The Student Loan Debt Relief Tax Credit Program for the 2020 Tax Year is Closed



STUDENT LOAN DEBT RELIEF TAX CREDIT



Who may apply: Maryland taxpayers who maintain Maryland residency for the 2020 tax year.

How to apply: Complete the Student Loan Debt Relief Tax Credit application.

When to apply: From July 1, 2020 through September 15, 2020.

Eligible applicants: Maryland taxpayers who have incurred at least $20,000 in undergraduate and/or graduate student loan debt, and have at least $5,000 in outstanding student loan debt at the time of applying for the tax credit.





How does MHEC decide who receives the Tax Credit?



The Commission shall prioritize tax credit recipients and dollar amounts based on qualified taxpayers who:

· did not receive a tax credit in a prior year;

· were eligible for in-state tuition;

· graduated from an institution of higher education located in Maryland; or

· have higher debt burden to income ratios.

The criteria for selecting who receives the tax credit each year are set out in Section 10-740(D) of the Tax General Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland and in 13B.08.17.05 of the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR).





Don’t get disqualified due to incorrect lender documents. See examples of lender document “Do’s and Don’ts”

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Frequently Asked Questions​



Proof of payment to lender



Recipients of the Student Loan Debt Relief Tax Credit must, within two years from the close of the taxable year for which the credit applies, pay the amount awarded toward their college loan debt and provide proof of payment to MHEC. Failure to do so will result in recapture of the tax credit back to the State.

Payments to lenders may consist of principal and interest and may be paid in a lump sum or installments.



For 2019 & 2020 tax credit awards, log onto your OneStop account and attach your Proof of Payment information and documents there.​



For tax credit awards that precede tax year 2019 , email your Proof of Payment to:



studentdebttaxcredit.mhec@maryland.gov​ or mail to:

Maryland Higher Education Commission

Student Loan Debt Relief Tax Credit

6 N. Liberty Street, 10th floor

Baltimore, MD 21201





Having problems with your student loan servicer?

If you have a complaint about your student loan servicer and need information on what steps you can take to resolve your concerns, you can contact the Maryland Student Loan Ombudsman at https://www.dllr.state.md.us/finance/consumers/frslombud.shtml

Student loan servicer problems with which the Ombudsman can assist include: failure by the servicer to communicate with a borrower, errors in crediting principal and interest payments, misapplied payments, inaccurate interest rate calculations, billing errors, loan consolidations or modifications errors, and/or inappropriate collection activity or tactics.