Student Loan Repayment
The Student Loan Repayment program allows agencies to provide student loan repayments for federally insured student loans, provided that you sign a three year contract with that agency.
As an employee you can receive up to $10,000 a year and up to $60,000 in total repayment benefits. There are no restrictions on what majors or academic areas can receive loan repayment, and receiving loan repayment does not preclude you from receiving other employment benefits, including recruitment, relocation bonuses, and retention allowances.
However, if you transfer agencies your new employer is not required to continue the loan repayment. Also, if you quit or are fired within the three year timeframe, you are required to pay back the loan in full.
Although these specifications apply to all federal agencies, each agency sets its own rule for who is eligible to participate in the Student Loan Repayment program. Some agencies have narrow eligibility requirements while others have very broad eligibility requirements.
Agencies are required to report annually to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on the use of the student loan repayment programs. The reports must contain the number of employees selected to receive this benefit, the job classifications of the recipients and the cost to the Federal Government of providing the loan repayment.
For more information about program specifics, visit http://www.opm.gov/oca/pay/studentloan.
Also, see our Guide to the Federal Student Loan Repayment Program.
Program Statistics
From 2008 to 2009, funding for this program increased 20%. In 2009, 36 federal agencies provided more than $61.8 million in loan repayment.
Federal Agencies that Provided the Most Loan Repayment in 2009
Agency |
Employee Count | Amount of Benefits Provided |
|---|---|---|
Department of Justice |
2,357 | $19,332,198 |
Department of Defense |
2,126 | $14,108,413 |
Department of State |
867 | $7,206,692 |
Securities and Exchange Commission |
546 | $3,991,316 |
Government Accountability Office |
469 | $2,840,275 |
Department of Health and Human Services |
230 | $2,031,330 |
All Others |
1,859 | $12,350,280 |
Total |
8,454 | $61,860,504 |
Percentage of Total Loan Repayment Received by Occupation in 2009
Occupation |
Employee Count | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
Attorney |
810 | 9.6% |
Criminal Investigator |
748 | 8.8% |
Miscellaneous Administration |
542 | 6.4% |
Intelligence |
456 | 5.4% |
Contract Specialist |
435 | 5.2% |
GAO Analyst |
364 | 4.3% |
Management and Program Analysis |
345 | 4.1% |
Nurse |
255 | 3.0% |
Business and Industry |
228 | 2.7% |
Mechanical Engineer |
208 | 2.4% |
Financial Administration and Program |
197 | 2.3% |
General Engineer |
175 | 2.1% |
Nuclear Engineer |
168 | 2.0% |
Information Technology Management |
163 | 1.9% |
Accounting |
157 | 1.9% |
Inspection, Investigation and Compliance |
150 | 1.8% |
Human Resources Specialist |
145 | 1.7% |
Miscellaneous Clerk and Assistant |
131 | 1.6% |
All Other Occupations |
2,777 | 32.8% |
Total |
8,454 | 100% |
Since 2002, Loan Repayment has Grown Significantly
| FY 2002 | FY 2003 | FY 2004 | FY 2005 | FY 2006 | FY 2007 | FY 2008 | FY 2009 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Participating Agencies |
16 | 24 | 28 | 30 | 34 | 33 | 35 | 36 |
Employees Receiving Student Loan Repayment Benefits |
690 | 2,077 | 2,945 | 4,409 | 5,755 | 6,619 | 6,879 | 8,454 |
Amount of Student
Loan Repayment
Benefits Provided |
$3,163,990 | $9,182,637 | $16,424,365 | $27,982,680 | $35,940,819 | $42,207,783 | $51,667,923 | $61,800,000 |
Average Amount of
Student Loan
Repayment Benefits
Provided |
$4,585 | $4,421 | $5,577 | $6,347 | $6,245 | $6,377 | $7,511 | $7,317 |