No, you must have been a teacher at an eligible school or educational service agency for five complete and consecutive academic years. According to the Department of Education, if you were unable to complete a full academic year of teaching, that year may still be counted toward the required five complete and consecutive academic years if:
- you completed at least one-half of the academic year;
- your employer considers you to have fulfilled your contract requirements for the academic year for the purposes of salary increases, tenure, and retirement; and
- you were unable to complete the academic year because
- you returned to postsecondary education, on at least a half-time basis, in an area of study directly related to the performance of the teaching service described above;
- you had a condition covered under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA); or
- you were called or ordered to active duty status for more than 30 days as a member of a reserve component of the U.S. armed forces.
For more information, visit Federal Student Aid: Teacher Loan Forgiveness