Teacher Cancellation

You may be eligible for cancellation of a percentage of the original principal balance of your Perkins loan for each year you complete at least one year of a service detailed below.  At the beginning of the service year, you must have made all payments due and submit a completed Teacher Cancellation form to the Harvard Student Loan Office.  At the end of the year, you must file a cancellation form certifying that you have completed the year of service. 

Cancellation for teaching in low-income schools (Title I):  A cancellation based on teaching in a school serving students from low-income families may be granted only if the borrower taught in an eligible school that is listed in the Directory of Designated Low-Income Schools for Teacher Cancellation Benefits.

Cancellation for teaching in special education:  A person who provides one of the following services does not qualify as a teacher unless (1) that person is licensed, certified, or registered by the appropriate state education agency for the area in which he or she is providing related special educational services and (2) the services provided by the individual are part of the educational curriculum for handicapped children:
• speech and language pathology and audiology
• physical therapy
• occupational therapy
• psychological and counseling services, or
• recreational therapy

Cancellation for teaching in a field of expertise (shortage area):  For a borrower to be considered as teaching in a field of expertise that has been identified by a state education agency to have a shortage of teachers, the majority of classes taught must be in that field of expertise.
A borrower who is teaching in science, mathematics, foreign language, or bilingual education qualifies for cancellation even if the State has not designated the subject area in which he or she is teaching as a shortage area.

Early Intervention Cancellation:  The borrower has been employed full time as a qualified professional provider of early intervention services in a public or other nonprofit program under public supervision.  Those services defined in section 632(4) of the Individuals with Disabilities Act that are provided to infants and toddlers (under age 3) with disabilities.

Head Start Cancellation:  The borrower has served full time as a staff member in the educational part of a preschool program carried out under the Head Start Act.  A full time staff member is someone who is regularly employed in a full time professional capacity to carry out the educational part of a Head Start Program. The program must operate for a full academic year, or its equivalent and the borrower’s salary may not be more than that of a comparable employee working in the local educational agency. An authorized official of the Head Start Program must sign the borrower’s cancellation form to certify the borrower’s service.
Effective August 14, 2008--The Head Start cancellation is expanded to include full time staff members in a pre-kindergarten or childcare program that is licensed or regulated by the State.

Speech-Language Pathology Service:  The borrower is a full time speech language pathologist with a Master’s degree working exclusively with Title I eligible schools.