As of December 31st, 2025, Registered Social Workers are now eligible for federal Canada Student Loan Forgiveness, which means you may claim up to $30,000 of your federal loan by doing the work you already care about in smaller or rural communities. 

To learn more about the program, please go to the Canada Student Loan website.

Big picture for social workers

  • Social workers are officially on the list of occupations that can get Canada Student Loan Forgiveness.
  • It only applies to the federal portion of your Canada Student Loan. 
  • Private loans or lines of credit are not eligible.
  • You can check to see if your province or territory offers help on the provincial part of your student loan by contacting your province or territory.

How much you can get

  • As a social worker, you can receive up to $30,000 in forgiveness over a maximum of 5 years.  The yearly breakdown is: 
Year Maximum Amount Eligibility Criteria[1]

Year 1: 

 

$4,000 Provide at least 400 hours of in‑person services in a qualifying community as a registered social worker

Year 2: 

 

$5,000 Provide at least 400 hours of in‑person services in a qualifying community as a registered social worker

Year 3: 

 

$6,000 Provide at least 400 hours of in‑person services in a qualifying community as a registered social worker

Year 4: 

 

$7,000 Provide at least 400 hours of in‑person services in a qualifying community as a registered social worker

Year 5: 

 

$8,000 Provide at least 400 hours of in‑person services in a qualifying community as a registered social worker
Total Maximum $30,000  

What you need to do

  • To qualify, you must:
    • Work as a registered social worker in an eligible community.
    • Be employed in that role for a full year (for social workers in schools, at least 10 months within 12) each year that you apply for loan forgiveness.
    • Provide at least 400 hours of in‑person services each year that you apply for loan forgiveness.
    • Have your Canada Student Loan in good standing (payments up to date).
  • You can be in school, in your 6‑month non‑repayment period, or already repaying.  Your status is flexible as long as you meet the work and service requirements.

Where you need to work

  • Your social work needs to be in an eligible community, which is defined as either:
    • A rural area, or
    • A population centre with no more than 30,000 people.
  • You can even mix and match employers or eligible communities in the same year, as long as you still hit the employment and 400 hour thresholds.
  • You can see if your work community meets the criteria here.


Questions & Answers 

So… are social workers really included now?
Yes! Social workers are specifically named as an eligible occupation for Canada Student Loan Forgiveness, with service starting to count from December 31, 2025 onward.  This is a major recognition of the value of social work.

Is the Canada Student Loan Forgiveness for social workers retroactive?
No, it's not retroactive.  Social workers became eligible starting December 31, 2025, so only service after that date counts toward forgiveness.

What’s the maximum I can get forgiven?
You can earn up to $30,000 off your federal loan over 5 years: $4,000, $5,000, $6,000, $7,000, and $8,000 for each eligible year you complete.

Do my 5 years have to be back‑to‑back?
No. You can spread your eligible years out; as long as you still have a federal loan balance at the end of each year and re‑apply each time, you can keep stacking that forgiveness.

What kind of social work actually counts?
Work where you are practicing as a social worker in an eligible community, meeting the minimum 400 hours of in‑person service and the required 10 or 12 months of employment (10 months if you are in a school setting).

Does this wipe out my provincial or private loans too?
No. This is a federal perk only, so it applies just to your Canada Student Loan, not provincial/territorial loans, private loans, or lines of credit. 

You can check to see if your province or territory offers help on the provincial part of your student loan by contacting your province or territory.

How do I jump in and apply?
Once you finish your 10 or 12 months of eligible work and reach 400 in‑person hours, you have 90 days to apply for that year. Currently applications for social workers can only be submitted by paper with electronic applications expected to become available in March 2026.  Information about the application can be found here.


 

[1] All eligibility criteria can be found at Canada Student Loan