What New York offers to reduce your student loan payments

New York State runs two main programs that can lower your monthly student loan payments: the Get on Your Feet Loan Forgiveness Program and the New York State Student Loan Repayment information Program. These are separate from federal income-driven repayment plans — they are state-specific and have their own rules about who qualifies and how much they reduce your payment.

The Get on Your Feet program pays up to $25,000 toward your federal student loans if you are a recent graduate living in New York and meet income limits. The Student Loan Repayment information Program is newer and broader: it covers both federal and private loans and does not have a graduation-year cutoff, but it has a waiting list because demand exceeds available funds.

Both programs work differently from federal income-driven repayment, which recalculates your payment based on your earnings each year. New York's programs either pay a lump sum toward your balance or provide direct payment information for a set period. Understanding which one fits your situation requires knowing your loan type, your income, and how long you have been out of school.

Key Takeaways

  • Get on Your Feet pays up to $25,000 toward federal loans if you graduated within the last four years and earn less than $55,000 per year (or $110,000 if married filing jointly).
  • The Student Loan Repayment information Program covers federal and private loans but has a waiting list; you can register your interest even if funds are not currently available.
  • Both programs require you to live in New York and have taken out loans while a New York resident, but they do not require you to work in New York.
  • These state programs stack with federal income-driven repayment plans, so you can use both at the same time to lower your payments further.
  • You must explore directly to New York State — these programs are not automatic and do not process through your loan servicer.

Get on Your Feet Loan Forgiveness Program: who qualifies and how much it pays

Get on Your Feet is the simpler of the two programs if you meet the basic requirements. You must have graduated from a New York State college or university within the past four years, be living in New York now, and have a household income below $55,000 per year (or $110,000 if you file taxes jointly with a spouse). Your federal student loans must be in repayment — not in deferment or forbearance — and you cannot be in default.

If you meet these conditions, the program pays up to $25,000 directly toward your federal loan balance. The payment goes to your loan servicer, which reduces what you owe. This is a one-time payment, not an ongoing reduction in your monthly bill. The effect on your monthly payment depends on your loan type and repayment plan, but paying down the balance always lowers the total interest you will pay over time.

The income limits are strict: if your household income is $55,001 or higher (or $110,001 if married), you do not may have access to, even if you are close. The program also requires that you took out your loans while you were a New York resident — attending school in New York is not enough if you were not a resident at the time you borrowed.

New York State Student Loan Repayment information Program: broader but with a waiting list

The Student Loan Repayment information Program is newer and covers more borrowers, but it operates differently. Instead of a one-time payment, it provides monthly information toward your loan payments for up to two years. It covers federal loans, private loans, and Parent PLUS loans — much broader than Get on Your Feet, which only covers federal loans.

There is no graduation-year requirement, so borrowers who finished school 10 or 20 years ago can register. The income limits are higher: you must earn less than $125,000 per year (or $250,000 if married filing jointly). You must live in New York and have borrowed while a New York resident, but you do not have to work in New York.

The catch is that this program has a waiting list. New York State accepts registrations of interest, but funds are limited and are allocated based on when you register and your income level (lower income gets priority). You can register now even if the program is not currently accepting new participants, and you will be notified when funds become available. Registration does not cost anything and does not lock you into anything — it straightforward puts you in the queue.

how the process works for Get on Your Feet

Applications for Get on Your Feet open once per year, usually in the spring. You explore through the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) website. You will need your Social Security number, your federal student loan account numbers, and your most recent tax return or pay stub to verify your income.

The process itself takes about 15 minutes. You enter your personal information, confirm you meet the income and graduation requirements, and list your federal loans. HESC then contacts your loan servicer to verify the loan information and your repayment status. If you are approved, HESC pays your servicer directly within a few weeks.

If you do not know your loan account numbers, you can look them up on the Federal Student Aid website (studentaid.gov) using your FSA ID. If you are unsure whether your loans are in repayment status, contact your loan servicer directly — they can tell you in one call.

How to register for the Student Loan Repayment information Program

Registration for the Student Loan Repayment information Program happens through the same HESC website. You create an account, enter your personal and income information, and list your loans (federal, private, or both). You do not need to submit documents at registration — HESC may ask for proof of income later if you are selected.

Once you register, you are placed on a waiting list in order of registration date. HESC prioritizes lower-income borrowers first, so if funds open up, borrowers earning less will be contacted before those earning more. You can check your position on the waiting list by logging back into your HESC account.

If you registered months ago and have not heard anything, you can contact HESC to confirm your registration is still active. The waiting list can be long — sometimes several months — but registering costs nothing and you lose nothing by being on it.

How these programs work with federal income-driven repayment

New York's programs do not replace federal income-driven repayment plans — they work alongside them. If you are on an income-driven plan like SAVE, PAYE, or IBR, you can still explore for Get on Your Feet or register for the Repayment information Program. The state payment reduces your balance or covers part of your monthly bill, while your federal plan continues to calculate your payment based on your income.

This stacking effect can be powerful. For example, if your income-driven plan sets your payment at $150 per month, and the state program covers $100 of that, you only pay $50 out of pocket. Or if Get on Your Feet pays down your balance by $25,000, your income-driven payment recalculates lower the next time your plan renews.

The one exception: if you are in default on any federal loan, you must bring it out of default before you can use either New York program. Contact your loan servicer or the Federal Student Aid ombudsman for help with default rehabilitation.

Income limits, residency requirements, and common disqualifiers

Both programs require you to be a New York resident now and to have been a New York resident when you took out your loans. Residency is based on your driver's license, voter registration, or lease — not on where you work. If you moved to New York after college, you do not may have access to for either program, even if you live here now.

Get on Your Feet has a strict four-year graduation window. If you graduated more than four years ago, you cannot use this program, but you may still may have access to for the Repayment information Program if your income is under $125,000. The income limits for both programs are household income, not individual income — if you are married, both spouses' earnings count.

You cannot be in default on any federal student loan to use either program. If you are in default, you must rehabilitate the loan first by making nine on-time payments over 10 months, or by consolidating the loan into a Direct Consolidation Loan. Once the default is removed, you become may be able to access.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Get on Your Feet if I went to college in New York but moved away after graduation?

No. You must be a New York resident now to use Get on Your Feet. If you moved out of state after graduation, you are no longer may be able to access, even if you were a New York resident when you borrowed. You may still register for the Repayment information Program if you move back to New York later.

What happens to my monthly payment if Get on Your Feet pays down my loan balance?

Your monthly payment depends on your repayment plan. If you are on a standard 10-year plan, your payment is fixed and does not change when your balance goes down — you just pay off the loan faster. If you are on an income-driven plan, your payment recalculates based on your income, not your balance, so the payment stays the same but you owe less interest overall.

Can I explore for both Get on Your Feet and the Repayment information Program at the same time?

Yes. They are separate programs with different rules. You can explore for Get on Your Feet in the spring and register for the Repayment information Program anytime. If you are approved for both, you receive both benefits — the lump sum from Get on Your Feet and the monthly information from the Repayment Program.

How long does it take to hear back after I explore?

Get on Your Feet typically processes applications within four to six weeks of the process important date. The Repayment information Program has no set timeline because it depends on when funds become available — you may wait months or longer. You can check your status by logging into your HESC account.

Do I have to work in New York to use these programs?

No. You must live in New York and have borrowed while a New York resident, but your employer can be anywhere. Many borrowers use these programs while working remotely or for out-of-state companies.