The Arkansas Department of Education received a letter from the United States Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, with the following information about student loan repayment/cancellation in teacher shortage areas:
• 34 CFR 682.210(q) enables a borrower who had no outstanding Federal Family Education Loan (FEEL) Program on July 1, 1987 but who had an outstanding FEEL Program Loan on July 1, 1993 to qualify for deferment or loan repayment under the Federal Stafford loan on July 1, 1993 to qualify for deferment of loan under the Federal Stafford Program anytime within the life of the loan(s);
• 34 CFR 674.53(c) enables Federal Perkins Loan borrowers who are full time teachers of mathematics, science, foreign languages, bilingual education or any other field of expertise where the State educational agency determined there is a shortage of qualified teachers to qualify for cancellation of up to 100% of their loan; and
• 34 CFR 653.5(a)(2)(ii) enables scholars to qualify for the reduction of teaching obligation under the Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarship Program.
The U S Department of Education has designated the following areas as teacher shortage areas in Arkansas for the 2006-2007 school year:
Art (K-12)
Foreign Language -(P-8 & 7-12):French, German, and Spanish
Gifted and Talented
Guidance and Counseling
Library Media
Mathematics (7-12)
Middle Childhood - Mathematics/Science 4-8
Middle Childhood - English/Language Arts/Social Studies (4/8)
Science -Life/Earth Science (7-12)
Science - Physical/Earth Science (7-12)
Special Education - Deaf Education, Visually Impaired
Special Education Instructional Specialist (P-4 & 4-12)
PLEASE MAKE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO YOUR TEACHERS:
Federal Stafford/SLS borrowers who have questions concerning their loans, including the teacher shortage area deferment, should call Federal Student Aid Hotline at 1-800-4FED-AID.
Federal Perkins Loan borrowers should contact the school where they received the loan, and
Douglas Scholars should contact the State agency that awarded the scholarship.
General questions should be directed to Mary. A. Miller, U.S Department of Education Program and Management Analyst, at (202) 502-7824 or via e-mail at mary.miller@ed.gov