Application Process

If you think you might qualify and want to apply for a total and permanent disability (TPD) discharge, you must provide the information the U.S. Department of Education (called “the Department” throughout this site) needs to make a determination by completing a TPD discharge application and gathering supporting documentation that shows you are totally and permanently disabled. Depending on your situation, you will either attach the supporting documentation to your application or have a licensed medical professional complete Section 4 of your application. Once everything is complete, you’ll mail the discharge application and, if required, the supporting documentation to us.

If we have contacted you regarding TPD discharge based on information provided to us by the Social Security Administration (SSA) or U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) you are not required to provide supporting documentation showing you are totally and permanently disabled. We regularly receive information from the SSA and VA identifying student loan borrowers and TEACH Grant recipients who may be eligible for TPD discharge.

How do I obtain a TPD discharge application?

• Download and/or Print Blank TPD Discharge Application from StudentAid.gov – This option allows you to download and/or print a blank PDF of the TPD discharge application. You can choose to open the PDF and print the blank application or to save the PDF to your computer and then print it. In either case, you’ll need to complete Sections 1 through 3 of the blank application. Next, you’ll either attach the supporting documentation to your application or have a licensed medical professional complete Section 4 of your application. Finally, you’ll mail the discharge application and, if required, your supporting documentation to us.
  

  To download and/or print a blank TPD discharge application, click here.

• Request TPD Discharge Application by Phone or Email – This option allows you to contact us by phone or email and ask that we send you a paper TPD discharge application through the mail. After you receive the blank paper application, you’ll complete Sections 1 through 3. Next, you’ll either attach the supporting documentation to your application or have a licensed medical professional complete Section 4 of your application. Finally, you’ll mail the discharge application and, if required, your supporting documentation to us.

  If we have contacted you regarding TPD discharge based on information we received from SSA or VA, you are not required to provide supporting documentation showing that you are totally and permanently disabled. Sign Section 3 of the discharge application and fax, mail, or email the application to us.

  You can request a TPD discharge application by phone or email using in the information below.

  Phone: 888.303.7818

  Call Center Hours:

  Monday - Wednesday 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM (ET), Thursday - Friday 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM (ET)

  Email: DisabilityInformation@Nelnet.net

Can my representative apply on my behalf and help me throughout the process?

Yes, your representative can complete and submit your TPD discharge application on your behalf, and assist you throughout the discharge process. However, you and your representative must complete an Applicant Representative Designation form. We must receive and process this form before we can work with your representative. You must submit this form even if you have a power of attorney for your representative.

To download and/or print the Applicant Representative Designation form, click here.

How do I show that I’m totally and permanently disabled?

Regardless of how you obtain a TPD discharge application, the information that you provide when you apply will assist the Department in determining if you qualify for discharge of your federal student loans and/or TEACH Grant service obligation on the basis of your total and permanent disability. You can show that you are totally and permanently disabled in one of the following three ways:

1. We regularly receive information from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) identifying veterans who may qualify for TPD discharge. If you are a veteran and we have received information from the VA indicating that you have a service-connected disability (or disabilities) that is 100% disabling or that you are totally disabled based on an individual unemployability rating, we will contact you by letter to notify you that you are eligible for a TPD discharge. The letter we send will also explain that unless you tell us by the date specified in the letter that you do not want to receive a TPD discharge, the Department will automatically approve the discharge of your federal student loans and/or TEACH Grant service obligation. If you want to have your loans and/or TEACH Grant service obligation discharged, you are not required to take any further action. We will instruct the holders of your federal student loans and/or TEACH Grant service obligation to discharge your loans and/or service obligation. You will not need to complete a TPD discharge application or provide documentation of your VA disability determination.

   If you are a veteran and you believe you meet the eligibility requirements for TPD discharge based on a disability determination from the VA, but we did not contact you about a TPD discharge, you can submit a TPD discharge application along with documentation from the VA showing that you have a service-connected disability (or disabilities) that is 100% disabling or that you are totally disabled based on an individual unemployability rating. The documentation you provide must include the effective date of the VA’s determination.

2. We regularly receive information from the Social Security Administration (SSA) identifying individuals who may qualify for TPD discharge. If we have received information from the SSA indicating that you are receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits and that your next scheduled disability review will be no less than 3 years from the date of your most recent SSA disability determination, we will contact you by letter to notify you that you are eligible for a TPD discharge. The letter we send will also explain that, unless you tell us by the date specified in the letter that you do not want to receive a TPD discharge, the Department will automatically approve the discharge of your federal student loans and/or TEACH Grant service obligation. If you want to have your loans and/or TEACH Grant service obligation discharged, you are not required to take any further action. We will instruct the holders of your federal student loans and/or TEACH Grant service obligation to discharge your loans and/or service obligation. You will not need to complete a TPD discharge application or provide documentation of your SSA disability determination.

