How to Maximize the Value of Your Army Loan Repayment Benefits
In 2019, the Army’s SLRP benefits remain the best on offer from any Service Branch.
In fact, out of all the current Military Student Loan Forgiveness Benefits Programs, the Army’s Student Loan Repayment Program is by far the best for quickly reducing student loan debt.
Why? Because compared to the other service branch’s Military College Loan Repayment Programs, the Army’s is the easiest to qualify for, and it offers the biggest benefit amount; up to $65,000 in total student loan forgiveness.
However, before we get going on explaining what the program is, how it works, and how to maximize your benefits, let me make one thing clear: if you’re ONLY considering joining the Army to get help with your student loans, then you should think again, because that’s a terrible idea.
What is Army SLRP and How Does it Work?
The Army Student Loan Repayment Program is typically referred to as Army LRP or SLRP, but is officially known as the “Army College Loan Repayment Program”.
Army LRP was created to offer a special incentive to highly qualified individuals who enlist in one of the Army’s critical military occupational specialties (MOS). That means that these benefits aren’t available to everyone, but only to certain people who agree to serve in specific positions that the Army really needs help with.
The Army SLRP benefits program remains fully-funded this year and continues to offer the opportunity to receive annual payments to help reduce your student loan debt, with a lifetime maximum forgiveness cap set at $65,000 in total benefits received.
One thing to keep in mind about the Army’s SLRP program is that it’s designed for people who have already racked up some student loans. If you don’t already have student loan debt, then you’ll want to visit my Guide to the Army Tuition Assistance Program instead.
But Before I Go Through The Details of SRLP…
Let me offer you one quick piece of advice – even if you do qualify for the Army’s Loan Repayment Program or their Tuition Assistance Program, the odds of everything actually working out completely seem to be quite low, based on the feedback I’ve received from fellow Soldiers.
To protect yourself from financial ruin and stress, I want to suggest that you consider alternative options as well, at least as backup solutions in case the Army benefits don’t come through as quickly, or cover your debt as completely, as you’d hoped they would.
If you're truly struggling with student debt, then you should also consider paying a Student Loan Debt Relief Agency for help. Why? Because the people working at these companies deal with student loans all day, every day, and they're your best chance at figuring out how to get your loans back under control.I've interviewed all sorts of debt relief agencies over the past 10 years, talking to all sorts of so-called "experts", and I can tell you that in all honesty I've only found two companies I trust to offer actual financial relief to people struggling with student loans.
For help with FEDERAL Student Loans: Call the Student Loan Relief Helpline at 1-888-906-3065. They will review your case, evaluate your options for switching repayment plans, consolidating your loans, or pursuing forgiveness benefits, then set you up to get rid of the debt as quickly as possible.
For help with PRIVATE Student Loans: Call McCarthy Law PLC at 1-877-317-0455. They will negotiate with your lender to settle your private loans for much less than you owe, then get you a new loan for the much lower, settled amount. NOTE: McCarthy Law can ONLY help with Private student loans.
If you do decide to call one of these companies and you have a bad experience with either of them, PLEASE make sure to come back and let me know about it in the Comments!
Army SLRP Eligibility Criteria
- To qualify for Army student loan repayment benefits, you must enlist for Active Duty service in the Army and:
- Request to participate in the LRP program during your enlistment process
- Get your participation annotated in writing on your enlistment contract
- Decline participation in the Montgomery GI Bill (NOT the Post 9/11 GI Bill or the Forever GI Bill, each of which are fine) in writing, using DD Form 2366 (see section below for details)
- Hold a high school diploma (GED equivalents will not suffice) at the time of your enlistment
- Score a 50 or higher on the Armed Forces Qualification Test (your main score from the ASVAB you took before enlisting)
- Enlist in a Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) deemed eligible for participation in the CLRP at the time of your enlistment (check with your recruiter to make sure that your MOS applies at the time you join up, as eligible programs change by the day)
- Be on a non-prior service accession (unless you’re using enlistment in the Reserves to qualify for LRP benefits)
- Have a student loan that qualifies for participating in the Army’s CLRP program (one insured or guaranteed by the Higher Education Act of 1965, Title IV, Part B, D, or E)
If you meet the eligibility criteria outlined above, you can begin receiving loan repayment benefits as soon as you complete your first year of service with the Army.
Qualifying Loans
- Not all student loans qualify for Army LRP benefits. Qualifying loans must be:
- Made, insured or guaranteed under the Federal Family Education Loan Program, part B of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1071)
- Made under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program, part D of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087a)
- Made under Federal Perkins Loans, part E of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087aa)
- Incurred for education purposes (student loan debt only) and made by a lender that is:
- An agency or instrumentality of a State
- A financial or credit institution, or an insurance company, that is subject to examination and supervision by an agency of the US or any State
- From a pension fund or a non-profit private entity, subject to a case by case review and approval
- Examples of Eligible Loans Include:
- Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS loans)
- Supplemental Loans for Students (SLS Loans)
- Stafford Loans
- Perkins Loans
- William D. Ford Loans
- Examples of Non-Eligible Loans Include:
- Private loans
- Equity Loans
- State Funded Loans
- Institution Loans
- Consolidation Loans for military dependents (spouses, children, etc.)
How Much Debt Relief Can I Get?
LRP benefits come with different rates depending on your status (whether you’re on Active Duty or in the Reserves), but as of this year, there’s still a bit of a loophole in this process.
Technically, Active Duty personnel are supposed to get more money, but in reality, those serving in the Reserves can qualify for just as much in annual benefits.
Here’s how:
Army SLRP Rates for Active Duty Soldiers
Those serving in Active Duty stations are eligible to have 33.33% (or $1,500, whichever is higher) of the outstanding principle balance of their loans paid off for each year of service.
Payments begin on the date that you complete your first year. However, if you are shifted to an MOS role that isn’t eligible for LRP benefits, or if your role changes and is no longer deemed eligible, then you will lose your eligibility.
Army SLRP Rates for Army Reserves
Those serving in the Army Reserves are eligible to have 15% (or $1,500, whichever is higher) of the outstanding principle balance of their loans paid off for each year of service.
Did you see how that works? Even though Reserves members are only eligible to have half as much of their debt paid off in terms of the percentage, if their loans are small enough that $1,500 is higher than 15%, they can receive repayments at the same rate as Active Duty personnel.
Is My Loan’s Interest Covered Too?
One major flaw in the Army’s college repayment program is that it doesn’t provide any financial assistance for interest that you’ve accumulated on your student loan debt.
Instead, the program only offers you help with paying off the principle balance of your loan.
