workforce Issues,
by Julie Lynn Stone.
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There are also federal programs that provide loan forgiveness after the
completion of a specified term of service. Examples include programs for
AmeriCorps, the National Civilian Corps and VISTA.17
State Programs
Increasing numbers of student loan forgiveness and service payback programs
are also being offered by states.18 A survey of 100 state programs in 2000-2001,
published by the Lumina Foundation for Education, indicated that 43 states had one
or more of these programs. Seventy-five percent of these programs (and 90% of
participants) were service payback programs. However, since 1998, state loan
forgiveness programs have been growing faster than service payback programs.19
Teaching and medical fields were the occupations most frequently targeted; almost
70% of the participants were teachers.20 Academic merit was the most common
criterion for choosing participants for service payback programs; financial need was
the second. State service payback programs often require participants to be a state
resident whereas loan forgiveness programs do not typically require participants to
be a state resident.
The majority of financial aid administrators interviewed about these programs,
for the Lumina survey, reported that they were generally effective in meeting
students’ financial needs and workforce needs. Nevertheless, concerns about the
efficacy of these programs were also expressed by student financial aid
administrators. Administrators also reported that they believed loan forgiveness
programs were lower risk than service payback programs, since service was provided
each year before forgiveness was granted, and because there were not the
administrative costs of tracking borrowers throughout school and the subsequent
period of service.
17Members of AmeriCorps, the National Civilian Corps, and Volunteers in Service to
America (VISTA) who complete a term of service, are eligible for an education award
through the National and Community Service Act of 1990. This education award may be
used toward college expenses or to repay qualified student loans. The award is $4,725 for
a year of full-time service with lesser awards available for part-time service. VISTA
members may choose the education award or a lump sum stipend that accrues at the rate of
$100 for each month of service. CRS Report RL30186, Community Service: A Description
of AmeriCorps, Foster Grandparents, and Other Federally Funded Programs, by Ann
Lordeman.
18Rita Kirshstein, Andrea Berger, Elana Benatar and David Rhodes, Workforce Contingent
Financial Aid: How States Link Financial Aid to Employment, American Institutes for
Research and the Lumina Foundation for Education, Feb. 2004. (Hereafter cited as
Kirshstein, et al., Workforce Contingent Financial Aid.)
19For more information on state programs for teachers, see CRS Report RL32050, Teacher
Recruitment and Retention: Current Programs and Legislation in the 108th Congress, by
Jeffrey Kuenzi.
20Kirshstein, et. al., Workforce Contingent Financial Aid.
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The authors of this survey found state tracking systems were inconsistent, and
states had little data available on the programs’ efficacy:
Some programs knew the number of participants with current obligations but
could not separate those meeting the workforce obligation from those repaying
the financial assistance. Other programs could not distinguish the number of
students who completed their service obligation from the number of students who
completed only partial service.21 ... Despite the proliferation in and variety of
these programs, however, states have done little research to determine whether
these types of financial aid programs are an effective way of either providing
financial assistance to students or attracting workers to occupations that are
experiencing shortages.22
Policy Issues
Loan forgiveness and service payback programs generally have one or more of
the following four goals: to provide financial assistance to students to help them
with the costs of college, to entice individuals to choose a particular occupation or
field of specialization, to entice individuals to work for a period of time in a certain
job or underserved region, or to entice individuals to remain in a high need
occupation, region or underserved facility.
Past research has examined the efficacy of loan forgiveness and service payback
programs as a way of achieving these goals.23 The Government Accountability
Office (GAO) has issued several reports and provided testimony on loan forgiveness
and service payback programs intended to attract health professionals to serve in a
shortage area. In a 1974 report the GAO examined the efficacy of a program of loan
forgiveness called the Health Profession Student Assistance Program (the program
is no longer in existence in the form evaluated by the GAO).24 The GAO found this
particular program, with the loan forgiveness provisions in effect at the time of the
evaluation, was not effective on influencing where graduates set up their practices.
According to the GAO, it was not effective because most students were not aware
the loan forgiveness was available, and because those that were, did not consider the
forgiveness sufficient to outweigh the disadvantages of the required service.
In subsequent work, the GAO has examined the strengths and weaknesses of
loan forgiveness versus service payback provisions. In response to a congressional
21Ibid.
22Ibid.
23L.E. Zubrow, “Is Loan Forgiveness Divine? Another View,” The George Washington Law
Review, vol. 59, no. 3 (1991). For a literature review, see Westat Human Service Group,
Loan Forgiveness in Postsecondary Education: A Review of Recent Legislation and
Relevant Literature, prepared for the Office of Policy and Planning, U.S. Department of
Education, Jan. 1993.
24U.S. Government Accountability Office, Congressional Objectives of Federal Loans and
Scholarships To Health Professions Students Not Being Met, GAO/Report No. B-164031-2,
1974.
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request, the GAO compared the relative costs and benefits to the federal government
of the National Health Service Corps loan forgiveness and service payback programs.
The GAO did not examine the efficacy of these programs in general, but in
contrasting the costs and benefits of these two programs under the specific
circumstances of the National Health Service Corps, it found the service payback
program to be more costly.25 The GAO found the administrative costs in the National
Health Service Corps service payback program were greater than those in the loan
forgiveness program because students must be tracked through college, and
subsequently through their performance of service. This is in contrast to loan
forgiveness programs where forgiveness is provided after service, and where the
employee has the responsibility of applying for loan forgiveness. As a result,
administrative costs are lessened.
