Student Loan Forgiveness by State

Only one state doesn't have any student loan forgiveness program

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Updated February 27, 2023
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If you're pursuing higher education in the United States, you'll likely need to take out a student loan to afford it. This is often the case regardless of where in the country you're enrolled; however, student loan debt does vary by state, so students seeking the same kind of degree may owe more or less than their peers in other regions.

But wherever you live, most states have student loan forgiveness programs that may offer relief for graduates struggling to pay off their debt.

Key Takeaways

  • According to the Institute for College Access & Success, 19 states reported an average debt of more than $30,000 in 2020, while six states reported average amounts of over $35,000.
  • At $39,928, borrowers in New Hampshire had the highest average student debt burden. Conversely, at $18,344, Utah's graduates owed the least in student debt on average, and it was the only state with a figure below $20,000.
  • At $64,354, the District of Columbia had the highest total on-campus cost of attendance in 2019–2020, while Idaho had the lowest at $19,296.
  • Minnesota has the most student loan forgiveness programs.
  • North Dakota is the only state that does not have a dedicated student loan forgiveness program, though the state does offer loan repayment assistance to certain professions, like those in the medical field.

Understanding Student Loan Debt Forgiveness

Student debt is what's owed when a borrower takes out either a federal or private loan to cover the costs of higher education, which can include—among other things—tuition, textbooks, other school supplies, and basic living expenses. As of December 2022, Americans collectively owed $1.76 trillion in student loan debt. To put that number in context, that's more than the gross domestic product (GDP) of all but eleven countries in 2021.

Even when accounting for potential scholarships or parental financial assistance, most people will likely still need a loan. Additionally, the cost of education has risen over time, meaning even larger sums may be required in the future.

Student debt is a reality for over 45 million Americans, and there are myriad of reasons why someone would be unable to repay their loans. Delinquency in repayments can eventually lead to a loan going into default, both of which have long-lasting impacts on a borrower's credit score and credit report.

And even if someone is able to keep up with their loan payments, this expense can make it harder to save for bigger purchases or even an emergency fund.

Fortunately, there are programs available that offer student loan forgiveness to graduates struggling to manage their debt burdens. In addition to the student loan forgiveness options provided by the federal government—which are available to anyone who meets the criteria regardless of their location within the U.S.—individual state governments may also have their own debt cancellation programs.

Below is our analysis of how student loan balances and forgiveness programs differed by state in 2020; the most recent data is provided by The Institute for College Access & Success.

Student Loan Debt by State

According to the Institute for College Access & Success, 19 states reported an average debt of more than $30,000 in 2020, while six states reported average amounts of over $35,000. Many of the same states appeared at the higher and lower ends of this range as they did in previous years. States with larger amounts of debt remained concentrated in the Northeast, while states with smaller student debt burdens were mainly in the West.

At $39,950, borrowers in New Hampshire had the highest average student debt burden. Conversely, at $18,350, Utah's graduates owed the least in student debt on average, and it was the only state with a figure below $20,000.

In addition to the size of the debt, the loan burden is also measured by the percentage of students who carry debt. The same report found that for the 2019 to 2020 academic year, 73% of graduates in South Dakota had student loan debt, the highest percentage in the U.S. Likewise, at 39%, Utah had the lowest percentage of graduates with student loan debt for this same period.

At 27% of graduates, North Dakota had the highest rate of private borrowing, with New Hampshire's just two percentage points lower. However, New Hampshire's nonfederal debt as a percent of total debt was only the sixth highest in the country at 38%. North Dakota ranked 15th on that measure with 29%. Utah had the lowest rate of private debt utilization with only 3% of 2020 graduates exiting with private debt. But nonfederal debt accounted for the smallest percentage of total debt in Nevada (3%).

Although not a state, at $64,354, the District of Columbia had the highest average total on-campus cost of attendance in 2020. At $53,853, Massachusetts had the second-highest. The state with the lowest cost of attendance was Idaho, at $19,296. Additionally, Vermont had the highest average tuition and fees at $31,764, accounting for 72.35% of the total cost of attendance. Wyoming's $4,747 in tuition and fees made up just 31.86% of its total cost of attendance.

Lastly, by subtracting the average total cost of attendance of each state from its respective average student loan debt, we can see which parts of the U.S. generally offer more student aid than the minimum amount required. The excess cash can go toward off-campus living expenses or debt repayment after graduation.

Twenty-seven states have attendance costs lower than the average graduate debt. North Dakota borrowers had an average of $12,592 left after accounting for the cost of attendance. Conversely, at -$27,194 on average, students in the District of Columbia will have to pay far more for their education than their mean student loan amount covers.

Student Loan Forgiveness by State

As of June 2022, 49 states and the District of Columbia offer at least one student loan forgiveness program. There are a total of 129 state-level student debt cancellation plans in the U.S. Minnesota has the most student loan forgiveness programs. North Dakota is the only state that does not currently have its own dedicated student debt cancellation options. These programs are subject to change or close at any time and states can offer new ones as well.

Most education loan forgiveness plans are designed to help borrowers in specific professions so as to attract more students seeking the same careers to a particular state (for example, doctors, science and math teachers, lawyers, etc.).