This is definitely a downer, as the benefits would be substantially more valuable if they did cover interest as well, but you may also be able to escape interest accumulation by speaking to your lender about their interest rules.
Can I Receive Deferment or Forbearance for my Loan?
Many loans do not accumulate interest while the borrower is deployed on active duty service, and some have other deferments options, so be sure to speak to whoever services your loan to find out if you can have interest forgiven or deferred to a later date.
Are SLRP Benefits Taxable Income?
Unfortunately, yes, your Army college loan repayment program benefits are counted as taxable income.
However, you won’t ever actually get any of the money that’s provided as LRP for your debt, because the Federal Government sends payments directly to your lender, and it witholds 28% of what it would have paid out on your behalf each year for distribution to the IRS.
So, while LRP benefits do count as taxable income (and have to be accounted for by a separate W-2 that you will receive each year), you won’t have to make any out of pocket payments to account for them.
And that’s a huge benefit, because most other forms of student loan forgiveness do require you to include them as taxable income on your annual tax return, and to pay the IRS a percentage of the benefits you received.
If you’re looking at other forms of student loan forgiveness, and wondering how they’ll compare to the Army LRP program, then please make sure to visit my page about Student Loan Forgiveness and Taxable Income Laws.
And if you’re concerned about tax liabilities, or if you already have tax problems of your own, then please consider visiting my new website, Forget Tax Debt, where I offer advice, tips and tricks for decreasing your outstanding tax debt, covering topics like Settling an IRS Tax Debt, Applying for IRS Tax Debt Forgiveness Benefits, and Avoiding IRS Phone Scams.
Army SLRP Benefits & The Post 9/11 GI Bill
When the SLRP program was first announced, in order to qualify for its benefits, you had to completely waive participation in the Post 9/11 GI Bill, but the situation has changed (according to multiple first-hand reports), and you can now apparently satisfy eligibility guidelines for both programs simply by signing an extended service contract.
While army college loan repayment benefits are available to those who sign up for 4 year enlistments, both SLRP and Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits are being made to those enlistees who agree to join up for 6 years.
If you ever plan on returning to college again, then you will want to strongly consider enlisting for at least 6 years, since Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits provide tens of thousands of dollars in tuition assistance.
Other Considerations
Remember that you will only be able to receive loan repayment program benefits on loans that were created before you enlisted, and if your enlistment contract specifically states that you’re participating in the program.
Your loans must qualify for eligibility, and you must remain qualified in your original MOS throughout your initial term of service to continue receiving the benefit.
If, at any time, your loan ends up in default, then you will disqualify yourself from continued SLRP, so stay on top of things to prevent from losing out on the thousands of dollars that you deserve!
For More Information
Talk to your local Army recruiter to get additional details about the Army college loan repayment program, or visit the Army’s official “MyArmyBenefits” page on the College Loan Repayment Program (LRP) here.
This page breaks down the LRP benefits on offer for each type of MOS, providing details about what’s on offer for every designation, and is an excellent resource for anyone considering enlisting as a Soldier.
To further help you save money on future education costs, make sure to also visit my Guide to Military Education Benefits, which goes through all the different components of the Forever GI Bill, explaining how to maximize the benefits you’ve been offered so that you can get as much out of the program as possible.
Where Can I Get Help With Other Student Loan Questions?
Finally, if you have other questions about Student Loans and how to handle them, my website is an incredible resource providing tons of Guides on all sorts of different elements of the process.
Federal Student Loan Relief
To get Help with Federal Loans, visit my Guides about Federal Student Loan Forgiveness Programs, Student Loan Bankruptcy Discharges, Student Loan Delinquency, Student Loan Rehabilitation, and Student Loan Wage Garnishments.
Private Student Loan Relief
And if you need Help with Private Loans, be sure to check out my Guides on Private Student Loan Forgiveness Programs, Private Student Loan Consolidation Options, Private Student Loan Bankruptcy Discharges and Private Student Loan Defaults.
Please Help Me Out
I spend a great deal of time updating the pages of this site to make sure that you have access to the latest, most accurate information about each program, but I can only continue dedicating time and energy toward this if you help support me!
If the information you found here was useful, please make sure to share a link to this page with people you know who you think could use it. Post it to Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, or simply email it to your friends and family members who may be interested in using Army LRP.
The more people who visit my site, the more time I can allocate toward improving it. Thanks for your support, and please be sure to come back soon!
Disclaimer:Information obtained from Forget Student Loan Debt is for educational purposes only. You should consult a licensed financial professional before making any financial decisions. This site receives some compensation through affiliate relationships. This site is not endorsed or affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education.
By: Tim Marshall
Tim's experience struggling with crushing student loan debt led him to create the website Forget Student Loan Debt in 2011, where he offers advice, tips and tricks for paying off student loans as quickly and affordably as possible.
Great information,
As a recipient of SLRP, one other helpful piece of advice is that you can get some of your SLRP tax free (at least when I got mine). If you are deployed, you will receive a ratio of how many month you were deployed during the covered payment / 12. So in my example, I was deployed for 10/12 months, so a huge portion of my $21,600 payment was tax free.
It is very frustrating getting these payments and they likely will not be on time, but call them constantly and if you have any other vested parties (ie parent loans) have them call as well.
Greetings,
I am currently enlisted been in for 6 years and up for a re-enlistment which will include SLRP to pay for my student loans. Once I re-enlist “Enlisted” I will be attempting to go officer the following year. Now if I am successful in commissioning will I maintain my SLRP or lose it under the new OCS commission contract? Also, for the amount that they do pay off would I then have to pay those funds back because I did not technically fulfil my obligation? (Due to the fact I commission?)
Hi Ash,
Contact the DOD or VA. I’m not entirely sure. The Military keeps changing the rules on these programs.
hello, I am currently trying to attend “The Fab School” for welding certs etc, which is only 6 months long, costs $31000. apparently over 42% of students last year were veterans and the head financial aid officer has never heard of SLRP. I’m in the reserves with $30,000 slrp in contract. aid officer said I only qualify for $7600 in Federal loans. I was told you can only use SLRP on federal loans. like I stated before the school is also only 6 months long. so would SLRP help with my loans at all or no?
Hi Dane,
Good question – you should contact the VA or Department of Education, of the Financial Aid office at the school for details. I’m not entirely sure.
Hi Tim,
Thanks for all this great information on student loan repayment. Do you have contact info where you can be reached for a two-way conversation (vs. public comments section)?
Thanks again,
C
Hi C,
The only place I communicate is here in the Comments.
Great Article, but still confused on EXACTLY how the SLRP works:
*Son is 68w Reservist, enrolled Feb 2018 – he is just past his 1 year anniversary date.
