Publication Date: July 31, 2006

DCL ID: GEN-06-14
FP-06-14

Subject: Approval of the Total and Permanent Disability Loan Discharge Application

Summary: This letter announces the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB’s) approval of the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program, Federal Perkins Loan (Perkins) Program, and William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program Total and Permanent Disability Loan Discharge Application and provides guidance on implementation of the new form.

Posted on 07-31-2006

Attached to this letter (in MS Word and PDF formats) is the OMB-approved Loan Discharge Application: Total and Permanent Disability that is used by borrowers to apply for discharge of loans made under the FFEL Program, Perkins Program, and Direct Loan Program. The Application has been approved by OMB with no changes from the previously approved version of the form that had an expiration date of December 31, 2005. The new expiration date for the reapproved form is May 31, 2008.

Implementation and Transition

Program participants should begin using the reapproved form with the new expiration date as soon as possible. Paper loan discharge applications with the old expiration date may continue to be used until existing supplies run out.

Imaging Technology

To accommodate imaging technology, the Loan Discharge Application: Total and Permanent Disability instructs borrowers to type or print in dark ink when completing the form. However, the use of pencil (including for the borrower’s signature) does not invalidate the form.

Printing Instructions

The attached form must be printed with black ink on white paper. The typeface, point size, and general presentation of the form may not be changed from the attached version that has been approved by the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) and OMB. The order of the loan program names that appear in the header of the form (“Federal Family Education Loan Program/Federal Perkins Loan Program/William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program”) may be changed so that the name of the program for which the form is being used appears first.

FFEL Program loan holders and Perkins school lenders should pre-print the address to which the completed form should be sent and appropriate contact information in Section 8 on page 2 of the form.

Blank space at the top, bottom, or sides of the form may be used for bar coding.

Obtaining Copies for Reproduction

The Loan Discharge Application: Total and Permanent Disability is available in PDF and MS Word formats as attachments to this letter. In addition, the form is available in PDF format on the National Council of Higher Education Loan Programs (NCHELP) web site at www.nchelp.org.

FFEL Program guaranty agencies and Perkins school lenders are responsible for ensuring that the form used is identical to the form approved by the Department and OMB. No changes may be made to the form except those expressly authorized above.

Sincerely,

Jeff Baker, Director

Policy Liaison and Implementation

Federal Student Aid