|
|
|
Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarship Program The Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarship program was a federally funded program designed to attract highly competent individuals to teaching careers. The Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education was the designated agency for administering the program; however, the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) agreed to function as the administering agency through a mutual arrangement. Scholarships were awarded to those students willing to make a commitment to teacher preparation in higher education. The scholarships were awarded as $5,000 loans which could be repaid through classroom teaching, or repayment if the terms of the scholarships were not met. The program was rescinded in 1995 and no further scholarships were awarded to teacher preparation candidates. NDE continues to administrate the program for scholars who are forgiving their loans, either through teaching or repayment. Loan Forgiveness for Teaching in Shortage Areas and/or Low Income Schools Some federal student loans allow loan forgiveness for classroom teachers teaching in a shortage area. The Nebraska Department of Education follows a yearly process of analyzing the teacher shortage data and submitting the findings to the US Department of Education so that classroom teachers in the state can determine whether or not the type of student loan they hold will qualify them for loan forgiveness. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Teachers College conducts an annual survey for the Nebraska Department of Education to determine the teacher shortage areas. NDE then submits the findings to the US Department of Education (USDE) for formal approval. After formal approval is received from USDE, NDE shares the list of shortage areas with all state public and nonpublic school administrators, along with resources for individuals interested in seeking additional information for loan forgiveness. For more information about Nebraska teacher shortage areas, see Shortage Areas for the 2006-07 school year. Some federal student loans offer forgiveness for teaching in a Title I or low income school. Elementary and secondary schools operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) or operated on Indian reservations by Indian tribal groups under contract with the BIA are qualified as schools serving low income students. NDE's Title I office annually determines which school buildings within the state qualify as low income schools (more than 30% of student enrollment must meet the low income guidelines). Classroom teachers teaching within these schools can qualify for loan forgiveness under certain circumstances. Nebraska Title I schools can be accessed through the federal website http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/teachercancel.jsp. If you have questions regarding the Title I list of schools, call the Title I office, Nebraska Department of Education, at 402 471-2481. It is important for interested individuals to call either the college/institution or loan guarantor to find out the type of loan received while in school. Because each federal loan has very specific requirements and specifications, it is helpful to know the type of loan received before visiting websites or talking to customer service representatives. After determining the type of loan received, visit the federal website http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/teachercancel.jsp and/or call a toll-free number for assistance with federal loan questions (800 433-3243). There is also a loan forgiveness program for teachers that is administered by the National Student Loan Program. Visit their website at www.nslp.org or call their toll-free number (800 735-8778, ext. 6300) to inquire about loan forgiveness. |