*Both his student loan and our Parent Plus loan qualify and Master promissory notes have been uploaded to his Army account. (both Federally funded loans)
*We (his parents) are currently paying on our Parent Plus Loan. He (our soldier) has made 2 payments on his student loan. (come due because he’s been off school in Army training)
*We have printed and sent the load paperwork to Direct Loans as instructed.
*Where do we go from here? ED Financial (loan servicer) can’t explain if we stop making payments or defer the loans or which loan gets paid first when the Army sends the first payment. I can’t get a phone number to Direct Loans to confirm they received the paperwork weeks ago. Please Help!
You should contact the VA or DOE for assistance. There’s honestly nothing I can do to help, unfortunately. SLRP works really well sometimes, and terribly in other cases. It may require constant hounding of VA/DOE personnel to get them to give you a solid answer, then actually apply the forgiveness to the right loans.
It’s been years since I collected but you need to keep paying, the service makes ONE lump sum payment per year. The interest accumulated during deference/forbearance can eat up the little money the military pays. Also, use every penny you can from the loan repayment because you apparently lose the benefit after the contract ends. This is something I have been told from unofficial sources so that’s what I’m trying to figure out now. Seems strange that you still have GI Bill after discharge but not SLRP…I have more digging to do.
So if I join the militady as an officer due to having a degree- I won’t qualify for the repayment program? I have to enlist in order to qualify?
Hi Nik,
Each Branch handles this differently, but typically, the SLRP benefits are only available to enlisted personnel. Make sure to clarify these details through your Recruiter, but verify them by reaching out to the VA to confirm how the process works, and get your explanations and offer itself IN WRITING to make sure it’ll hold up if you have to press for it in a legal process later on.
My son is a split join for the reserves and he has received $40,000 in student loan repayments. I k is he gets a percentage paid each year but if he graduates or drops out of college at that point will they pay the remaining balance up to 40,000
Hi Vaughn,
No… the military will continue to pay a certain percentage of his loan off each year that he serves, up to the maximum amount that they’ve supposed to cover. I can’t tell if you mean he’s going to get up to $40,000 in total forgiveness, or if he’s already received $40,000 in forgiveness benefits. It’s unclear what you really mean here, but no, the military doesn’t just pay everything off once the service member graduates or drops out.
Here’s a question. Has Anyone been able to actually receive their SLRP benefit? There’s all these how to do and how to qualify websites. But honestly even if you complete the form they still don’t take care of things. It is so frustrating that you complete the forms get the run around and nothing still gets paid. Then you get past due notices on things I have not run into 1 person that the military has actually kept up their end of the bargain. If they have please let me know. There’s some secret to getting things done but no one truly knows how it seems
Hi M,
Yes, people have gotten SLRP benefits. It’s not easy, but I’ve received first-hand details from people who successfully used the program.
Yes, I have successfully used SLRP for 4 years.
What bank can my son use?
He has $40.000 SLRP but we have no idea which bank to use.
I am in the SLRP program (09S ARNG) and I have received my first year payoff of about $3,500 paid directly from the Army to my financial lender. In addition, by choice, I am also paying a small monthly payment to the financial institution of about $50 so I can further mitigate the accrued interest. Remember, the Army will NOT pay the interest that the loan accumulates. If you are having problems getting paperwork done, contact your readiness NCO and they will put you in touch with the education specialists with your battalion (probably some E-5). Your best bet is to put together all the paperwork and take it directly to these people and save copies of everything (remember, it’s the Army).
Great insights here Josh! Thank you for sharing!
I discharged as honorable at the end of my contract. I’ve heard from unofficial sources that you lose any remaining LRP benefits at the end of your contract, any idea if this is true. Haven’t been able to get a response from the VA website… and I don’t recall the website for SLRP.
Hi Adam,
Yeah, I don’t think you can utilize the benefits after you’ve separated.
Hi Tim,
Great website and I find your advice well reasoned. I am a Department of the Army civilian employee working in the acquisition career field. I want add that any Army civilian acquisition employee is eligible to apply for the Army Student Loan Repayment Program, however criteria for selection is based on several key factors: hard to fill and retain acquisition career fields; key critical acquisition skills in specified acquisition years of service; and necessary acquisition educational disciplines. More information can be found at: https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/student-loan-repayment-program/
Hey thank you for your post Tyrone! This is much appreciated!
Tim,
I got out of the military in October, I got the run around for years trying to get my SLRP and it never happened before I left the military. Is it too late to use my SLRP? It is in my contract which I have copies of. Please help!
Hi Nate,
I’m not sure – you may still be able to utilize it, but I think it’d be tough to get that done. Try contacting the Student Loan Ombudsman Group to ask them if they can help you pursue this. They’re a group of Government-backed lawyers who offer free legal counsel and assistance for student loan-related issues.
My recruiter says I have to chose between my enlistment bonus and the loan repayment program.
I thought I could have both my enlistment bonus and my SLRP as long as I opt out of the MGIB?
I’m trying to sign up regular army, 11x uncommitted with a 4-year degree in psychology.
Hi Thomas,
So, things have changed in the past couple years and there are also certain restrictions or rules for specific roles, etc. Basically, the loan repayment program is more complicated than it used to be, and it’s VERY HARD to access the latest information because the Army doesn’t do a good job of publishing what’s what. I would try verifying what your recruiter told you through someone at the DOD or VA, but you’re basically stuck with whatever they tell you, since it’s their way or the highway. This is the Army we’re talking about…
You can’t have the bonus + SLRP. It’s one or the other. The SLRP works out better if they have about $50,000 worth of student debt because the repayment isn’t taxed like the bonuses are.
Hello,
Im in the process of joining the army reserves, And im getting the slrp but my question Is on which part of the enlistment contract I should be looking for to make sure that I’m getting the slrp written on it? Supposedly im.also getting a sign up bonus as well, would they be in the same page? Also my federal loans of 65k are divided in two, does that matters are at all?
Thanks
Hi Angel,
As long as it’s written into your contract, you should be ok, but if you want to verify where it needs to be located, I’d try contacting the Student Loan Ombudsman Group and asking if they can give you direction on that part. This is a group of lawyers who offer free legal advice on student loan issues, and who are backed by the Federal Government, so you can trust them. Google their name for their phone number.
Hi,
I have 22k student loan and I am in Army for 3.5 yrs contract. Does Army only pay 1500 per year (total of $4,500 in 3 years)?
Yes, it’s up to $1,500 per year that you can get forgiveness on.
Do you get 15% of your total loan amount every year? Or do you get 15% of whatever the new balance is every year? If i get 15% of whatever my current balance is, then i would get less and leas money back every year as i pay my loan down, i’m hoping this is not the case.
