The federal government has expanded its student loan forgiveness program to include teachers working in rural and small communities.
On December 31, 2025, teachers became eligible to participate in the Canada Student Loan Forgiveness program, which aims to attract and retain workers in areas where recruitment can be difficult. Eligibility for the federal program is determined both by both occupation and location.
While the program previously included family doctors, family medical residents and nurses who worked in eligible areas, more occupations—including teachers, early childhood educators, social workers, psychologists, physiotherapists, dentists, dental hygienists, midwives, personal support workers and pharmacists—are now captured under the program.
To qualify, teachers must have worked for 10 consecutive months—and at least 400 hours—in a school located in an eligible community, which, for the purposes of the program, is defined as a rural area or a population centre with 30,000 or fewer residents.
Eligible teachers can receive up to $30,000 in loan forgiveness over a maximum of five years. Applicants must have a student loan that is in good standing. Also of note, the program applies only to the federal portion of student loans.
Details about the federal loan forgiveness program, including how to apply, are available on the Government of Canada’s website.
