Perkins Loan Cancellations

The Department of Education Advisory Committee for Student Financial Assistance administers Perkins Loan Cancellations (CFDA 84.037), which reimburses institutions for their share of loans canceled when Perkins Loan recipients enter specified fields of public service.

The program funds loan cancellations for Perkins Loan recipients who work as teachers, Head Start staff, military personnel in areas of hostility, law enforcement or corrections officers, nurses, medical technicians, or volunteers serving high-risk children. Institutions receive reimbursement for their institutional share of canceled Direct and Federal Perkins Loans, and the program restores full amounts to institutional revolving funds.

The source provided does not contain recent grant award data, recent grant opportunities, assistance-type breakdowns, funding concentration details, or award economics. No information is available on the cadence of awards, typical award magnitudes, recent recipients, or open application deadlines. The program description indicates it operates as a reimbursement mechanism tied to borrower eligibility for forgiveness under public-service criteria rather than as a traditional discretionary grant competition, but the source does not clarify whether institutions submit claims, whether there is an application process, or how frequently the program disburses funds.

Without visibility into recent award activity, current funding levels, or posted opportunities, assessment of whether this program is worth pursuing requires direct contact with the Department of Education to establish whether the program is actively accepting claims, what the current application or submission timeline is, and what institutional eligibility requirements apply.