New York National Guard Education Services

Student Loan Repayment Program (SLRP)

The National Guard values higher education and offers many types of assistance to help you stay on track while you serve. The Student Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) is available to Soldiers and officer candidates (09S) who have one or more qualifying and disbursed Title IV federal loan(s).

The loans must be listed on the Department of Education National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) aid summary website: https://www.studentaid.gov
Federal Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) that are in the name of anyone other than the Soldier applying for the SLRP program are not eligible for repayment.
State and private loans are not eligible for repayment under the SLRP.

This information will help you understand the basic benefits and requirements of the SLRP. If you need more details or have questions about how to enroll, contact your recruiter, state point of contact, officer strength manager or education services officer (ESO).

ELIGIBILITY

If you are a non-prior service (NPS) Soldier, you are eligible for the SLRP as a stand-alone incentive to include enlisting under the Split Training Option and/or Civilian Acquired Skills Program (CASP) options, provided you meet the following requirements:

Enlist for a minimum six-year term of service.
Enlist for a critical skills (CS) vacancy in the grade of E-4 or below.
Enlist into a qualifying position in most units (check with your recruiter for more details).
Score a minimum of 50 on the Armed Forces Qualifying Test (AFQT).
Must not be enlisting as a 09R Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP) cadet.
Must not be enlisting in the Recruit Force Pool or Active First Programs.
Must not be enlisting as a glossary non-prior service (GNPS) Soldier.

If you are a prior service Soldier, you are eligible for the SLRP as a stand-alone incentive, provided you meet the following requirements:

Enlist for a minimum six-year term of service.
Enlist/affiliate in the grade of E-7 or below.
Enlist/affiliate into a qualifying position in most units. Check with your recruiter for details.
Must have previously completed Army or Marine Corps Basic Combat Training (BCT) or complete Army BCT within 365 days from the date of enlistment, if you previously served in the Air Force, Navy or Coast Guard. Exception: A Soldier who previously served in special operations in the Air Force or Navy.
Must have less than 16 years' time in service (TIS) upon enlistment/affiliation in the National Guard.
Must be Duty Military Occupational Specialty Qualified (DMOSQ) for your position.
Must not have previously received the SLRP in your military career.
Must not have previously received a Guaranteed Reserve Forces Duty (GRFD) ROTC scholarship.
Must not be enlisting as a non-09S SLRP Officer Candidate School (OCS) or as a 09R SMP cadet (except for the 09S SLRP option).
Must have scored a minimum of 31 on the Armed Forces Qualifying Test (AFQT).
Must not be enlisting under the provisions of a conditional release from a Select Reserve component other than the U.S. Army Reserve.

If you are a current Guard member, you are eligible for the SLRP incentive, provided you meet the following requirements:

Must meet all re-enlistment or extension eligibility criteria.
Must extend within 365-91 days of your ETS for a minimum six-year term of service.
Must re-enlist or extend in the grade of E-7 or below. NOTE: Acceptance of promotion to E-8 after the contract start date is authorized.
Must be Duty Military Occupational Specialty Qualified (DMOSQ) for your position.
Must have less than 13 years' TIS at time of current ETS.
Must not be in Mil-Tech status (includes an indefinite technician and temporary technician on assignment for more than 180 days in any continuous 12-month period). This includes a Mil-Tech Soldier in certain statuses while deployed.
Must not be in AGR status. This includes an AGR Soldier in a TPU status while deployed.
Must not be an officer who contracted for this incentive as an enlisted applicant.

AMOUNT

Payments for SLRP/09S incentive contracts issued under this policy will not exceed $50,000 with annual repayments not to exceed the maximum amount established by law.
You must be DMOSQ in order to receive SLRP repayment. A Soldier who required BCT is not to be considered DMOSQ until completion of BCT (not applicable for 09S SLRP enlistment option).

RESTRICTIONS

You must have one or more qualifying and disbursed Title IV federal loan(s) not in default at the time of enlistment or re-enlistment/extension in order to qualify. Loans must have been disbursed prior to the date of enlistment, affiliation or re-enlistment/extension and must be at least one year old on anniversary date of the contract (unless adjusted for periods of authorized non-availability). Loans disbursed after the date of enlistment, affiliation or re-enlistment/extension are not eligible for repayment unless you are re-enlisting or extending for a minimum six-year contract in the National Guard without a break in service from the original SLRP contract start date, except for 09S enlistments.
Anniversary SLRP payments will not exceed 15 percent or $500 (whichever is greater) of the initial disbursed amounts that were approved upon the date of enlistment, affiliation, re-enlistment or extension, to include accrued interest.
Payments on loans that have a remaining outstanding balance less than the maximum yearly repayment amount will be eligible for that amount only.
Loans that have a zero balance will not be eligible for payment.
Prorated payments are not authorized for any of the following reasons:
- Separations that result in failure to complete an entire year with satisfactory participation.
- Acceptance of an Active Guard or Mil-Tech position (includes indefinite technicians and temporary technicians on assignment for more than 189 days in any continuous 12-month period).
You must make monthly payments (if required) to ensure loan(s) do not enter into a default status.
Repayment of loans that are in default may be eligible on the following anniversary date, provided the loan(s) are not in default at that time. Exception: You must provide a written statement from your lender(s) substantiating that the loan(s) are not in default in order to refute the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) report.
The lender information must be verified annually against the NSLDS documents. The NSLDS documents must not be older than 90 days from the scheduled anniversary payment date.
The National Guard will not make a payment to a Soldier or reimburse that Soldier for payment(s) made by the Soldier or by any other individual on that Soldier's behalf. All SLRP payments are paid to the financial institution only.
Any break in service will permanently terminate SLRP eligibility, except for authorized periods of non-availability. A Soldier with more than one authorized break in service must be terminated without recoupment.
Any Army Medical Department (AMEDD) officer who received SLRP will be terminated without recoupment effective the date they are appointed into an AMEDD corps or branch. Exception: Does not apply to MOSs 67J, 70B and 72D.
Any period of extension of less than six years will terminate SLRP eligibility

This is a summary of the SLRP eligibility and restrictions. For all benefit programs you should contact your recruiter, state point of contact or education services officer (ESO) for more information.