It’s 15% of the new balance each year.
Hi there! This is incredibly informative but there is one crucial error that I urge you to correct. Bullet point three under eligibility, also topic of the boldest “Note” following this section states that you must disenroll from the “post 9/11 GI Bill”. This is inaccurate, a soldier must disenroll from the “Montgomery GIBill” to be eligible for SLRP. Then, after their 3 years active duty for SLRP eligibility, they will start earning eligibility toward the post 9/11 GI Bill. You are not required to disenroll from the post 9/11 GI Bill specifically to be eligible, but if the soldier does not disenroll from The Montgomery GI Bill, their LRP will be voided. This is very crucial to the success of an enlisting soldiers LRP payments.
Hi Raquel,
Thanks for the suggestion! I just updated the page’s content accordingly. Much appreciated!
Hi I was wondering in the national guards if you can use both student loan repayment plan and the Montgomery GI Bill? Or do you have to choose one? I’m planning on joining the national guards and I’m doing some research. Thank you!
Hi Carol,
The Montgomery GI Bill is wildly outdated – there’s been two new GI Bills since then, first the Post 9/11 GI Bill, and now the current Forever GI Bill. You’ll need to do a little more research before deciding how to approach the education benefits, because it sounds like you’re working with really outdated information. You should be able to take advantage of both benefits plans, however, as the Student Loan Repayment Plan is going to be used to pay off existing debt you had when you enrolled, and the Forever GI Bill will give you benefits you can use for future schooling.
If another unit has an E-5 slot that I am being offered and in order to receive it I have to transfer to that unit (still stay in the same MOS) will that disqualify me and void the SLRP that is in my contract? Thanks
Hi Jacob,
I think SLRP is tied to your MOS, so I think you’d still be eligible, but I’m not entirely certain, so you’ll need to check with DOD or the VA on that one.
It’d be nice if the Army didn’t screw me out of SLRP (long story). And now my loans are still in forbearance and have accrued thousands more in interest. I’ll never see a dime, unless I can retroactively get the SLRP I was told I signed up for.
Katie,
Did you get the SLRP written into your enlistment contract? If you have it in writing, you should be able to access it. If not, you’re SOL.
Dear Sir
I am enrolled in SLRP , I m in Guard Reserve.When i was trying to fill my forbearance form provided by my lender , the option that it had was either i should be under Department of Defense Student Loan Repayment Program or i should be serving in guard and was activated for more than 30 days under governor or president ,The only option that was suitable to me was the first one that i mentioned here and I need to get signed those document from my officer .when i took that forbearance form to my officer to get signed , he told me what is the criteria that i am eligible for defense loan payment being being a guard member. I told him him that i am in contract that i will be eligible for my loan repayment But .he was not convinced with my answer.He wants certain written form that if i meet …. these criteria i am eligible for the defense loan repayment program.So what is the criteria that proves that i am eligible for that program.
Hi Haley,
That’s a good question and I’m not entirely sure who can prove that you’re eligible, but I’d try contacting the Student Loan Ombudsman Group and asking them if they can help. This is a Government-run group of attorneys that offer free legal help with student loan-related problems. Google their name for their contact information.
That’s very typical in the guard. You should have joined the reserves then you wouldn’t have any problem. Guard reserves and Army reserves are two separate things.
Sir/Ma’am,
I’ve enlisten in the army on july of 2017, curently I dont have any student loans but I have the Student Loan Repayment Program $30 000 in my contract, I was wondering if will this benefit work for future loans that I get? I’m reservist.
Thank you in advance for your time and help.
Hi Paola,
The Student Loan Repayment Program is typically used for loans that existed when you enlisted, but you might be able to use this for future loans. Try contacting the Student Loan Ombudsman Group to ask them if this will work for you. This is a group of Government-backed attorneys who offer free legal advice on student loan-related problems. You can find their contact info by Googling their name.
Tim in the Guard, their student loan repayment is only valid to repay current existing loans. However in the federal active components and in the Reserve components of the federal government student loans do not have to pre exist.
Tim & Darin,
Question regarding your response. I am an active ARMY reservist, joined 8/2016. I received a Kicker (due to MOS) when I joined, and SLRP 30K; however, I did not have any outstanding loans either (just like Paola). I’ve continued to pursue my education this fall and found that my Kicker was DECREASED, I’m receiving MGIB funds which do not even cover 20% of my tuition, and I was advised by the schools financial aid that I cannot use my SLRP until I’ve utilized ALL my MGIB. I have not received tuition assistance because my one year (of a 6-yr contract) anniversary was not until this past November. I’d just like anyone reading this to know that not all recruiters are forthcoming. I’ve learned more on THIS website than 6 months in and out of financial-aid offices on campus, during drill, and various ARMY websites. I’ve spent eight months trying to get my kicker adjusted because the ignorant & rude person at MEPS messed up my paperwork. Although my contract DOES state SLRP 30K/Kicker $350/month I am yet to receive more than $550/month that is currently 3 months behind. The school will no longer waive late fees and unfortunately I do not qualify for private loans being so young without established credit. RECRUITS please do ALL your homework. Try your best to get a competitive scholarship if at all possible. GET everything in writing! It’s really sad, especially when you’re trying to become an officer, the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing, and the middle man tells lies to both sides. Many Kuudos to you Mr. Marshall for your endless amount of support and perseverance in putting this site together!! Stay Strong and God Speed!
Great advice here KMAC. If you can avoid them, do NOT take out Private loans! You’ll be much better off in the long-run by waiting for your benefits to catch up, borrowing Federal loans, or simply waiting to take on more expenses. Private student loan debt is one of the hardest things to deal with, period, and I think you’ll end up regretting it if you go that route.
I agree with you also that it’s a confused process and that while the whole deal should be simple, the different parts of the system don’t communicate well at all. Thanks so much for your positive feedback though, I really do appreciate it! I’ll keep writing and sharing updates as long as people like you find them to be useful!
Hi,
I am going for basic training in a month. I enlisted army active duty 68a mos with a 6 year contract. it doesn’t say in my contract that I have slrp. is there a way to qualify for it if its not in my contract?
Hi Desmond,
As far as I know, SLRP literally MUST be written into the contract to qualify for benefits. However, I could be wrong about that, or they could have changed processes since I last investigated. You’re going to need to contact someone at the VA or DOD to get a clear answer.
