High Needs Educator Student Loan Payment Program

HS 1 for HB 346 as amended by HA2 creates the High Needs Educator Student Loan Payment Program, which would improve educational outcomes for students by working to retain educators of critical importance to students.  Under this program, educators who work in certification areas in which Delaware has a shortage and educators working in Delaware’s highest need schools are eligible for student loan repayments.

 Eligibility:

Educators are eligible to apply if they have a qualified student loan and teach on a standard certificate in a high needs school and/or a high needs subject area

The list of Delaware high needs schools can be accessed here: High Needs Schools

Educators in any facility operated by the Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families in which education programs are provided are also eligible to apply

High Needs Subject Areas:

Funding: Educators are eligible for between $1,000 and $2,000 of student loan repayments annually, for up to five years. Loan repayment will be sent directly to the educators student loan provider.  Payments are subject to taxation, which will be amortized over the course of each applicant’s paycheck.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• What is the funding level for this program?

- For the 2021-2022 academic year there is $700,000 available for this year to make student loan payments on behalf of eligible teachers

• Is this program different from the Federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness program?

- Yes, this program is separate from the Federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness program

• Is there a minimum number of teaching years experience needed to apply for this program?

- You must have been employed for at least one school year in a high needs school and/or a high needs subject area and received a rating of at least "effective" on your most recent summative evaluation

• Am I eligible to apply if I teach on an emergency certificate?

-No, you must be teaching on a standard certificate to be eligible

Contact: If you have additional questions about the program, please contact the Delaware Higher Education Office at 302-735-4120 or dheo@doe.k12.de.us

Information that will be helpful to have before you begin the online application

• Your PHRST Employee ID number, this can be found on your paycheck
• Your Adjusted Gross Income from the most-recent tax year
• The total dollar amount of your outstanding student loans
• The name of your student loan lender (If you have multiple lenders, the name of the lender that you would be requesting payment be sent to)

APPLICATION:

The 2021-2022 application will open on November 1, 2021 and will close at 4:30 PM on November 30, 2021

APPLICATION

Timeline:

• November 1, 2021 – application is live and can be accessed on this website
• 4:30 PM November 30, 2021 – application will close
• February 2022 – announcement of recipients
• March 2022 – loan payments initiated, it will take up to 6 weeks to process individual payments to student lenders