Fill Out Teacher Loan Forgiveness Forbearance Request Online
Teacher Loan Forgiveness Forbearance Request (TLFF)
Federal Student Aid
Requests forbearance of federal student loan payments while the borrower completes the qualifying teaching service for Teacher Loan Forgiveness.
Reviewed July 2026
How it works
- 1
Open the form. The official PDF loads straight into the editor, no download needed first.
- 2
Fill it out in the editor. Click anywhere to type, add checkmarks and place your signature.
- 3
Download your PDF. Save the completed form, ready to print or submit.
The Teacher Loan Forgiveness Forbearance Request (TLFF) pauses payments on your Direct Loan and FFEL Program loans while you complete the five consecutive, complete academic years of teaching required for Teacher Loan Forgiveness. The idea is to avoid paying down a balance that you expect the program to forgive when your fifth year ends.
You can complete the borrower sections in the Universal PDF editor and download a finished PDF to sign and send to your loan servicer. A new request is needed for each year of the five year period.
Who this forbearance is for
It is for full time teachers at an eligible elementary school, secondary school, or educational service agency who are working toward Teacher Loan Forgiveness. Section 2 asks you to identify the school or agency, the current academic year of service, and the date you expect to complete your fifth year.
There is an important gatekeeping rule: you qualify for the forbearance only if your loan holder determines that the forgiveness amount you are expected to earn will satisfy the anticipated outstanding balance on your eligible loans at the end of the fifth year. If your balance is larger than the expected forgiveness, the forbearance is not available for those loans.
How to fill out the form
The form mirrors the Teacher Loan Forgiveness application categories:
- Section 1: your identifying information
- Section 2: check whether you teach at an eligible elementary school, secondary school, or educational service agency, then check the teacher categories that apply to you, such as highly qualified special education, secondary math or science, or general elementary or secondary education
- Enter the start and end dates of the current academic year of service and the date you expect to finish your fifth qualifying year
- Identify the school or agency, including whether it is operated by the Bureau of Indian Education
- Section 3: read the understandings and certifications, then sign and date
How to submit it and renew it
Return the form to your loan servicer at the address shown in Section 5 of your copy, and send a separate form to each loan holder if your loans are split. The forbearance is granted in twelve month increments, so you reapply each year during the five year teaching period.
If you are past due on payments that the forbearance does not cover, your loan holder may grant a separate forbearance to resolve the delinquency when it processes your request.
Interest and the endgame
You remain responsible for interest that accrues during the forbearance. On Direct Loans that unpaid interest is not capitalized, but on FFEL Program loans it may be. When you finish the fifth year, you submit the separate Teacher Loan Forgiveness Application to request the actual forgiveness, up to the amount listed on StudentAid.gov for your teaching category.
Frequently asked questions
No. This form only pauses payments while you complete the required teaching service. When your five consecutive years are done, you apply for the forgiveness itself with the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Application, which requires certification by your school's chief administrative officer.
The forbearance is only available if the expected forgiveness amount for your teaching category would cover the anticipated balance on your eligible loans at the end of the fifth year. If your balance will exceed the expected forgiveness, the loan holder cannot grant this particular forbearance.
Yes. The forbearance is granted in twelve month increments, and you must reapply each year during the five consecutive, complete years of required employment.
Interest keeps accruing on your loans. On Direct Loans the unpaid interest is not capitalized, but on FFEL Program loans it may be added to your principal. You can pay the interest as it accrues if you want to limit that.
The form's instructions note that you can contact your loan holder about other forbearance options, or reapply in a year when you are completing one of your five consecutive, complete years of teaching service.
Related forms
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