I just re-enlisted April of 2018 for six years. It was a rush job as I’m currently deployed and the SLRP was in there. Unfortunately due to operational requirements and lack of time, I signed blindly and never had this explained to me by retention. I even had to seek out another retention NCO just to get my paperwork squared away. I’ve been in since 2003 and qualified for both MGIB and Post 9/11. I just now am finding out that in my contract it states I am not eligible for MGIB but says nothing about 9/11. On top of that I didn’t have any student loan debt before signing so I’m afraid I just screwed myself out of money for college.
Hi Michael,
It sounds like you may have gotten a raw deal, but you should contact the Student Loan Ombudsman Group to ask them for assistance if you feel like you were knowingly cheated out of benefits here. This is a Government-backed group of lawyers who free offer legal advice on student loan-related legal matters, and they may be able to help you figure this out. Google their name for their contact info.
Hi, great article! Here’s my situation..
My student loans are currently defaulted. They’ve since been transferred to a collection agency which has a 1 year payment plan (directly through the DoE) to get the loans back into good standing. So I could get that taken care of relatively quickly.
Do you know if I can sign up for the SLRP, THEN get my student loans out of default, THEN go back to school while having past debts paid off? So essentially I’m asking if I can sign up for SLRP and take advantage of it later, even though my debts don’t technically qualify at present.
I’m planning on signing a contract for 6 years so I would have plenty of time to get everything sorted before actually trying to utilize the SLRP, if that’s even possible.
Hi Aaron,
You should contact the Student Loan Ombudsman Group to find out what they think. These guys are a Government-backed group of attorneys that offer free advice on student loans, and they should be able to answer your question for you. I don’t want to steer you the wrong information, so I’m going to say… maybe, but they will know for sure. Let me know what you find out and I’ll share it with my readers!
Is there any way to use my SLRP for my wife’s loans?
Hi Kevin,
You know, that’s a good question, but I don’t think it’s possible. You can definitely transfer Forever GI Bill and Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits and Basic Allowance for Housing benefits to spouses, but I think that SLRP is stuck with you. Try contacting the VA or the Student Loan Ombudsman Group for a concrete answer. Google “Student Loan Ombudsman Group” for their contact info, and rest assured that you can trust these guys. They’re a Government-backed non-profit offering free legal advice surrounding student loan issues, and I think they would be able to tell you exactly how this works.
Apologies if this has been answered. I understand that 28% is withheld upfront. But, if you end up being in a lower tax bracket (lets say 15%) you would get 13% difference back in your tax return correct?
Also, while generally speaking officers cannot qualify for SLRP, there is an exception. JAGs have the JASLRP which is more or less identical to the SLRP.
Hi Brent,
Yes, the IRS settles up with you if too much is taken out in advance.
And Yes, there is SLRP for JAGs. Good point!
Is this program able for officers? If so how does one sign up?
No. Officers are not eligible.
Good evening,
I’m a physician assistant, and I have served for 6 years as of this past June. I have received 3 years of bonuses and 2 years of loan repayment. If I decide to transfer into IRR status will I still be entitled for my last loan repayment bonus totaling $25K before taxes? Please help me in this matter.
Thank you so very much
Hi Dayana,
I am not sure if IRR status would disqualify you for the Army LRP benefits that you’ve been receiving, and I’d recommend that you don’t do it until you can get a solid answer on this. I think your best bet for getting a quick answer would be to call the Student Loan Ombudsman Group, which is a Government-backed entity that offers pro bono legal advice to people struggling with complicated Federal student loan issues; like yours! They should be able to clarify the legal specifics of the program, and tell you whether or not you can transfer to IRR status and still retain your benefits package.
You can find contact information for the Student Loan Ombudsman Group here.
Hello, I have a question. I enlisted in the Army Reserves in December 2007 with the SLRP as part of my contract. I initiated the process with the Army Education Website while enlisted, filling and sent out the appropriate DD forms. I am now out of the Army Reserves and have found out that the SLRP only paid out about 3 payments. Where do I start about this?
You’re going to have to take it up with the Military.
Can you still qualify for the slrp if you are slapped with a UCMJ, company/field grade article 15 as a NG soldier while on active orders?
Is your question can you still receive the SLRP that you had written into your original enlistment contract after you get hit with the Article 15? If so, I’m not sure.
To be clear though, SLRP is only available to people who are enlisting in the military… and it has to be written into their enlistment contract. If you’re wondering if you can sign up for the program after joining, and after getting an Article 15, then the answer is no.
Hello.. I enlisted in 1988 in the National Guard as a 19D Scout. After 3 years, Received my Honorable discharge after my 6 year enlistment. I never did use the program. Simply received my GI Bill and State NGB tuition assistance. Is there an expiration around using the SLRP?
Would I be eligible for repayment of my existing Student Loans I created for my Master degree (2004 to 2005). Would I be eligible for repayment of student loans I incur, if I go back to college and get another degree?
Thank you for your service, but did you read my page? If SLRP wasn’t in writing, in your original service contract, then it’s gone for good and you’ll have no way to access it. Even people who DO have it in writing often have trouble getting the benefit.
Great article! I’ve been using SLRP since my enlistment in 2009 and it has made my life so much easier. I wonder how many new enlisted members are getting this benefit nowadays?
Hi Joel,
I haven’t seen any data on the total participation in the program, but it’s always good to hear that it’s working for someone because I get a lot of complaints about the program. Thank you for your service!
I can say that it has NOT been working for FAR more members than it has been working for and that is sadly and injustice for what we’ve signed up for!
Hi KMAC,
I’ve heard way less complaining about the program than I used to in years past, so either it’s working better than ever before, or people have simply given up trying to utilize the benefit. This is anecdotal, sure, but it definitely feels like there’s been an improvement here.
Is the SLRP available for commissioned officers as well or is it only an enlistment incentive?
Hi Mah,
From what I recall, everything is only available to enlisted personnel. In fact, most of the SLRP programs (for all branches) have been shut down since we winded down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. You need to contact someone in the Department of Defense, at the VA, or in the Army to find out what’s currently available. My page is probably out of date at this point in time.
I had slrp on my original contract back in 2010 but I was honorably discharged early due to a medical issue and have been recently cleared to reenlist for the National Guard would I be eligible to recoup the slrp once again on this new contract if I pick a qualifying MOS?
Hi Bruce,
Good question, and I’m not entirely sure. I would contact the Student Loan Ombudsman Group and ask them for info. These guys work for free, and they’re Government-backed. It’s a group of attorneys that offer consulting services to people with complicated, legal questions related to student loans. They’ll be your best bet to getting the right answer.
My husband served 6 years in the national guard from 09-16. It took 6 years to receive one payment on of of the loans listed in his contract. It was a complete struggle to even get that paid and it was only $1500.
