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Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program

Oregon's Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program

Oregon Department of Education's Role

The Oregon Department of Education acts only as a liaison for the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program in that we approve eligible schools to be added to the Teacher Cancellation Low Income (TCLI) Directory.                                

ODE is not able to provide recommendations or advice on individual loans. Please consult the Federal Student Aid Resources listed at the bottom of this page.

Once a school is listed in the TCLI Directory, teachers may contact their loan provider to understand the necessary steps to determine eligibility for Federal Program Loan Forgiveness. This Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program PowerPoint presentation serves as a reference guide to assist in learning more about the process.

How Schools are added to the TCLI Directory

There are two ways Oregon schools are added to the TCLI Directory; 

  1. Annually at the end of the school year through data collections or 
  2. Through the School Eligibility Application

The current list will reflect the previous school year's data prior to the data update in late June or July.

Schools Added Through Data Collections

Schools verified as eligible through data collections annually in June are added to the TCLI Directory by July of each year.

Example of schools and ESDs included in data collections:

Schools added through the School Eligibility Application

If a school is not listed on the TCLI Directory and would like to be added, the school administration must submit a School Eligibility Application that verifies the school meets the necessary criteria to be listed on the TCLI Directory. Once reviewed, a letter of approval/denial will be sent to the district.

If the application is approved, a revised TCLI report will be submitted to update the TCLI Directory. 

NOTE: Eligible schools applying for the CURRENT school year will be added to the TCLI Directory at the end of the school year once the data has been compiled and submitted to the U.S. Department of Education. 

Criteria to be listed on the TCLI Directory for the State of Oregon

  1. School must be registered as a school with Oregon Department of Education (having an Institution ID#), considered a school by the district, and be listed on the Targeting Page of the district’s Title I-A budget narrative.
  2. School must be a public or other nonprofit elementary or secondary school.
    • Non-Public schools must be nonprofit and a copy of IRS approval for non-profit status must be included with the School Eligibility Application.
  3. School must be in a school district that qualifies for funds under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education (ESEA) Act of 1965, as amended.
  4. School must have 30.02+% of the school's total enrollment made up of children who qualify for services provided under Title I (low-income students). This percentage may be determined through:
    • The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or
    • The school may submit alternative poverty documentation such as Household Income Survey information (Visit the School Nutrition Programs - Special Provisions Webpage under Resources, expand CEP Resources, Calculators, and Template Letters to download the Oregon Family Income Survey form).

Instructions for checking the Teacher Cancellation Low Income (TCLI) Directory for a school 

  1. Go to the TCLI Directory on the Federal Student Aid website
  2. In the "Directory Search" section, click on "Search"
  3. State: Oregon
  4. Year: Select the School Year you are verifying 
  5. School or Education Service Agency Name: *OPTIONAL 
    • Leave it blank to populate the entire list of schools for that school year OR
    • Enter the first word of the school's name (for "Forest Grove Elementary School", type in "forest")
  6. Location: OPTIONAL 
    • Leave blank
  7. Click 'Search'
  8. In the Directory Search Results, click 'Download as XLS' to save a copy of this file. 

Teachers Seeking Loan Forgiveness

If you are seeking information on eligibility for loan forgiveness:

Check the TCLI Directory (instructions are listed above) to determine whether the school you were employed by is listed for the school year(s) you were employed. 

Review the Teacher Informational Document to determine if you meet the requirements for Loan Forgiveness. 

Contact the originator of your loan or a Federal Student Aid representative to verify eligibility. 

NOTE: School data is gathered at the end of each school year in June. The data is compiled into a state report and submitted to the U.S.  Department of Education in July. The TCLI Directory will reflect the eligible schools for the school year that just closed shortly thereafter.

Helpful Links

Oregon Department of Education Support

For questions about the Oregon Teacher Loan Forgiveness program, contact FederalPrograms@ode.oregon.gov.

Federal Student Aid Resources

For questions about a Student Loan, contact the Federal Student Aid Help Center / 1-800-433-3243.