That this allows the state to potentially draw multiple kinds of workers into the local economy is also why a state might offer more than one program. Because economic circumstances will also differ by state, other variations are likely to exist among programs pertaining to the same careers. Below are the three areas that can differ the most from program to program.

  • Amount: Among all U.S. state programs, the amount of educational debt that can be forgiven can range from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars. Additionally, some debt cancellation plans offer different amounts of debt forgiveness depending on the applicant. For instance, Florida's Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness Program (NSLFP) offers a flat rate of up to $4,000 per year.
  • Eligibility: Each student loan forgiveness program has a set of criteria that borrowers must meet in order to have their debt forgiven. On a basic level, applicants typically must be a citizen of the U.S. and/or the relevant state, have outstanding educational debt, and be actively working in the required profession. The Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program (MLRP) for health professionals, for example, is available to a wide variety of healthcare workers, whereas Missouri's Health Professional Nursing Student Loans program is, as the name implies, only available to nurses.
  • Application process and cycle: Unlike the procedure for federal programs, there is no standard procedure for applying to state loan forgiveness programs. For example, not all states have online application processes available on their websites. Some simply require emailing an individual involved in the program. Required information and/or documentation also varies.

Although federal loan forgiveness options are available for U.S. citizens in any part of the country, state programs are still worth looking into, regardless of whether a borrower is a graduate or a prospective student trying to decide which school to attend.

In fact, certain programs were implemented in an effort to attract more workers in highly sought-after fields within a state's communities. Iowa's Health Professional Recruitment Program (HPRP), for example, was established to increase the number of athletic trainers, occupational therapists, physicians, physician assistants, podiatrists, and physical therapists practicing in high-need communities.

Although no one should plan their academic future around having to seek debt cancellation, there's no harm in students who are seeking higher education in these coveted fields researching which programs could serve as a backup plan should they encounter some sort of financial hardship.

Below is a list of each state's student loan forgiveness program in the U.S.:

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

District of Columbia

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

What Are the Consequences of Unpaid Student Loans?

Unpaid student loans are considered delinquent, and loans that remain in delinquency can eventually go into default. Both delinquencies and defaults can negatively impact a borrower's credit score and credit report.

How Long Does a Default Stay on Your Credit Report?

Private and most federal student loans that are in default will remain on a borrower's credit report and reduce their credit score for seven years from the date of the late payment.

What Is Student Loan Forgiveness?

Student loan forgiveness refers to programs that—following a successful application and meeting their criteria—relieve borrowers of the requirement to repay some or all of their loan(s). There are education debt cancellation programs provided by both the federal government and state governments.

The Bottom Line

Data from the College Board shows that the number of graduates with student loan debt has been declining slightly. It would be good if this trend continues for the foreseeable future, but the continuously escalating cost of higher education makes that unlikely.

Meanwhile, the current debt crisis is also causing a decline in marriage rates, small business formations, the pursuit of career ambitions, and savings rates throughout the U.S. Waiting for the problem to resolve itself isn't advisable—and certainly isn't an option for the students and graduates shouldering this debt burden.

Although there are avenues available for student loan cancellation both on the federal level and in nearly every state, the public calls for change show that these programs have been insufficient to meet the needs of borrowers.

Although debt forgiveness won't completely eliminate the student lending gap between states, it may at least help level the playing field between the borrowers struggling to repay their loans in some regions and the debt-free graduates in other parts of the country.

Article Sources
Investopedia requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts. We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in our editorial policy.

  1. The Institute for College Access. "Student Debt and the Class of 2020."

  2. Institute for College Access & Success. "Student Debt and the Class of 2020."

  3. Institute for College Access & Success. "Student Debt and the Class of 2020," Download "Download the Data (Excel)."

  4. North Dakota Health & Human Services. "ND Federal Loan Repayment Program."

  5. State of North Dakota, Department of Health. "Loan Repayment."

  6. Federal Reserve Board. "Consumer Credit - G.19."

  7. The World Bank. "GDP (Current US$)."

  8. Federal Student Aid. "Student Loan Delinquency and Default."

  9. Federal Student Aid. "Student Loan Forgiveness."

  10. The Institute for College Access & Success. "Student Debt and the Class of 2020," Page 4.

  11. The Institute for College Access & Success. "Student Debt and the Class of 2020."

  12. The Institute for College Access. "Student Debt and the Class of 2020," Pages 11–12, 19.

  13. National Center for Education Statistics. "Average Undergraduate Tuition, Fees, Room, and Board Charges for Full-Time Students in Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions, by Control and Level of Institution and State or Jurisdiction: 2018-19 and 2019-20."

  14. The Florida Department of Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA). "Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness Program."

  15. Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance. "Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program (MLRP) for Health Professionals."

  16. Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services. "Health Professional Nursing Student Loans."

  17. Iowa College Aid. "Health Professional Recruitment Program."

  18. U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid. "Getting Out of Default: Don’t Get Discouraged If You’re in Default on Your Federal Student Loan."

  19. College Board. "Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid 2021," Pages 4–5.

  20. College Board. "Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid 2022." Page 4.

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