PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 3383 PRINTER'S NO. 3565
No. 2513 Session of 1988
INTRODUCED BY RUDY, COWELL, EVANS, BATTISTO, COY, COLAFELLA,
LESCOVITZ, TIGUE, LIVENGOOD, BURNS, LINTON, KOSINSKI, RYBAK,
STAIRS, DAVIES, WASS AND DALEY, MAY 25, 1988
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, JUNE 27, 1988
AN ACT
1 Providing for Commonwealth support for an Urban and Rural
2 Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program for Pennsylvania residents
3 who graduate from institutions of higher education and who
4 apply their degrees to teaching in urban and rural public
5 schools in this Commonwealth; AND MAKING AN APPROPRIATION. <--
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Short title.
9 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Urban and
10 Rural Teacher Loan Forgiveness Act.
11 Section 2. Findings and declaration of intent.
12 The General Assembly finds and declares that:
13 (1) The number of college students planning to enter the
14 teaching profession has declined at a time when the need for <--
15 additional teachers has increased. APPEARS TO BE INADEQUATE <--
16 TO MEET THE NEED FOR TEACHERS IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
17 (2) Demand from industry and other opportunities attract
18 existing and potential teachers away from the profession.
1 (3) The pool of qualified teachers, especially those in
2 math and science, has diminished.
3 (4) Economically hard-pressed rural and urban school
4 districts find it difficult to attract highly qualified <--
5 teachers from the diminished pool.
6 (5) Payment of a portion of student loans for certified
7 teachers serves the important public purpose of encouraging
8 new teachers to teach in economically hard-pressed areas of
9 this Commonwealth.
10 Section 3. Definitions.
11 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
12 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
13 context clearly indicates otherwise:
14 "Agency." The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance
15 Agency.
16 "Approved DESIGNATED Commonwealth urban or rural public <--
17 school district." An eligible urban or rural public school
18 district which the secretary has certified as having a need for
19 teacher loan forgiveness assistance because of difficulty in
20 attracting highly qualified teachers. <--
21 "Eligible rural public school district." A public school
22 district that has a population of less than 300 per square mile
23 and either:
24 (1) more than 8% of the pupils in average daily
25 membership are low-income pupils as defined in section
26 2502.11 of the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
27 as the Public School Code of 1949; or
28 (2) the market value/income aid ratio, as defined in
29 section 2501 of the Public School Code of 1949, is greater
30 than seven-tenths.
19880H2513B3565 - 2 -
1 This definition shall also apply to an intermediate unit or area
2 vocational-technical school if the composite data for all
3 participating school districts meet the criteria specified
4 herein.
5 "Eligible urban public school district." A public school
6 district that has a population greater than 850 per square mile
7 and either:
8 (1) more than 8% of the pupils in average daily
9 membership are low-income pupils as defined in section
10 2502.11 of the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
11 as the Public School Code of 1949; or
12 (2) the market value/income aid ratio, as defined in
13 section 2501 of the Public SChool Code of 1949, is greater
14 than seven-tenths.
15 The term shall also apply to an intermediate unit or area
16 vocational-technical school if the composite data for all
17 participating school districts meet the criteria specified
18 herein.
19 "Qualified applicant." A person who meets all of the
20 following criteria:
21 (1) Is certified by the Department of Education to
22 teach.
23 (2) Is in the first year of full-time teaching.
24 (3) Is teaching at a Commonwealth-approved COMMONWEALTH- <--
25 DESIGNATED urban or rural public school district OR AT A <--
26 NONPROFIT NONPUBLIC SCHOOL IN SUCH DISTRICT AT WHICH STUDENTS
27 MAY FULFILL COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS.
28 (4) Has borrowed through the agency-administered
29 Guaranteed Student Loan Program PROGRAMS. <--
30 "Secretary." The Secretary of Education of the Commonwealth.
19880H2513B3565 - 3 -
1 Section 4. Urban and Rural Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program.
2 Qualified applicants who are selected for the Urban and Rural
3 Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program in accordance with this act
4 shall be eligible for payment by the agency of a portion of the
5 debt incurred by the applicant through the agency-administered
6 Guaranteed Student Loan Program PROGRAMS for the education <--
7 necessary to be certified to teach in Pennsylvania. For each
8 academic year that the applicant is a full-time teacher in an
9 approved Commonwealth urban or rural public school district, the
10 agency may forgive a proportional part of the applicant's loan
11 so that the loan may be entirely forgiven over four years of
12 full-time teaching. No more than $2,500 shall be forgiven in any
13 year, and no more than $10,000 shall be forgiven for any
14 applicant. Payments shall be made in accordance with the
15 procedures established by the agency.
16 Section 5. Loan forgiveness awards.
17 Recipients of the loan forgiveness awards shall be those
18 teachers who are certified by the Department of Education and
19 who have received a satisfactory rating by the district OR <--
20 NONPUBLIC SCHOOL for the academic year. Each teacher shall be
21 required to submit such documentation of continued eligibility
22 as the agency may require.
23 Section 6. Funding.
24 Loan forgiveness awards may be made to the extent that funds
25 are appropriated by the General Assembly.
26 Section 7. Responsibility of agency.
27 It shall be the responsibility of the agency to administer
28 the Urban and Rural Loan Forgiveness Program established by this
29 act and to adopt such regulations, policies, procedures and
30 forms as are necessary and not inconsistent with the provisions
19880H2513B3565 - 4 -
1 of this act.
2 SECTION 8. APPROPRIATION. <--
3 THE SUM OF $50,000, OR AS MUCH THEREOF AS MAY BE NECESSARY,
4 IS HEREBY APPROPRIATED TO THE PENNSYLVANIA HIGHER EDUCATION
5 ASSISTANCE AGENCY FOR THE PURPOSES OF COMPLYING WITH SECTION 7.
6 Section 8 9. Effective date. <--
7 This act shall take effect July 1, 1988.
E16L24RZ/19880H2513B3565 - 5 -