If You Need Help Repaying

B.C. loan forgiveness program

Overview: Who can apply?

Recent graduates in some specific professions can have their B.C. student loans forgiven by agreeing to work at publicly funded facilities in British Columbia. In some cases, eligibility also includes working in an underserved area of B.C.

The eligible professions are:

  • nursing
  • nurse practitioner
  • medicine
  • midwifery
  • pharmacist
  • speech language pathology
  • pediatric occupational therapy
  • audiology
  • pediatric physiotherapy
  • teachers for the visually impaired
  • teachers for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • technology education teachers
  • school psychologists

How does it work?

If you qualify for the program, the government of British Columbia will forgive your outstanding B.C. student loan debt at a rate of 33 1/3 per cent per year. After three years, your B.C. student loans will be paid in full.

While you are in the loan forgiveness program, the provincial government will also pay any outstanding interest that accumulates during each year you are registered in the program.

Professionals who receive B.C. loan forgiveness may work full-time, part-time, casual or on-call.

Eligibility criteria

To qualify for the B.C. loan forgiveness program, you must:

  • Have B.C. student loans in good standing.
  • Not be enrolled in full-time post-secondary studies.
  • Have graduated from an accredited post-secondary institution in the time-frame required by the program for different professions (see below).
  • Be employed at a publicly funded facility, as described below.

Nursing, medical, midwifery and pharmacy graduates

You are eligible for B.C. student loan forgiveness if:

  • You graduated (or your study program ends) after Aug. 1, 2000.
  • You are employed at a publicly funded facility in an underserved B.C. community.

Speech language pathology, occupational therapy, audiology and physiotherapy graduates

You are eligible for B.C. loan forgiveness if:

  • You graduated (or your study program ends) after Dec. 1, 2004.
  • You are employed at a publicly-funded facility, working with children.

Teachers for the deaf and hard of hearing , teachers for the visually impaired, school psychologists, technology education teachers

You are eligible for B.C. loan forgiveness if:

  • You graduated (or your study program ends) after April 1, 2007.
  • You are employed at a publicly funded facility or school district in B.C.
Eligibility for the loan forgiveness program is not subject to appeal.

Application form

B.C. loan forgiveness application can be downloaded [349kb]. Forms are also available at your school's financial aid office.

How to apply for registration in the program

  1. Complete your application form.
  2. If you have risk-sharing or guaranteed loans, forward your application form to the lender (bank or credit union) holding your B.C. student loan, for completion of the lender's section. The lender will then return the application to you. (If you have direct lend loans only, this does not apply.)
  3. Submit your application form to StudentAid BC, along with the original copy of a letter from the publicly funded facility or health authority you are working for, confirming your employment. Please note:
    • If you are in private practice, you must have a practitioner number and submit a letter from your health authority confirming that you serve in the community.
    • If you are a professional under contract to the Province of British Columbia, your employment letter must also include the contract number and ministry involved.
    • If you are a midwife, you must also submit a letter from the Association of Midwives confirming your registration.
  4. Submit an official sealed transcript from your post-secondary school proving that you have fulfilled graduation requirements.
If your StudentAid BC file is under audit, your application for loan forgiveness will not be processed until the audit is complete.

Your responsibilities

At the end of each 12 months of employment under the loan forgiveness agreement, within 30 days you must submit to StudentAid BC a letter from your employer confirming that you have completed 12 months of employment.

Questions

For more details about the B.C. loan forgiveness program, please go to frequently asked questions.