The Army 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.
• 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 incentive manager (IM).

ELIGIBILITY

If you are a non-prior service (NPS) Soldier, you are eligible for the SLRP as a standalone 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) or low density (LD) 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 non-09S SLRP Officer Candidate School (OCS) or as a 09R SMP cadet (except for the 09S SLRP option).
• Must not have or will receive a Guaranteed Reserve Forces Duty (GRFD) scholarship.
• 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 standalone 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.
• Must have less than 16 years time in service (TIS) upon enlistment/affiliation in the National Guard.
• Must have received an Honorable Discharge or an Honorable release at the conclusion of all periods of prior military service.
• Enlist/affiliate into a Critical Skill (CS) and UIC vacancy that matches the authorized skill level position within Tier Levels 1-6.
• Must be Duty Military Occupational Specialty Qualified (DMOSQ) in the contracted SLRP MOS at time of enlistment/affiliation.
• 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 (DD Form 368) from a Selected Reserve (SELRES) component other than the United States Army Reserve (USAR).

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 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 re-enlist/extend in an authorized UIC within the last year of ETS.
• Must have less than 16 years' TIS at time of current ETS.
• Must not be in an AGR or FT MILTECH status on contract signature and start dates.
• Must not be under any type of Suspension of Favorable Personnel Action (SFPA).
• Soldiers who enter the program after 1 March 2009 may extend beyond their initial six-year SLRP contract until such time as they reach the maximum dollar amount that was authorized on the date of the initial SLRP contract. This does not currently apply to officers. 
  
  

AMOUNT

• Payments for SLRP/09S incentive contracts issued under this policy will not exceed $8,333 for each anniversary year of the incentive term, inclusive of interest.
• 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 nonavailability). 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 $1,000 (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 nonavailability. 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.