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INFORMATIONAL LETTER
NO: 43
POLICY CODE: GFCD
TO: Superintendents of Schools
Elementary and Secondary School
Principals
FROM: J. Duke Albanese, Commissioner
DATE:
February
21, 2003
SUBJECT: Teacher Shortage Areas for
Federal Stafford Loan and Federal Supplemental Loans for Students (SLS)
Deferment and Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarship Reduction of Teacher Obligation
for School Year 2002 – 2003.
The
United States Department of Education, through regulations governing the Paul
Douglas Teacher Scholarship Program and the Federal Stafford Loan and SLS
Programs, annually addresses the designation of teacher shortage areas under
those programs. Under provisions of the
regulations, Chief State School Officers shall determine teacher shortage areas
in each State and recommend to the Secretary of Education that these areas be
officially designated.
Teacher
shortage areas are defined in regulations by the following categories:
·
A
geographic region of the State in which there is an inadequate supply of
elementary or secondary school teachers;
·
A
state-wide area of shortage of elementary or secondary school teachers in
specific grade levels; or
·
A
state-wide area of shortage of elementary or secondary school teachers in
specific academic, instructional, subject matter or discipline classifications.
The
third category has been utilized for the selection of shortage areas in Maine,
and it was recommended to the Secretary of Education that the entire State of
Maine be designated as a teacher shortage area for Teachers of Students with
Disabilities (ages 0-5, and Grades K-3, K-8, and 7-12); Teachers of Foreign
Languages (Grades K-12); Teachers of Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics (Grades
7-12); Speech and Language Clinicians (Grades K-12); Teachers of Computer/Technology
(Grades K-12) and Teachers of Technology Education/Industrial Arts (Grades
K-12). This recommendation was
accepted, and the designation was made by the Secretary of Education for School
Year 2002 – 2003. Different shortage
areas may be determined in subsequent years.
This
federal designation of teacher shortage areas in Maine enables a borrower who
had no outstanding Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program loan on July 1,
1987 but who had an outstanding FFEL Program loan on July 1, 1993 and is a
Teacher of Students with Disabilities (ages 0-5 or Grades K-3, K-8 and 7-12); a
Teacher of Foreign Languages (Grades K-12); a Teacher of Chemistry, Physics and
Mathematics (Grades 7-12); a Speech and Language Clinician (Grades K-12); a
Teacher of Computer/Technology (Grades K-12) or a Teacher of Technology
Education/Industrial Arts (Grades K-12), employed full-time in a public or
non-profit private elementary or secondary school to qualify for deferment of
loan repayment under the Federal Stafford and Federal Supplemental Loans for
Students (SLS) programs anytime within the life of the borrower’s loan(s).
In
addition, this designation of shortage areas as noted above allows Paul Douglas
scholars to qualify for the reduction of teaching obligation under the Paul
Douglas Teacher Scholarship Program.
Please
refer teachers who are Federal Stafford/SLS borrowers who have questions
concerning their loans, including the teacher shortage area deferment, to the
United States Department of Education web site http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSFAP/Students/repayment/teachers/stafford.html
or to the Federal Student Aid Hotline at 1-800-4FED-AID, and refer Paul
Douglas Scholars to the State agency that awarded the scholarship.
Information
on the process to be followed to implement these provisions can be obtained
from the following people:
Federal Stafford and SLS Loan
David Johnson
Program Officer
Maine Education Assistance Division
Finance Authority of Maine
119 State House Station
Augusta, ME
04333
Tel: 623-3263 or 1-800-228-3734
Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarship Program
Trisha Malloy
Program Officer
Maine Education Assistance Division
Finance Authority of Maine
119 State House Station
Augusta, ME
04333
Tel: 623-3263 or 1-800-228-3734
General Information
Judith Malcolm
Education Policy Director
Maine Department of Education
23 State House Station
Augusta, ME
04333-0023
624-6842
JDA/JM/dcm