SPIRE  |  Your Bill

Elementary and Secondary Teaching

Maximum Amount Canceled: 
Up to 100%
Eligibility: 
NDSL/ Perkins loans made on or after July 1, 1972
  • 15% of the original principal loan amount plus accrued interest for the first and second years of service.
  • 20% of the original principal loan amount plus accrued interest for the third and fourth years of service.
  • 30% of the original principal loan amount plus accrued interest for the fifth year of service.

Cancellation Form.PDF

A borrower may be eligible to cancel all or a portion of their loan for teaching services as follows:

  • A full-time teacher in a public or nonprofit elementary or secondary school serving students from low-income families.
  • A full-time teacher of handicapped students in a public or nonprofit elementary or secondary school. The majority of children being taught must handicapped.
  • A full-time special education teacher including teachers of infants, toddlers, children or youth with disabilities in a public or nonprofit elementary or secondary school system.
  • A full-time teacher in a public or other non-profit elementary or secondary school in the fields of mathematics, science, foreign languages, bilingual education or in any other field of expertise that is determined by a state education agency to have a shortage of qualified teachers in that state. See the Nationwide Listing of Teacher Shortage Areas [PDF]. of teacher shortage areas in individual states.

An eligible teacher is defined as someone with:

  • direct classroom teaching
  • classroom type teaching in a non-classroom setting
  • educational services directly related to classroom teaching 
    (school librarians and school guidance counselors are eligible under this category)