On my husbands contract, which he has a hard copy of, it states that the army agrees to pay all 3 of his student loans- one being citi bank which is a private loan. The loan is clearly written out with the amount due and signed as a written agreement back in 2009.
Last night we were informed that they will not pay his citi bank loan even though it is in writing they would do so. Is this something they can do? Do we have any legal backing to get the loan paid that is in his contract?
They said it was a mistake in the contract and isn’t part of their student loan repayment program.
Would it be worth to go through JAG to addres this issue or address this matter with an attorney?
Thanks for your help
Hi Kaelene,
Before you contact JAG or an attorney, I’d recommend getting in touch with the Student Loan Ombudsman Group. This is a Government organization that I have no affiliation with, but who offers free support for people dealing with Federal student loan-related legal issues. They should be able to investigate and pursue this on your behalf, without costing you anything.
IF they drag their feet, aren’t able to resolve it, or don’t know what to do, then I’d consider contacting JAG or hiring a private attorney.
You can find contact information for the Student Loan Ombudsman Group here.
So, anyone able to get this resolved? I’m going to copy/paste a letter to a Congressman (that hasn’t been addressed). This is the bulk of it. I edited a bit to protect some information.
In my initial enlistment contract with the Army, which I have satisfied fully, I was entitled to 20,000 dollars of a student loan repayment in their incentive program. That was in February 2008. I have been trying, tirelessly and fruitlessly, to get ANY assistance from my unit, other units, peers, strangers, the internet, self-service portals, my lenders, and anyone I could reach out to. NO ONE has assisted me. NO ONE could provide ANY answers, and it has been over 8 years. I have been accruing and paying interest over this time, while I was supposed to be having payments made annually with this program. I’m exhausted. It’s insane to me that I can serve my country proudly and well, do all the footwork for a program that I have no idea how to navigate, and constantly be turned away with no information. I am a veteran. I am a combat medic. I am a grad student, mother, spouse of a service member, and I’m suffering due to the ineptitude and lack of any assistance from those that are supposed to provide this. Had I ever turned people away or refused to perform my duty, people would have died. This is unacceptable. I finally get a response back to my pleading with a stranger but professional, and now am being told that I’m a veteran now, out of the service as of March of this year (2016), so my benefits will not apply anymore, but I can potentially get some payment for half of my service, less the taxes I will incur. This. Is. Ridiculous. I need help. I need help, and am pleading with you for it. I don’t beg, I’m a proud woman, but this is breaking me.
Quick question that someone here may be able to answer,
The new SLRP for 2016 states that 15% or $1500, whichever is greater, will be paid towards each loan for Army Reserves soldiers. Does this apply to my loan payment requests now? Or is that only applicable for soldiers who sign a contract in 2016? Because from what I recall, it has been 15% or $500.
Also, if I serve 3 years in the military with a 3 year old loan, does the SLRP backpay the years I did not submit a form for or do I have to submit it every year?
Thanks.
Hey Trever,
Great questions, and I’m not entirely sure. I would speak to the Student Loan Ombudsman Group (1-877-557-2575) about this, or ask at http://www.reddit.com/r/studentloans. I need to update my military forgiveness and repayment program pages with more current info, so I’d appreciate it if you came back and let me know what you find out!
Where do I send my annual DD form 2475. I am Army Reserves
Hi Tim,
Great page you got going on here! Was wondering if maybe you had some information I haven’t been able to find through my research. I am in the Army reserve and my SLRP got terminated for having too many unexcused absences (had some family issues to take care of and in retrospect I should have communicated better with my unit). My question is, have you ever seen an SLRP get terminated and then reinstated? Thanks for the help!
-SPC Sanchez, Frank
Hi Frank,
Thanks for the kind words, and sorry to hear about your situation. I have not heard anything like this happening, but if I were you, I’d contact the Student Loan Ombudsman Group and see if they could help lobby on your behalf. You can reach them here: 1-877-557-2575
You state under “Other Considerations”:
“Remember that you will only be able to receive loan repayment program benefits on loans that were created before you enlisted…”
I recieved $20,000 SLRP in my contract when I enlisted 3.5 years ago, but I WAS told that it could be used on any future debt as long as I was in during my 6 year enlistment.
When I enlisted I didn’t have any debt. Now, I am enrolled in a masters program, and I I was planning to use my SLRP on this soon-to-be accumulated graduate debt.
Can you confirm that your information is indeed true? I can’t use my SLRP benefit on my upcoming debt?
Hi John,
I’m not the one with final say on this stuff. Whoever services your loan will be the arbiter in this case.
One thing you can do is contact a private organization who specializes in dealing with Federal Student Loan Debt Relief, like the Student Loan Relief Helpline, and ask them the same question. Their specialists should be able to tell you whether or not you’re going to be able to apply those benefits to future costs. They’re also likely to work up a plan for you to reduce your monthly payments and get you set on a path toward earning comprehensive Federal Student Loan Forgiveness, especially as you’re military personnel.
You can reach the Student Loan Relief Helpline by calling them here: 1-888-694-8235.
Sorry to say but this program is not as great as it sounds.
What the recruiter said: The Army will pay off 15% or $7500 of your student loans every year on your anniversary date.
What has actually happened: We need forms filled out and signed in a very specific way and do not get started before 90 days before your anniversary date. We can not start processing your forms until your anniversary date. Also, that payment gets taxed. Those forms you fill out each year take a very very long time to process. So far, I have seen 1 payment. With interest my loans are currently at the same number as when I first enlisted over 3 years ago.
Dave,
My experience with getting my loans repaid has been very easy. If you didn’t already know, you must go to the SLRP website at https://selfservice.rcms.usar.army.mil/education to initiate your own repayment. You can only log in using your CAC. Once logged in click on LRP/SLRP Home Page link on the right side of the page. If you have not uploaded physical copy of your promissory note in the SLRP site along with specific information that you were to enter into the SLRP site about loan, then they will not make payments until you do your part. After you complete this process you will be able to initiate the process to have your loans repaid.
90 days before your anniversary date a gray link will appear enabling you to began your SLRP process. After clicking on that link, it takes you to the next page where you will select another link that will print out the DD Form 2475(DOD EDUCATIONAL LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM (LRP) ANNUAL APPLICATION). All the information will be filled out for you. The only requirement for you will be to sign and date in blocks 2F and 2G. Nothing else on that form would be needed from you to fill out since it will have been automatically populated from the promissory note that was you had on file. You would need to send that to whoever is you loan holder for them to fill out the details on your balance and interest. They will then send the form directly to the SLRP team on Ft. McCoy. Once received the SLRP team will go ahead and process the forms if received 90 days before your anniversary date but will not approve the payment and later send to your loan servicer. That process takes up to 2 weeks. They will go ahead and make back payments if none has been made on your previous anniversary dates. Let the SLRP site do all the work for you rather than you filling out the forms yourself. You can also send them messages from that site in which they are good at getting back with you within 48 hours.