Additionally, the GAO found that loan forgiveness recipients were more likely
to complete their service commitment and to continue service after their obligation
had expired. Loan forgiveness programs minimize the risk that someone will commit
to a particular major to qualify for financial aid, but will not continue in the field or
perform their required service.26
However, service payback programs may have advantages as a financial aid
program. Because these programs provide aid to students during college as expenses
occur, they may serve students who otherwise could not attend. Thus, they may
broaden the pool of potential recipients to include less affluent students. This may
partly explain the attraction of these programs in states, where, in general, only state
residents are eligible to participate in service payback programs. As a consequence,
the potentially higher costs may be offset by the fact that the benefits accrue to state
residents, and the recipients remain in the state to provide their service.
The Lumina study (discussed earlier) is a recent examination of state loan
forgiveness and service payback programs. It did not try to ascertain the efficacy of
loan forgiveness and service payback programs in achieving states’ workforce or
financial aid goals, however, as noted, it did raise concerns about the lack of
available evidence on this issue:
... we really do not know whether these programs are the best way to help
individuals, whether currently enrolled in school or repaying loans, cover
educational expenses. Also, we really do not know whether programs
themselves are helping reduce workforce shortages or whether those accepting
financial assistance would have worked in the occupation or geographic areas
without the incentive of loan forgiveness or repayment.27
Over time, as loan forgiveness and service payback programs have become more
widespread and their popularity has risen — policy discussions have become more
25U.S. Government Accountability Office, National Health Service Corps: Opportunities
to Stretch Scarce Dollars and Improve Provider Placement, GAO/HEHS-96-28, Nov. 1995
26U.S. Government Accountability Office, Health Care Access: Programs for Underserved
Populations Could be Improved, GAO/T-HEHS-00-81, Mar. 23, 2000.
27Kirshstein, et. al., Workforce Contingent Financial Aid.
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focused on the fine-tuning of loan forgiveness and service payback provisions to best
meet the needs of the targeted group, job, or region.
Perhaps in part due to the potential advantages of loan forgiveness programs in
terms of cost and in retaining individuals in specific jobs, occupations, or regions,
most ED administered programs and most current legislative proposals are for loan
forgiveness programs. Elementary and secondary teachers, in particular, are the
intended recipients of these programs, but many other occupational groups, including
armed services personnel, public servants, public defenders, nurses, Head Start
teachers and early childhood teachers, mental health professionals, families of public
safety officers, and many others, are included in proposals that have been introduced
in the 108th Congress.
As noted above, presently data on these programs’ effectiveness are limited.
Some outstanding questions for future research on these programs include acquiring
more data on the extent to which loan forgiveness or service payback recipients
would have taken the targeted job irrespective of the program, the extent to which
participants remain in jobs after the expiration of the loan forgiveness or service
payback program, how the efficacy of these programs compares to other forms of
financial aid, and the extent to which these programs may be divisive when there are
similar individuals working in similar jobs, but only some are eligible for loan
forgiveness (in effect, creating a situation where one employee is paid more than
another for the same work).
Legislation in the 108th Congress
Over 40 bills have been introduced in the 108th Congress which would extend
loan forgiveness or service payback programs to additional categories of individuals
or would expand existing programs. The majority of these bills are for loan
forgiveness programs.
Current legislative proposals are intended to enhance incentives for individuals
to choose or stay in a particular job or career. Many of these proposals focus on
teachers. Estimates indicate that as many as one third of new teachers leave the
profession within five years. Many other teachers leave existing teaching jobs for
other teaching jobs, creating a significant problem for some schools.28 Some have
argued that the present teacher FFEL and DL loan forgiveness provisions, with a
$5,000 dollar limit after completing five years of service before any forgiveness is
granted, do not provide incentives sufficient to attract and retain highly needed
teachers.
The only ED administered loan forgiveness and service payback bills that have
passed to date, in either chamber, would expand these programs for teachers. H.R.
438, the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Act of 2003, was passed by the House
on July 9, 2003. This legislation would increase the student loan debt that could be
28CRS Report RL32050, Teacher Recruitment and Retention: Current Programs and
Legislation in the 108th Congress, by Jeffrey J. Kuenzi.
CRS-13
forgiven by ED (up to $17,500) for highly qualified teachers of mathematics and
science in secondary schools, and for special education and related specialists in
elementary schools, for service in high poverty schools. Also included are provisions
for a new accelerated repayment for these eligible teachers. H.R. 438 would permit
teachers to receive the lesser of: 10% of their outstanding loan balance, or $1,750
after the second year of service; $2,625 or 15% of their outstanding loan balance,
after the third year of service; $4,375 or 25% of their outstanding loan balance after
the fourth year of service; and $8,750 or 50% of their outstanding loan balance after
the fifth year of service.
H.R. 2211, the Ready to Teach Act of 2003, was passed by the House on July
9, 2003. H.R. 2211 would among other things, award competitive grants to states or
eligible partnerships which may be used in part for a service payback program to
attract teachers in high need subject areas. Similar legislation, H.R. 4409, the
Teacher Training Enhancement Act, was passed by the House on June 2, 2004. This
bill was added to H.R. 444, the Back to Work Incentive Act of 2003, as passed the
House on June 3, 2004