   If you receive SSDI or SSI benefits and your next scheduled disability review will be no less than 3 years from the date of your most recent SSA disability determination, and we did not contact you about a TPD discharge, you can apply and provide documentation of your SSA notice of award for SSDI, SSI benefits or a Benefits Planning Query (BPQY form 2459) stating that your next scheduled disability review will be no less than 3 years from the date of your most recent SSA disability determination.

3. You can submit a certification from a licensed medical professional who is licensed to practice in the United States that you are totally and permanently disabled. A licensed medical professional must certify that you are unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that:

   • Can be expected to result in death;
   • Has lasted for a continuous period of not less than 60 months; or
   • Can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 60 months.

What are the application and supporting documentation requirements for each option?

Each option for showing that you are totally and permanently disabled has specific requirements. In the next Section, we explain the discharge application and supporting documentation requirements for each option. Once you identify the option that applies to you, read the information under Actions to Take to understand what you’ll need to do to apply.

1 - Veterans Affairs determination:

If you are a veteran, you will be considered totally and permanently disabled for the purposes of this discharge if you provide documentation from the VA showing that the VA has determined:

• You have a service-connected disability, or service-connected disabilities, that is 100% disabling; or
• You are totally disabled based on an individual unemployability rating.

Actions to Take:

• Complete Sections 1 through 3 of your TPD discharge application
• Return the application along with a copy of the complete documentation of your VA determination (as described earlier) to the address below

Note: If we contacted you regarding automatic TPD discharge based on information we received from the SSA, you do not need to submit a TPD discharge application or any further documentation of your eligibility for discharge. If we did not contact you regarding automatic TPD discharge and you are submitting a TPD discharge application along with documentation from the SSA as described above, you are not required to have a licensed medical professional complete Section 4 of the application.

2 - Social Security Administration determination:

If you are receiving SSDI or SSI benefits, you will be considered totally and permanently disabled for the purposes of this discharge if you provide an SSA notice of award for SSDI or SSI benefits stating that your next scheduled disability review will be no less than 3 years from the date of your most recent SSA disability determination.

If your SSA notice of award does not indicate when your next scheduled disability review will occur, you can obtain this information by calling your local SSA office or by calling 800.772.1213 and requesting a Benefits Planning Query. The Benefits Planning Query will show when your next review is scheduled to occur.

Actions to Take:

• Complete Sections 1 through 3 of your TPD discharge application
• Return the application along with a complete copy of your SSA notice of award (as described earlier) or, if applicable, your Benefits Planning Query to the address below

Note: If we contacted you regarding automatic TPD discharge based on information we received from the SSA, you do not need to submit a TPD discharge application or any further documentation of your eligibility for discharge. If we did not contact you regarding automatic TPD discharge and you are submitting a TPD discharge application along with documentation from the SSA as described above, you are not required to have a licensed medical professional complete Section 4 of the application.

3 - Licensed Medical Professional Certification:

Alternatively, to show that you are totally and permanently disabled for the purposes of this discharge, you may submit the TPD discharge application with a certification from a licensed medical professional that shows you are unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that (1) can be expected to result in death; (2) has lasted for a continuous period of not less than 60 months; or (3) can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 60 months.

“Substantial gainful activity” is a level of work performed for pay or profit that involves doing significant physical and/or mental activities.

Actions to Take:

• Complete Sections 1 through 3 of the TPD discharge application
• Have a licensed medical professional licensed to practice in the United States fully complete Section 4 of the application
• Return the completed application to the address provided below within 90 days of the date that a licensed medical professional signed the TPD discharge application

What happens after I mail my application?

After we receive your TPD discharge application, we will take the following actions:

• First, we’ll contact the holders of your federal student loans and/or TEACH Grant service obligation and instruct them to suspend collection activity on your loans while we determine your eligibility for discharge. This means that you will not be required to make payments on your loans while we evaluate your discharge application.

Note: If any of your loans are in default and payments are being collected by wage garnishment and/or Treasury Offset, the garnishment or offset may continue. If your request for TPD discharge is approved, the wage garnishments and/or Treasury Offset Payments will be discontinued.

• Second, we’ll review the TPD discharge application that you submit along with any supporting documentation to ensure that the application is complete, and that it includes information that indicates you may qualify for a discharge.
• Finally, once we have received all required documentation and have determined that you appear to meet the eligibility requirements for a TPD discharge, we’ll forward your request on to the Department for a final decision.

Where do I send my completed application?

When your TPD discharge application is complete, mail your application and, if required, your supporting documentation to us at the following address:

U.S. Department of Education
P.O. Box 87130
Lincoln, NE 68501-7130

Fax your application and supporting documentation to us at 303.696.5250
Email your application and supporting documentation to us at DisabilityInformation@Nelnet.net

What if I have additional questions?

If you have additional questions about this process, refer to the FAQ Section of this website.

You can also call us.

Phone: 888.303.7818

Call Center Hours:

Monday - Wednesday 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM (ET), Thursday - Friday 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM (ET)

Email: DisabilityInformation@Nelnet.net