Look at your SLRP addendum when you signed your contract to see what the payment percentage or maximum amount the army will pay. The 15% is correct but the $7,500 does not sound correct. But you must have this addendum with your enlistment contract to have your student loans repaid. If you never signed this addendum then you don’t have this entitlement.
What careers are available for the CLRP in the Army?
Hi David,
I haven’t been able to find the latest list – it may not be published anywhere online. Contact an Army recruiter and I’m sure he or she can provide you with the details.
I joined the army in october 2009 and received the SLRP. I am curious to know if other people had issues when they tried to get money back for their loans when they filed their taxes. I never received a 1098E for the interest paid and therefore could not get money back. It was used as taxable income instead which bumped me up a bracket because they paid 66% and 2/3 of my repayment in the first year and I did not get money back. In the letters that were sent to me from SLRP, it said that I would be able to get money back during taxes, but it did not happen. I am fortunate for having been able to receive the SLRP, but not without a little deception.
Hi Jean,
I’m not sure if your situation went down according to the rules, or if something went amiss. I do believe that you have to count the SLRP benefits as taxable income (the IRS always needs their fair share), but I am not sure if you were supposed to get money back or not.
My advice is to contact the Student Loan Ombudsman Group and ask them how they interpret the situation. This is a non-profit group of lawyers who offer FREE legal advice on issues related to Federal student loan debt, and I think they’re going to be your best bet to sorting out the situation.
I would say “contact your CO”, but I’ve heard far too many horror stories from attempting to resolve issues like yours within the military chain of command. Based on all the complaints I’ve received over the years, it sounds like no one in the military has any idea how anything related to Federal student loan debt is supposed to work.
Good luck! And thank you for your service!
I love the Army, but my SLRP has been just problematic for me, it is the main reason I want to get out now. I have been in for 4 years in the National Guard, and submitted my paperwork on my 2nd anniversary for my first two payments, then submitted more paperwork on my 3rd anniversary. I have already passed my fourth and have not even contacted the office to submit my paperwork again because I have yet to see any money after more than 2 years. Every time I contact them, they tell me to be patient and that the NGB is extremely slow. There is no way it takes this long to get a payment? I can’t be the only one… Please advise.
Thanks in advance
Hi John,
Thank you for your service, and sorry that you’re having so many issues with this. You are NOT the only one.
Will you try something for me? Contact the Student Loan Ombudsman Group to see if they can help. They usually resolve things for civilians, but I don’t see why they couldn’t step in on your behalf here.
You can reach them at 1-877-557-2575. Tell them your story and see if they can do anything to speak up the process.
If enough people in the same situation as you keep complaining to them, it’s possible that someone, somewhere, will be held accountable for the delays, and that something will be done to fix the obviously broken system.
Such a load of bull crap. The army just uses this program to sucker in people (like me) into thinking you can just take out 20K loans and easily get them repaid. That is not the case. They pay back the loans at a ridiculously slow pace.
If the Army gave a damn, and was serious about this program, they would pay back the loan as soon as you graduate with one payment as long as the amount was the same or less than that in your contract.
And what happens if your contract expires or you go IRR before the loans get repaid? You’re screwed! They stop making any payments.
Bottom line, don’t join the military for the benefits. And of course, never trust a recruiter.
Good advice Sean.
The benefits are not all that they’re cracked up to be, that’s for sure, and Recruiters are definitely out there spreading yarns about how useful those benefits might be.
Thank you for your service, and sorry that you’re having a bad experience.
Sean,
I enlisted in 2012 and they paid $20k in 2013, 2014 and 2015. $20k is 33.3% of my loans that aren’t interest. Everyone enlists for at least 3 years so there is no danger of not getting it paid off on active duty unless you get discharged early for some reason.
Just want everyone to be aware that if you do join a branch of the military and are seeking the SLRP MAKE SURE you get it written in on your contract. I joined the ARNG in 2011 and my recruiter told me I had the SLRP and we talked about it frequently. I had faith in my countries military, but sadly it screwed me over and when I got out of AIT my home unit said I didn’t qualify for the SLRP because my recruiter never wrote it down on paper. So now I’m stuck paying off around $25,000 in students loans. Sad that soldiers get treated this way but that’s just the way it is I guess.
This is ABSOLUTELY the case that many others have experienced as well. No matter what your recruiter says, SLRP Benefits MUST BE WRITTEN INTO YOUR ENLISTMENT CONTRACT!
If they are not, you will not qualify for the program.
Sorry to hear about your experience Patrick. I’ve done my best to make this clear here, but people still miss that part and assume that they can trust their Recruiters.
The sad truth is, even if the Recruiter fights tooth and nail to get you benefits after the fact, they don’t have any power to get that authorized if it wasn’t written into your original contract.
Hi, I called a recruiter today and they said the army only offers the slrp for reserve duty only, and up to 30,000. I’m finding this hard to believe.
Hi Trevor,
It’s possible that they’ve dropped the benefits because of budget costs. There has been a lot of talk of cancelling these programs outright, so to tell you the truth, I’m not that surprised.
I just wish they would update their website on a regular basis so that I could get the information right for everyone out there searching for details.
This is a GREAT program, and one of the reasons I joined the USAR. The Army payed off over $14,000
in student loans for me, plus I am now using Tuition Assistance to continue my education.
I LOVE THE ARMY!!!!!!
Thank you for sharing your success story with us SGT Miller!
We’ve heard a lot of horror stories, so it’s nice to hear that things are working as they should out there.
Thank you for your service to our country, and keep on keeping on!
Tim,
One of the best articles on SLRP that I have found throughout the net. Thank you very much for sharing the information. Was wondering if I could get your help with my situation:
I enlisted for National Guard Sept 2013, I am 4 classes from graduating and have a lot of student loan under my name. I signed up as O9S (Officer Candidate) and was told I would be able to get SLRP after commissioning and signing a new contract. I just got done with basic and started getting weird answers there. As I am doing more research, I think I just got screwed over. 🙁
Was hoping to get some advice or hear thoughts from you or anyone reading. Thanks
Hi Jean,
Thanks for the kind words!
I’ve been hearing some strange things about SLRP lately, and it’s really scaring me. You’re not the first person to visit the site and comment that you were promised something which is no longer being delivered.
Here’s the terrible news – whatever they say goes in this space. If you really wanted to push the issue, you could contact someone higher up the command chain or whoever you’re dealing with (and being told “no” by), or if you wanted to go nuclear you could try to hire a lawyer and starting a legal case against the National Guard, but I doubt that would end well.
