Your guide to student loan forgiveness for nurses | Earnest

Your guide to student loan forgiveness for nurses

By Carolyn Morris | Published on October 21, 2025

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Nursing can be an extremely rewarding career — and an expensive path to pursue. These days, many nurses have to rely on education loans to cover the cost of nursing school. According to one recent study, the average nurse’s student debt is more than half their annual income. That’s a huge financial burden, especially for nurses who are just launching their careers.

The good news? Depending on where you work, you might have county, state, or federal student debt forgiveness options available to you. Here’s a look at three of the most popular programs that offer student loan forgiveness for nurses.

NURSE Corps Loan Repayment

This loan repayment program (LRP) offers nurses the chance to get the majority of their debt canceled. In exchange for working in underserved areas — usually rural communities or other places with limited health resources — the NURSE Corps will pay off a large portion of your nursing loans for you.

Just how much? If you work in a designated high-need area for two years, you could get 60% of your remaining student loan balance paid off. If you work in a qualified area for a third year, NURSE Corps will pay off another 25% of your loan’s original balance. That’s up to 85% of your loans paid off, in exchange for just three years of service.

Who is eligible for the NURSE Corps Loan Repayment Program?

To qualify for loan repayment via the Nurse Corps program, you must:

The NURSE Corps also prioritizes applicants with financial need.

How to apply for the NURSE Corps Loan Repayment Program

Check out the NURSE Corps Loan Repayment Program’s website for the current forms (the 2024 application is closed, but it will reopen early next year.) The application and qualified areas can change annually, so the NURSE Corps website will have the most up to date information for applicants.

National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Loan Repayment

This loan repayment option is popular among nurses, but it also offers forgiveness to other qualified healthcare professionals. The amount of loan forgiveness you receive is primarily based on the community you work in and the level of need. That said, the upper limits are pretty high.

If you’re a nurse practitioner or certified nurse midwife and are working full-time in an eligible Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA), you could be awarded up to $75,000 in student loan forgiveness. If you work part-time, you could be awarded up to $37,500. Some awards may be even higher for applicants with Spanish language proficiency.

Who is eligible for the NHSC Loan Repayment Program?

Unlike the NURSE Corps program, both part-time and full-time nurses are eligible for the NHSC Loan Repayment Program. Besides working in a HPSA area, you must also meet these criteria:

How to apply for the NHSC Loan Repayment Program

To apply for the NHSC Loan Repayment Program you must first find a job at an NHSC-approved site. After getting the position you can apply online during the open application period (usually January to March each year).

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

PSLF is a debt relief program offered by the U.S. Department of Education. It provides loan forgiveness for U.S.-based government organizations at any level (federal, state, local, or tribal) – this includes the U.S. military, not-for-profit organizations that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and other not-for-profit organizations that devote a majority of their full-time equivalent employees to providing certain qualifying public services.

That includes nurses at many public healthcare facilities.

Who is eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program?

Borrowers eligible for PSLF need to make 120 qualifying payments while working full-time for a qualifying employer. Only Federal Direct Loans are eligible for PSLF.

The Federal Student Aid website includes complete descriptions of what a qualified payment, qualified employer, and full-time employment mean for PSLF applicants. However, the only way to be positive that you qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness now or in the future is to complete and submit the Employment Certification form as soon as possible.

According to the Federal Student Aid website, “too many borrowers wait to submit this important form until they have been in repayment for several years, at which point they learn that they have not been making qualifying payments.”

How to Apply for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

After 120 qualifying payments (usually made over the course of 10 years), borrowers can apply for PSLF. You will not automatically receive PSLF after 120 qualifying payments. Instead, you must fill out and submit a PSLF application to receive loan forgiveness.

Alternatives to student loan forgiveness programs

For many nursing students, loan forgiveness represents an incredible opportunity to get out of debt. But not all student loan borrowers qualify. The good news? Even if you don’t meet the eligibility requirements for the above programs, there are still plenty of things you can do to get your student loans under control.

Consolidate your federal loans

If you’re struggling to pay your federal student loans, you may be able to lower your monthly payment through one of the federal government’s income-driven repayment plans ¹. These programs cap your monthly payment amount at a certain percentage of your income. That ensures your loan payments remain affordable. To sign up, you’ll need to first consolidate your existing federal loans with a Direct Consolidation Loan. During this process, you’ll be able to select your new loan term and what kind of repayment plan you’d like to pursue.

Consider state or local forgiveness options

Federal programs aren’t the only source of student loan forgiveness for nurses. Many counties and states provide loan forgiveness as well. Be sure to look for state loan repayment programs as well as more local programs. Some programs are more general, while others are specifically designed to help pay back medical school loans and nursing education debt.

Look for employer student loan repayment programs

Some hospitals also offer employer student loan repayment assistance. These programs, designed as an employee perk, usually provide an employer match that goes toward paying off your student loans. Some employers also pay for education loan refinancing. Reach out to your hospital’s HR department to see if any such programs are in place.

Refinance your student loans

Student loan refinancing is similar to student loan consolidation. Like consolidation, refinancing allows you to exchange your current debts for a new loan with a new loan servicer. But unlike federal consolidation, refinancing gives you the opportunity to lower your interest rate². If you have a stable financial situation and a strong credit score, you could qualify for significant savings — which could both reduce your monthly payment and help you get out of debt faster.

Refinance your nursing school loans with Earnest

If you’re ready to refinance your student loans, your first step is to shop around to see what kinds of rates each lender can offer you. That said, it’s important to consider more than just interest rate alone. Also be sure to look for a lender with stellar customer service, customizable loan options, and low to no fees.

At Earnest, for example, we never charge fees of any kind. We let you skip a payment once per year³ without penalty, and we give all borrowers an interest rate discount just for signing up for Auto Pay⁴. We also allow borrowers to refinance with a cosigner for even more savings. Want to see how much you could save by refinancing with Earnest? Check your rate for free today. It only takes a few minutes, and it won’t affect your credit score.