Many of us take out student loans from the federal government in order to obtain a degree, and then work for many years to pay off the debt. However, if a serious disability strikes, a person may no longer be able to work or continue making loan payments.
The good news is that people who qualify for Social Secuirty Disability benefits because of a total and permanent disability are also often able to have their federal student loans forgiven.
Additionally, people who have not worked long enough to qualify for SSDI but who qualify for Supplemental Security Income may also be eligible to have their federal student loans forgiven.
Like all government benefits, though, the application process can be confusing. Essentially, there are three ways to qualify to have your federal student loans discharged after a total and permanent disability.
First is by submitting a certification from your doctor stating that you are totally and permanently disabled. This means that you are unable to engage in gainful employment because of a mental or physical disability that is expected to last six months or longer or result in death.
See full article here:http://www.rabinsslaw.com/blog/2014/01/federal-student-loans-can-be-forgiven-for-ssdi-recipients.shtml