Is your NJ teaching job eligible for up to $20K in loan relief?

💰 Eligible NJ teachers could receive up to $20,000 to help pay down student loan debt.

📅 Applications for the 2026-27 school year are open now and close Sept. 30.

🏫 Eligibility depends on a teacher's subject, hire date and the specific school where they work.

Many New Jersey teachers can now apply for up to $20,000 in student loan relief, but they have until Sept. 30 to submit their paperwork.

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The application window for the New Jersey Teacher Loan Redemption Program opened Friday for the 2026-27 school year and closes at midnight on Sept. 30, 2026.

It offers a possible total of $20,000 in debt relief. The maximum amount that each teacher can get from the program is individualized; annual payments equal 25% of his or her principal and interest, up to $5,000 per year.

“As a participant in the Teacher Loan Redemption Program, I get to make a difference in my students’ lives while receiving support from the State in paying down my student loan debt. It’s a wonderful opportunity that I would encourage other New Jersey teachers to look into," Atlantic City High School science teacher Emily Loeb said.

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill at Cherokee High School in Evesham on March 18, 2026. (Office of Governor/Tim Larsen)

Which New Jersey teachers qualify for up to $20,000?

The state Loan Redemption Program is only available to teachers in certain high-need subjects, including:

• Math;
• Science;
• Special Education;
• World Languages;
• English as a Second Language; or
• Career and Technical Education.

There's also a hiring cutoff date. Only teachers hired on or after Jan. 18, 2022 are eligible.

Additionally, only educators at certain schools are eligible. See a list of these schools by clicking here. Many districts have only some schools where teachers qualify for loan relief; for example, teachers at Toms River High School South are eligible, but teachers at the East and North schools are not. 

Teachers must meet other loan and residency requirements

Other eligibility requirements include:

• Must be a New Jersey resident and maintain residency in the State during Program participation;
• Must have an outstanding balance and not be in default on a student loan(s) that the applicant borrowed to cover the cost of attendance at an undergraduate or graduate institution of higher education;
• Must be certified by the New Jersey Department of Education to teach in New Jersey.

More information, including how to start and submit an application for loan relief, is available by clicking here.

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