Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 11, August 30, 2024
(1) Base Program:
Beginning in the Fall 2022 semester new applicants will be eligible for the
base loan repayment program for math and science teachers of three thousand
seven hundred fifty dollars ($3,750) per semester worked or $7,500 per year,
for a maximum of four consecutive years, or to be eligible for the base loan
repayment program for computer science teachers of one thousand five hundred
dollars ($1,500) per semester worked or $3,000 per year, for a maximum of four
consecutive years an applicant shall satisfy all of the following:
(a) Be a graduate of an ALSBE approved
program in math or science or computer science beginning with the Spring term
of 2018, at the baccalaureate or master's level, from an approved institution
leading to an initial middle level or secondary professional educator
certificate endorsed in math or science or computer science that was issued
based upon completion of the approved program in math or science or computer
science. A teacher who only earns a passing score on the Praxis test in math or
science or computer science to add a certificate endorsement for math or
science or computer science, and who has not completed an entire approved
program, does not satisfy this requirement.
(b) Holds a valid Alabama professional
educator certificate endorsed in middle level or secondary math or science or
computer science, or any combination of the three.
(c) Is teaching in an Alabama public school
district or at an Alabama Public Charter School Commission approved charter
school.
(d) Is a citizen or a
lawful permanent resident of the United States.
(e) Is a resident of Alabama and provides
documentation proving a permanent connection to the State of Alabama. The
commission shall accept any one of the following as proof of residency:
1. A current valid Alabama driver
license.
2. A current valid Alabama
vehicle registration.
3. A current
valid Alabama voter registration card.
(f) Has outstanding federal student loans,
subsidized or unsubsidized.
(g)
Teaches a schedule in which at least three-fourths of the full-time teaching
load is comprised of math, science or computer science in an Alabama public
school system.
(h) Satisfies
additional continuing eligibility criteria established by the Commission. A
recipient who receives a loan repayment award and continues to satisfy
employment criteria shall continue to receive an award for the four-year limit
regardless of whether the employing school system retains its acute shortage
designation or the employing school is removed from the failing school list. If
a recipient leaves an acute shortage system or a failing school, and accepts
employment in a school system or school that does not hold an acute shortage
system or failing school designation, the recipient shall no longer qualify to
receive supplemental funds.
(i)
Beginning in the fall semester of 2021, the benefits outlined above shall apply
to the following eligible individuals, pending authorization to teach in
Alabama and subsequent employment in an Alabama public school:
1. An individual who graduated beginning with
the Spring term of 2018 forward from a regionally accredited college or
university in Alabama or in another state who is certified to teach math,
science, or computer science in another state, and who may or may not reside
within Alabama.
2. An individual
who resides in another state and is a graduate of an Alabama State Board of
Education approved program in math, science, or computer science, at the
baccalaureate or master's level, after the 2021 spring semester term, from an
approved Alabama institution and who holds an initial middle-level or secondary
professional educator certificate endorsed in math, science, or computer
science that was issued based upon completion of the approved program in math,
science, or computer science. A teacher who only earns a passing score on the
Praxis test in math, science, or computer science to add a certificate
endorsement for math, science, or computer science and who has not completed an
entire approved program, does not satisfy this requirement.
3. The individuals shall also satisfy all of
the following criteria:
(i) Hold a valid
Alabama professional educator certificate endorsed in middle-level or secondary
math, science, or computer science, or any combination of the three.
(ii) Teach a schedule in which at least
three-fourths of the full-time teaching load is comprised of math, science, or
computer science courses for which the teacher is properly certified in an
Alabama public school system.
(iii)
Be citizens or lawful permanent residents of the United States.
(iv) Have outstanding federal student loans,
subsidized or unsubsidized
(v)
Satisfy additional continuing eligibility criteria established by the
commission. A recipient who receives a loan repayment award and continues to
satisfy employment criteria shall continue to receive an award for the
four-year limit regardless of whether the employing school system retains its
acute shortage designation or the employing school is removed from the failing
school list. If a recipient leaves an acute shortage system or a failing
school, and accepts employment in a school system or school that does not hold
an acute shortage system or failing school designation, the recipient shall no
longer qualify to receive supplemental funds.
(j) Beginning after the 2021 spring semester,
an individual issued an Alabama bachelor's level professional educator
certificate in math, science, or computer science upon completion of an
alternative certification program pursuant to the Code of Alabama, Section
16-23-3, may be eligible for the
program if he or she satisfies all employment and teaching load requirements
outlined above. The individual may only be reimbursed for tuition and mandatory
instructional fees for not more than 12 semester credit hours of the college
courses required for earning an alternative certificate in order to obtain a
professional educator certificate in math, science, or computer science. The
individual shall provide the Alabama State Department of Education and the
commission with documentation concerning the cost incurred for the course work.
These funds are considered income by the Internal Revenue Service, and
recipients shall be made aware of that fact.
(2) Supplemental Program: In order to receive
an additional supplement pursuant to this act, in addition to all of the
criteria listed above, a recipient shall also teach math or science, or
computer science or any combination of the three, in a public school system
within the state with an acute teacher shortage in math or science or computer
science or any combination of the three, for which the teacher is properly
certified as identified by the Commission in consultation with the Alabama
State Department of Education or in a school which has been identified as a
failing school, or any other term adopted to identify an underperforming
school, by the Alabama State Board of Education or the Legislature. The
supplement is an additional two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) per
year, or one thousand two hundred fifty dollars ($1,250) per semester worked,
for a maximum of four consecutive years for math and science teachers. Computer
Science teachers will not be eligible to receive the acute shortage area
supplement, until such time as the Alabama Commission on Higher Education and
the Alabama State Department of Education concur that there is sufficient need
or resources, or both, available to allow its inclusion.
(a) Public school systems and schools with
acute shortages in math or science or both will be identified by the Commission
in consultation with the Alabama State Department of Education.
(b) The Commission will approve the public
school systems and schools in which teachers will be eligible for the
supplement.
(c) The list of
eligible public school systems and schools will be published on the
Commission's website.
