Senate Bill sb1816
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Florida Senate - 2007 SB 1816
By Senator Posey
24-1822-07
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Critical Teacher
3 Shortage Student Loan Forgiveness Program;
4 amending s. 1009.59, F.S.; revising criteria
5 for applying for loan forgiveness to require an
6 applicant to have taught for a full school year
7 in a subject area in which a critical teacher
8 shortage exists; providing an effective date.
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10 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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12 Section 1. Section 1009.59, Florida Statutes, is
13 amended to read:
14 1009.59 Critical Teacher Shortage Student Loan
15 Forgiveness Program.--
16 (1) The Critical Teacher Shortage Student Loan
17 Forgiveness Program is established to encourage qualified
18 persons personnel to seek employment in subject areas in which
19 critical teacher shortages exist, as identified annually by
20 the State Board of Education. The primary function of the
21 program is to make repayments toward student loans received by
22 students from federal programs or commercial lending
23 institutions for the support of postsecondary education study.
24 Repayments are intended to be made to qualified applicants who
25 begin teaching for the first time in designated subject areas,
26 and who apply during their first year of teaching as certified
27 teachers in these subject areas.
28 (2) To qualify for loan repayments an applicant must:
29 (a) Be teaching in a designated critical teacher
30 shortage area for the first time and have a valid temporary
31 Florida educator's certificate or license that indicates
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Florida Senate - 2007 SB 1816
24-1822-07
1 certification or licensure in that subject area and for the
2 academic year for which repayment is requested; and
3 (b) Have taught a full school year, as provided in s.
4 1003.02(1)(g), in a critical teacher shortage area in a
5 publicly funded school, a developmental research school, or a
6 K-12 private school as defined in s. 1002.01 which is
7 recognized by the Florida Association of Academic Nonpublic
8 Schools.
9 (3)(2) From the funds available, the Department of
10 Education may make loan principal repayments as follows:
11 (a) Up to $2,500 a year for up to 4 years on behalf of
12 selected graduates of state-approved undergraduate
13 postsecondary teacher preparation programs, persons certified
14 to teach pursuant to any applicable teacher certification
15 requirements, or selected teacher preparation graduates from
16 any state participating in the Interstate Agreement on the
17 Qualification of Educational Personnel.
18 (b) Up to $5,000 a year for up to 2 years on behalf of
19 selected graduates of state-approved graduate postsecondary
20 teacher preparation programs, persons with graduate degrees
21 certified to teach pursuant to any applicable teacher
22 certification requirements, or selected teacher preparation
23 graduates from any state participating in the Interstate
24 Agreement on the Qualification of Educational Personnel.
25 (c) All repayments shall be contingent on continued
26 proof of employment in the designated subject areas in this
27 state and shall be made directly to the holder of the loan.
28 The state shall not bear responsibility for the collection of
29 any interest charges or other remaining balance. In the event
30 that designated critical teacher shortage subject areas are
31 changed by the State Board of Education, a teacher shall
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Florida Senate - 2007 SB 1816
24-1822-07
1 continue to be eligible for loan forgiveness as long as he or
2 she continues to teach in the subject area for which the
3 original loan repayment was made and otherwise meets all
4 conditions of eligibility.
5 (4)(3) Students receiving a scholarship loan or a
6 fellowship loan are not eligible to participate in the
7 Critical Teacher Shortage Student Loan Forgiveness Program.
8 (5)(4) The State Board of Education may adopt rules
9 pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 necessary to administer
10 for the administration of this program.
11 (6)(5) This section shall be implemented only to the
12 extent that the program is as specifically funded and
13 authorized by law.
14 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
15 law.
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18 SENATE SUMMARY
19 Revises the Critical Teacher Shortage Student Loan
Forgiveness Program to require those applying for loan
20 repayments to have taught for a full school year in a
critical teacher shortage subject area.
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