| Florida, like many others states, is experiencing a | | | | teacher receives a check payable to the teacher and |
| crucial teacher shortage in a variety of areas. As | | | | lender, and must endorse it before sending it to the |
| teacher salaries have decreased, so have the number | | | | lender. |
| of people deciding to pursue teaching as their career | | | | There are a variety of subject matter areas that have |
| choice. The Florida Office of Student Financial | | | | critical shortages. The subject matter areas that are |
| Assistance and the government of the state of Florida | | | | eligible for the program are: |
| have created a program where Florida will repay | | | | Autism |
| teacher student loans. This program is designed to | | | | Emotionally Handicapped |
| encourage teachers to get their college education | | | | English for Speaking other Languages (ESOL degree) |
| degrees in subjects that are experiencing critical | | | | Exceptional Student Education |
| shortages in the state of Florida. | | | | Foreign Languages |
| According to the 2004-05 statutes, the program | | | | Hearing Impaired |
| applies to both undergraduate and graduate students | | | | Industrial Arts-Technical Education |
| loans. The teacher must not be in default for any of | | | | Mentally Handicapped |
| their loans. The teacher must hold a Florida teaching | | | | Middle and High School Mathematics |
| certificate and be teaching full-time in a Florida public | | | | Middle and High School Science |
| school. They must have taught at least ninety days to | | | | Physically Impaired |
| be eligible for the program in an academic year. The | | | | Reading |
| teacher also may not have received other specific | | | | School Psychologists |
| school scholarships or loans for their education. | | | | Specific Learning Disabilities |
| The paperwork for the repayment of college loans is | | | | Speech/Language Disabilities |
| obtained from the Office of Student Financial | | | | Varying Exceptionalities |
| Assistance in Florida. A teacher may file the | | | | Visually Impaired |
| paperwork at the completion of their first year. Their | | | | This is an excellent program designed to alleviate the |
| district superintendent must certify their employment, | | | | critical shortages of teachers by giving them an |
| and the teacher must also submit their academic | | | | incentive to become a teacher of one of the subjects |
| transcripts from all of the colleges they attended. The | | | | listed above. For anyone interested in becoming a |
| lender or loan holder of their student loan must also | | | | teacher in Florida, it makes sense to consider |
| provide certification of the loan balances for the | | | | becoming a teacher in one of these subjects so that |
| teacher. | | | | they can receive some help in repaying their student |
| The good news is that a teacher can receive up to | | | | loans. Why not have Florida repay your teacher |
| $2500 a year for undergraduate loans, and up to | | | | student loans? And who knows? If this works in |
| $5000 a year for graduate loans. Each teacher may | | | | Florida, other states may follow suit, as many states |
| receive up to $10,000 from the program in total. The | | | | have similar educational shortages. |