Are ITT Tech Student Loans Forgiven? | Real Answers For Borrowers

Yes—federal loans tied to ITT enrollment are often canceled under a group discharge, but private ITT loans usually stay and need separate action.

If you attended ITT Technical Institute, you may have heard “your loans are getting wiped,” then logged in and seen a balance anyway. The fix starts with one clean split: which loans are federal, which are private, and which federal loans are actually tied to ITT.

What the federal ITT discharge actually does

The Department of Education created a group borrower defense discharge for ITT students. In the Department’s ITT executive summary, it states that borrowers who enrolled at an ITT school between January 1, 2005 and ITT’s closure in September 2016 are eligible for group borrower defense discharge of their related federal student loans. Department of Education ITT borrower defense executive summary

When a covered loan is discharged, the remaining balance can drop to $0. The loan line may switch to “discharged” or “paid in full,” and interest tied to that loan stops. Credit reporting updates and refunds can happen in some cases, depending on the loan’s history and who held the loan when payments were made.

Are ITT Tech Student Loans Forgiven? Current Status For 2005–2016 Students

Yes, many are. If you enrolled at ITT from 2005 through the September 2016 closure window and your debt is federal, you are the core group described in the Department’s executive summary. ITT borrower defense executive summary

Balances still show up for normal reasons:

• The loan is private. Private ITT loans are not canceled by a federal borrower defense discharge.
• The loan is federal but not tied to ITT. Loans for another school, another program, or a different time period can stay.
• A consolidation loan bundles ITT and non-ITT debt. Only the ITT-related portion can be adjusted.
• The discharge is still processing. Accounts update in batches, and servicer transfers can slow the cleanup.

Federal loans vs private loans: the fork in the road

Almost every ITT relief question comes down to loan type. Federal loans usually include labels such as Direct, Stafford, FFEL, Perkins, or PLUS in the loan details. Private loans often show a bank or finance company as the lender and refer to a private promissory note.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has a borrower-first breakdown for former ITT students, including how to sort loan types and how to spot fee-charging “relief” sellers. CFPB guidance for former ITT students

How to confirm your status in one sitting

You don’t need special access. You just need to capture what your accounts show today.

1. List every loan line. Use your servicer portal and any recent statements.
2. Label each loan federal or private. If you can’t tell, mark it unknown and keep going.
3. Match federal loans to school history. Look for ITT Technical Institute in the school or disbursement details.
4. Match dates. The ITT group decision is tied to enrollment from January 1, 2005 through the September 2016 closure window. ITT executive summary
5. Flag consolidation loans. Consolidation can hide which part is ITT-related.
6. Save proof. Screenshot loan IDs, balances, and status labels.

Relief paths former ITT students run into most

ITT borrowers usually fit into a small set of repeat patterns. The table below maps the routes and what each one tends to change.

Relief Route	Who It Fits	What It Usually Changes
ITT Group Borrower Defense Discharge	Enrollment at ITT from Jan 1, 2005 to Sept 2016 with related federal loans	Cancels covered federal balances; triggers account and credit cleanup steps over time
Borrower Defense Application	Borrowers outside a group action or with a record mismatch that needs review	Can cancel federal Direct Loans when approved; may include refunds on some loan types
Closed School Discharge	Borrowers who could not finish because the school closed and who meet timing rules	Cancels eligible federal loans tied to the closed program under the rule text
Consolidation Breakdown Request	Consolidation loans that bundle ITT and non-ITT debt	Clarifies which part was adjusted and which part stays
Credit Report Dispute After Discharge	Credit report still shows late marks or balances tied to discharged loans	Removes discharged loan lines or negative marks once bureaus refresh
Private Loan Settlement Or Hardship Plan	Private ITT loans, often with a cosigner	May lower a payoff amount or change monthly payments, based on lender terms
Tax Year Check	Discharge posting near year-end, especially 2025 and 2026	Clarifies whether federal tax applies and which documents to keep

Closed school discharge: a separate route with its own rules

Closed school discharge is tied to school closure and your inability to complete the program because of that closure. The regulation lays out timing conditions around withdrawal and the closure date, plus the process used to identify borrowers. 34 CFR § 685.214 (Closed school discharge)

Closed school discharge questions usually come down to dates and transfers. Write down your last date of attendance at ITT and whether you completed the same credential elsewhere.

Taxes: the detail that surprises people

Many borrowers worry about a “tax bill” after a discharge. Federal tax rules have treated many student loan discharges as non-taxable during a time-limited window. The IRS explains a special rule for student loan discharges for 2021 through 2025 in its canceled debt publication. IRS Publication 4681 (Canceled Debts)

Two practical takeaways: the posting date decides the tax year, and state rules can differ from federal rules. Keep your discharge notice and year-end statements together.

When your balance is still showing: the fix list

If you still see a balance, treat it like a sorting problem. The table below pairs what you see with a common reason and a next move that usually gets traction.

What You See	Common Reason	Next Move
Loan marked private, balance due	Private debt is not canceled by federal borrower defense	Ask the lender for hardship options and a written settlement or payoff quote
Federal loan active, ITT dates match the 2005–2016 window	Batch processing delay or record mismatch	Send the servicer a secure message with loan ID, school dates, and screenshots; request ITT group discharge review
Consolidation loan not at zero	Only part of the consolidation is tied to ITT	Request a breakdown of underlying loans and which parts were adjusted
Loan shows discharged, credit report still lists it as delinquent	Bureau update lag or an old tradeline that did not refresh	File disputes with each bureau and attach the discharge notice
You expect a refund, nothing arrives	Refund rules vary; payments may have been on non-covered loans	Ask for a refund determination and a payment allocation history
A collector calls about an ITT loan	Private debt or an old federal default record in transfer	Request written validation and do not pay a third party to “file” federal discharge paperwork

Scam filters worth using right away

• They charge a fee to “submit” a borrower defense form. Federal forms are free.
• They claim they can erase private loans with a guaranteed result before reading your promissory note.
• They ask for your StudentAid login, your bank login, or full access to your email.
• They rush you into a decision while refusing to put details in writing.

If you want a steady reference point, stick to official sources. The CFPB’s ITT page is built for borrowers trying to separate real options from noise. CFPB: ITT loan options

What to send your servicer when you need a correction

If your federal loan matches the ITT window and it still shows active, a short written request often works better than a phone call. Use your servicer’s secure message center, then attach screenshots.

• Subject: ITT group discharge eligibility review
• Include: your full name, last four of SSN (only inside the secure portal), loan ID, and your ITT enrollment dates
• Say plainly: “My loan is a federal student loan tied to ITT attendance within the Jan 1, 2005–Sept 2016 window described by the Department. Please review my account for the ITT group borrower defense discharge and confirm the expected processing timeline.”
• Ask for: a written response that names the specific loan(s) reviewed and the status of each

Keep the message tight. Long narratives slow things down. The goal is to make your account easy to verify.

A short decision checklist you can save

• Step 1: Is the loan federal or private?
• Step 2: If federal, is it tied to ITT enrollment from January 1, 2005 through the September 2016 closure window stated by the Department?
• Step 3: Is it a consolidation loan that includes other schools?
• Step 4: If a discharge posted, save the notice and note the date for tax records, using the IRS guidance as your baseline.
• Step 5: If a balance remains and the loan is federal, send one clear written request to your servicer with screenshots and a request to review eligibility under the ITT group discharge.

Once you split federal from private debt and untangle consolidation, you’re left with a short list of actions tied to specific loan lines, not a vague promise.