Do you have it IN WRITING on your enlistment contract that you will be getting SLRP benefits? If not, then you are probably screwed. If you DO, then I would not give up on pursuing your benefits, because you earned them!
Here’s another thing to consider trying – go to the National Guard’s website and visit their page about SLRP (here), then click the “Talk to an Expert” button on the bottom, right-hand side of the page. Ask them who you need to contact to get this sorted out, and figure out what’s going on.
The good news is that you might have a chance. The bad news is that it’s going to take some leg-work, and determination, to get this done.
Good luck! Let me know if you find anyone who I can refer others with questions about SLRP to, as I’ve had trouble identifying a reliable contact.
You article states that private loans are not eligible for CLRP, but the information given by the Army at its Army Benefits site says otherwise. Any idea which is correct?
The document Army Benefits forwarded me to says that the army will repay on any loan made for educational purposes, so long as the lender is either government or is supervised by an agency of the gov’t (state or federal). . .I don’t know anything about whether there is any gov’t oversight on private student loans issued by a bank, but maybe to somebody that did this would answer the question.
Thanks for taking the time to actively respond to comments!
Hi Andrew,
It sounds like you’re confusing terms. Where you wrote “so long as the lender is either Government or is supervised by an agency of the Gov’t…”, that sounds to me like private loans do not qualify.
The way Federal loans work is that the funding is provided by the Federal Government, but your loans are serviced by an “agency of the Government” (like Sallie Mae or some other lender). Basically, it’s a Federally-funded loan, serviced by a Private banking institution.
A private loan has nothing to do with Government funding at all, and won’t qualify for the Army Student Loan Repayment Program.
Hope this clears things up.
I spoke to an army recruiter in July of 2014. I was told they no longer HAD the Loan Repayment Program for active duty soldiers.
What changed? Is there any way to get into that program still? Recruiters say “no.”
Hi Zach,
According to the Army Benefits website, the College Loan Forgiveness Program was still available as of June 27th, 2014.
I can’t seem to find anything talking about CLRP being cancelled, but if recruiters are saying it’s not available, then it’s possible something has changed.
I’ll look into this further and post an update if I can find anything else, but from what I’ve been able to research online, the CLRP program still appears to be running – perhaps you’re not eligible for it for some reason?
I’m pursuing enlistment and was told at the beginning that this program was available. Now, it is not available and affecting my ability to enlist. I spoke with Army HR Command Center (from the above link) and they verified the program is DEAD to anyone enlisting for all Army jobs. I don’t know how this is officially verified but as of now, a strong Army candidate with 2 degrees has no indication that this program is still being offered to new enlistees.
Thank you for checking in with that information. I haven’t heard anything about this, but I’ll try to confirm what you’ve shared and update this page accordingly.
That would truly be a bad deal if Army SLRP were completely cancelled.
“Unfortunately, as of 2014, yes, your Army college loan repayment program benefits are counted as taxable income.”
Were they not taxable before 2014? I got a notice from the IRS saying I received $6000 under the EIN used by the Army SLRP for 2012. I’ve never claimed any exemptions on my military pay and as far as I can tell they’ve only ever paid out $3000 each year on my loans. I’ve never actually checked whether those disbursements were taxed or not. I’m frantically trying to investigate the matter as the IRS says I owe a bunch of money now.
Hi John,
According to my research, these were not counted as taxable income until 2014, but perhaps I’m incorrect on that. Try contacting someone up your chain of command to get a clear answer.
The problem here though, is that no matter what they tell you, it’s really the IRS who calls the shots. If the IRS says that you owe them money, it would be quite difficult to get around paying it back =(
It has always been taxable income. I had 60k net paid off in my student loans and they always withheld some of the other money to pay the taxes so I wouldn’t have to.
Does anyone know if they take additional taxes for state as well? Is it just 28%?
It sounds really good up front but it’s not all gravy. They’re probably keeping that $1000 as taxes. I was approved for $7500 but only $5,182.50 was paid out. Over $2,300 went to taxes. Unless my math was messed up, it should have been $2,100 according to that 28%.
I am currently using the SLRP but the payment amount that is being deducted in my SLRP is not the same as the amount being deducted in my student loan. For example, the SLRP noted that they paid off $3000 towards my loan but when I checked my loan account, only $2000 is getting deducted. So what happens to the $1000? I have contacted my loan services and they provided me some kind of a receipt of payment in which I forwarded to SLRP people. It’s been weeks and I still haven’t received any answers.
As long as you have your s*** together this is an awesome program!! I’ve received more than $15,000 in Army SLRP benefits and I’m more than half way through paying off my loans.
Hey thanks for this. Sounds like the Army student loan repayment program will let me get rid of the student loan debt I built up getting a worthless degree in Philosophy. Want to know how valuable that degree has been? I’ve been working as a Janitor for the past three years.
I am having troule using the site that is provdided for SLP beneits I am not sure exactly what the first step is to get the process going. i have been struggling with this for months and noone at my unit knows how to do it. Can i get a little help or at least some advice on who i can call to actually speak to someone
Army SLRP saved my ass when I needed it the most. My student loan debt was actually growing each year because I kept missing payments, but once I enlisted with full LRP Program benefits and started receiving money after my first year of service, my debt has shrunk each of the past three years. I want to thank the Army and Congress for making this benefit available, because I don’t know how I would afford to pay the bills otherwise. You helped me out of a tough spot!
Sir/Ma’am,
In 2008 I extended my enlistment as a 35PL20 for 3 years with the incentive of SLRP. The incentive is annotated not only on my final DD214 but on my extention contract as well. After multiple attempts, to include contacting the National Guard Bureau, Louisiana state IG, and Army IG while in Iraq, I still have yet to receive any benefit/payments applied to my outstanding student loan balance. I’ve honored my obligations; serving the entirety of all of my enlistment contracts and have been honorably discharged. Who may I contact (that I have not already) that will actually enforce the terms of my reenlistment and have Louisiana National Guard repay their portion of my student loans? Thank you in advance.
SSG Q
Hi Treva,
I wish I knew, but I’m honestly not sure who would be able to help. To start though, I would try contacting your former commanding officer, your original recruiter, or a VA representative to see if they could at least point you in the right direction. Good luck!
SSG please utilize the SLRP HRC portal to start using this benefit. Sounds like you did not actually enroll in the SLRP website to the Armys loan site to start repayments. This site generates a DD form that you will need to send to your loan providers. Here’s the link:https://www.hrc.army.mil/TAGD/Loan%20Repayment%20Program