Are you eligible for student loan forgiveness if you have private and federal loans?

The student loan repayment landscape just got a lot more complicated for borrowers to navigate — and those with federal student loans, in particular, are now facing unique challenges. Major changes to the federal student loan system took effect July 1, which includes new repayment options and changes that impact how borrowers manage their federal student loan debt. At the same time, millions of borrowers are still trying to determine which student loan relief programs may apply to the loans they already have.

Determining repayment options can be especially challenging, though, if your education was financed with more than one type of student loan . You may, for example, have federal Direct Loans from your undergraduate years but also have private student loans you took out to cover funding gaps, attend graduate school or refinance an older balance. While those loans may all appear under the same student debt category in your budget, they don't necessarily come with the same repayment protections.

And that distinction can become particularly important if you're hoping to have some of your student loan debt forgiven. The rules governing federal and private student debt are substantially different, after all, so having both types of loans can affect which balances qualify for relief — and what you may need to do with the debt that remains.

Having private student loans doesn't automatically prevent you from qualifying for federal student loan forgiveness . Eligibility generally depends on whether your federal loans meet the requirements of a particular forgiveness or discharge program. Your private student loans are evaluated separately and generally aren't eligible for federal forgiveness programs.

For example, that means a borrower with $40,000 in federal student loans and $20,000 in private student loans could potentially qualify to have some or all of the eligible federal balance forgiven while remaining responsible for the $20,000 private balance.

There are a few different routes to having your federal student loans forgiven. Depending on your circumstances and loan type, federal forgiveness or discharge options can include:

Private student loans, however, aren't covered by these federal forgiveness programs. A private lender may offer its own discharge provisions in limited circumstances, such as a borrower's death or permanent disability, but those policies depend on the lender and student loan agreement. Private lenders generally aren't required to provide the same discharge protections that are available with federal loans.

In turn, it's important to be cautious about refinancing federal loans into private student loans if you're pursuing federal forgiveness. Refinancing federal student loans through a private lender converts them into private debt, which means you generally give up access to federal forgiveness programs and other federal borrower protections.

You aren't necessarily stuck with your current repayment strategy if you don't qualify for student loan forgiveness .