If a borrower is totally and permanently disabled, he or she may qualify for a total and permanent disability (TPD) discharge.
There are three ways to qualify for a TPD discharge:
1. Documentation from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) certifying that the borrower is unemployable due to a disability connected to his or her military service.
2. A notice of award from the Social Security Administration (SSA) for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits that states that the borrower's next scheduled disability review is within five to seven years of the most recent SSA disability determination.
3. Certification from a physician that states that the borrower is unable to engage in any substantial employment due to a medical condition that can be expected to result in death, has continuously lasted at least 60 months, or will continuously last at least 60 months.
TPD discharges are available for Direct Loans, FFEL Program loans and Perkins Loans.