Fill Out TPD Discharge Application Online
Discharge Application: Total and Permanent Disability (TPD)
Federal Student Aid
Applies for discharge of federal student loans and TEACH Grant service obligations based on total and permanent disability.
Reviewed July 2026
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The Discharge Application: Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) asks the U.S. Department of Education to discharge Direct Loans, FFEL Program loans, Perkins Loans, or a TEACH Grant service obligation because the borrower is totally and permanently disabled. A discharge means the remaining balance does not have to be repaid.
You can complete the applicant sections in the Universal PDF editor and download the PDF. Depending on how you qualify, you will attach VA or SSA documentation or have an authorized medical professional complete the certification section before submitting the application.
Three ways to qualify
The application accepts documentation from one of three sources:
- Department of Veterans Affairs: a VA determination that you have a service-connected disability that is 100 percent disabling, or that you are totally disabled based on an individual unemployability rating
- Social Security Administration: an SSA notice of award or Benefits Planning Query showing you meet one of the listed conditions, such as a disability review scheduled five to seven years out, a continuing review scheduled at three years, an established onset or benefit history of at least five years, a compassionate allowance, or SSA retirement benefits preceded by one of those conditions
- An authorized medical professional: a certification in Section 6 that you are unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity because of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death, has lasted for a continuous period of at least 60 months, or can be expected to last at least 60 months
The medical certification section
If you qualify through the VA or SSA route, no medical professional needs to complete the form. Otherwise, Section 6 must be completed by a doctor of medicine or osteopathy, a licensed nurse practitioner, a licensed physician assistant, or a certified psychologist at the independent practice level.
The professional documents the diagnosis, severity, and functional limitations without abbreviations or insurance codes. If you apply through this route, the application must reach the Department within 90 days of the date the professional signs Section 6.
How to apply and submit
You can tell the Department you intend to apply before you file; it will then instruct your loan holders to pause required payments for up to 120 days while you complete the application. You may also designate a representative, such as a family member or attorney, using a separate representative designation form.
Submit the completed application and documentation to the TPD servicing address printed in Section 1 of the form, by fax, or online through the disability discharge section of StudentAid.gov. Payments are not required while the Department reviews your application.
After a discharge is approved
The approval notice explains the conditions that apply after discharge. Depending on how you qualified, it may describe a post-discharge monitoring period of three years and the circumstances that could reinstate the obligation, so read the notice carefully and check StudentAid.gov for the current monitoring rules.
Discharged amounts are not treated as taxable income by the IRS for federal purposes, though some states may treat them as income for state taxes. To receive new Direct Loans or TEACH Grants after a TPD discharge, you would need a physician's certification that you can engage in substantial gainful activity and a signed acknowledgment about future discharges.
Frequently asked questions
Direct Loans, FFEL Program loans, Perkins Loans, and TEACH Grant service obligations. If a PLUS loan had an endorser, the discharge also cancels the endorser's obligation.
Only if you are not qualifying through VA or SSA documentation. In that case an authorized medical professional, which the form defines to include physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and certified psychologists at the independent practice level, completes Section 6.
If you apply based on a medical professional's certification, the Department must receive your application within 90 days of the date the professional signed Section 6. Applications based on VA or SSA documentation do not carry that specific window, but documentation must be current enough to show you meet the criteria.
No. Once you notify the Department that you plan to apply, required payments stop for up to 120 days while you complete the application, and they remain paused during the review itself.
Not for federal income tax purposes. Some states may treat the discharged amount as income, so the form suggests checking with your state tax office or a tax professional before filing your state return.
For some approval paths, the discharge notice describes a three year period after discharge during which certain conditions could cause the obligation to be reinstated. The details are set out in your notice and on StudentAid.gov, and the rules have been revised in recent years, so rely on those sources for specifics.
Related forms
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