Pennsylvania Act 1988-155 — URBAN AND RURAL TEACHER LOAN FORGIVENESS ACT

Act text

URBAN AND RURAL TEACHER LOAN FORGIVENESS ACT
                 Act of Dec. 16, 1988, P.L. 1259, No. 155             Cl. 24
                                  AN ACT

     Providing for Commonwealth support for an Urban and Rural
        Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program for Pennsylvania residents
        who graduate from institutions of higher education and who
        apply their degrees to teaching in urban and rural public
        schools in this Commonwealth.

        The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     hereby enacts as follows:

     Section 1.  Short title.
        This act shall be known and may be cited as the Urban and
     Rural Teacher Loan Forgiveness Act.
     Section 2.  Findings and declaration of intent.
        The General Assembly finds and declares that:
            (1)  The number of college students planning to enter the
        teaching profession appears to be inadequate to meet the need
        for teachers in our public schools.
            (2)  Demand from industry and other opportunities attract
        existing and potential teachers away from the profession.
            (3)  The pool of qualified teachers, especially those in
        math and science, has diminished.
            (4)  Economically hard-pressed rural and urban school
        districts find it difficult to attract qualified teachers
        from the diminished pool.
            (5)  Payment of a portion of student loans for certified
        teachers serves the important public purpose of encouraging
        new teachers to teach in economically hard-pressed areas of
        this Commonwealth.
     Section 3.  Definitions.
        The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
     have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
     context clearly indicates otherwise:
        "Agency."  The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance
     Agency.
        "Designated Commonwealth urban or rural public school
     district."  An eligible urban or rural public school district
     which the secretary has certified as having a need for teacher
     loan forgiveness assistance because of difficulty in attracting
     qualified teachers.
        "Eligible rural public school district."  A public school
     district that has a population of less than 300 per square mile
     and either:
            (1)  more than 8% of the pupils in average daily
        membership are low-income pupils as defined in section
        2502.11 of the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
        as the Public School Code of 1949; or
            (2)  the market value/income aid ratio, as defined in
        section 2501 of the Public School Code of 1949, is greater
        than seven-tenths.
     This definition shall also apply to an intermediate unit or area
     vocational-technical school if the composite data for all
     participating school districts meet the criteria specified
     herein.
        "Eligible urban public school district."  A public school
     district that has a population greater than 850 per square mile
     and either:
            (1)  more than 8% of the pupils in average daily
        membership are low-income pupils as defined in section
        2502.11 of the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
        as the Public School Code of 1949; or
            (2)  the market value/income aid ratio, as defined in
        section 2501 of the Public School Code of 1949, is greater
        than seven-tenths.
     The term shall also apply to an intermediate unit or area
     vocational-technical school if the composite data for all
     participating school districts meet the criteria specified
     herein.
        "Qualified applicant."  A person who meets all of the
     following criteria:
            (1)  Is certified by the Department of Education to
        teach.
            (2)  Is in the first year of full-time teaching.
            (3)  Is teaching at a Commonwealth-designated urban or
        rural public school district or at a nonprofit nonpublic
        school in such district at which students may fulfill
        compulsory attendance requirements.
            (4)  Has borrowed through the agency-administered
        Guaranteed Student Loan Programs.
        "Secretary."  The Secretary of Education of the Commonwealth.
     Section 4.  Urban and Rural Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program.
        Qualified applicants who are selected for the Urban and Rural
     Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program in accordance with this act
     shall be eligible for payment by the agency of a portion of the
     debt incurred by the applicant through the agency-administered
     Guaranteed Student Loan Programs for the education necessary to
     be certified to teach in Pennsylvania. For each academic year
     that the applicant is a full-time teacher in an approved
     Commonwealth urban or rural public school district, the agency
     may forgive a proportional part of the applicant's loan so that
     the loan may be entirely forgiven over four years of full-time
     teaching. No more than $2,500 shall be forgiven in any year, and
     no more than $10,000 shall be forgiven for any applicant.
     Payments shall be made in accordance with the procedures
     established by the agency.
     Section 5.  Loan forgiveness awards.
        Recipients of the loan forgiveness awards shall be those
     teachers who are certified by the Department of Education and
     who have received a satisfactory rating by the district or
     nonpublic school for the academic year. Each teacher shall be
     required to submit such documentation of continued eligibility
     as the agency may require.
     Section 6.  Funding.
        Loan forgiveness awards may be made to the extent that funds
     are appropriated by the General Assembly.
     Section 7.  Responsibility of agency.
        It shall be the responsibility of the agency to administer
     the Urban and Rural Loan Forgiveness Program established by this
     act and to adopt such regulations, policies, procedures and
     forms as are necessary and not inconsistent with the provisions
     of this act.
     Section 8.  Effective date.
        This act shall take effect July 1, 1988.