Debt Management Tools

B.C. Loan Forgiveness Program

Overview
Eligibility Criteria
How to Apply
Questions?

Overview

The B.C. loan forgiveness program recognizes the increasing need for skilled professionals in underserved communities in the province.

This program has been designed to provide British Columbia Student Loan (BCSL) forgiveness to graduates from accredited post-secondary educational institutions in various professions who agree to work in publicly funded facilities in underserved areas of British Columbia.

Graduates from accredited schools in nursing (including licensed practical nurses and nurse practitioners) and from medical, midwifery and pharmacy schools who began their final year of study on or after Aug. 1, 2000, will have all outstanding BCSL debt forgiven at a rate of 33 1/3 per cent per year.

Students graduating on or after Dec. 1, 2004, from speech language pathology, occupational therapy, audiology and physiotherapy, who will be working with children in underserved communities, will have all outstanding BCSL debt forgiven at a rate of 33 1/3 per cent per year.

Eligibility Criteria

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

Be employed (full time, part time, and/or casual/on call) at a publicly funded facility in a designated underserved community within B.C.
Have an outstanding BCSL in good standing
Have graduated from an accredited post-secondary institution
Have started your final year of study on or after Aug. 1, 2000 (for nurses, nurse practitioners, doctors, midwives and pharmacists)
Have graduated on or after Dec. 1, 2004 (for speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, audiologists and physiotherapists)
Not be in full-time studies

Note: If your file is under audit, your application will be held until the audit is complete.

How to Apply

B.C. loan forgiveness applications are available through the Student Services Branch or in PDF format below. You must complete your application and forward it to your BCSL lender for completion of the lender's section. The lender will then return the application to you.

Along with the initial application, an original letter from the publicly funded facility or health authority confirming your employment must be submitted.

Note:

If you have a practitioner number, you must submit a letter from your health authority confirming that you serve in the community.
Professionals under contract to the Province must ensure their employment letter also includes the contract number and ministry involved.
Midwives must also submit a letter from the Association of Midwives confirming their registration.

An official sealed transcript showing that graduation requirements have been fulfilled must be included with your first application for loan forgiveness.

At the end of each 12 months of employment, within thirty days of your anniversary date, you must submit a letter from your employer confirming that 12 months of employment have been completed. A reminder letter will be sent out from the Student Services Branch before your anniversary date.

You must submit an application for loan forgiveness to the Student Services Branch at the beginning of each year of employment. Second- and third-year applications must be received by the Student Services Branch within 30 days of your anniversary date.

B.C. Loan Forgiveness Application

Questions?

For more detail, please take a look at our frequently asked questions.