The Guardian Life Insurance Co. is offering coverage for people concerned about being able to pay student loans if they become ill and can’t work.

“Student loan debt is growing and becoming one of the biggest financial worries for professionals today,” said Gordon Dinsmore, president of Berkshire Life Insurance Co. of America, a subsidiary of Guardian.

The student loan protection rider enables individuals to pay their student loans if they become too ill or injured to work. The rider allows individuals to get up to $2,000 per month in addition to the monthly income replacement benefit they would receive as part of their base policy.

The protection can be obtained for either a 10- or 15-year term. Applicants can insure all their student loans at once, even if they are from multiple sources, and no loan documentation is required until a claim is filed.

Student loans cannot be discharged because of bankruptcy, and under current law, only individuals with “total and permanent” disabilities can have their federal student loans discharged, says Guardian. The vast majority of income-disrupting disabilities, such as back problems and many forms of cancer, generally don’t fall under this definition.

“Our student loan protection rider offers anyone with this debt the ability to protect their income and provides them with the flexibility to repay student loans and avoid default,” said Dinsmore.