Florida Department of Education Office of Student Financial Assistance OSFA

1
Florida Department of Education Office of
Student Financial Assistance (OSFA)
Critical Teacher Shortage Programs
Updated 4-14-09
2
Critical Teacher Shortage (CTS) Programs

• OSFA currently administers two state programs to
  assist teachers in Florida publicly-funded
  schools
• The Critical Teacher Shortage Student Loan
  Forgiveness Program (CTS-LF)
• The Critical Teacher Shortage Tuition
  Reimbursement Program (CTS-TR)

3
CTS Student Loan Forgiveness Program (CTS-LF)

• Established to encourage qualified personnel to
  seek employment in subject areas in Florida where
  critical teacher shortages exist.
• Provides assistance with loan repayment to
  certified teachers who are, for their first year,
  both certified in a CTS area and teaching in the
  same CTS area at a Florida publicly-funded
  school.

4
CTS-LF Program Requirements

• Teachers must
• Apply by July 15th of their 1st year of having a
  temporary or permanent CTS Certification and CTS
  position.
• Be both certified/licensed in and teaching in the
  same critical teacher shortage area for their 1st
  year.
• Endorsements are not eligible.
• Temporary Certifications/licenses are eligible.
• Teach in a publicly-funded school.
• Have taught a full school year in a Florida
  publicly-funded school (180 or more days).
• An applicant who completes at least 90 days, but
  less than 180 days of teaching may be eligible to
  receive half of a yearly prorated award.

5
CTS Certification areas for Loan Forgiveness for
the 2008-09 Employment/Academic year

• Middle and High School Level English/Language
  Arts
• English for Speakers of Other Languages
• Foreign Languages
• Middle and High School Level Mathematics
• Middle and High School Level Science
• Reading
• Technology Education - Industrial Arts

• Exceptional Student Education Programs (ESE)
  includes the following certification areas  
• Autism
• Emotionally Handicapped
• ESE
• Hearing Impaired
• Mentally Handicapped
• Physically Impaired
• Specific Learning Disabled
• Speech Language Impaired
• Varying Exceptionalities
• Visually Impaired

6
CTS-LF Program Award Amounts

• Awards may be prorated at less than the full
  award amount visit the OSFA Web site for prior
  year award amounts.
• Award amounts are
• Based on annual funding appropriated by the
  Florida Legislature
• Full awards for loans received prior to becoming
  a CTS certified teacher differ between Bachelor
  and Graduate degrees received and may be
• Up to 2,500 per year to repay undergraduate
  loans
• Up to 5,000 per year to repay graduate loans
  resulting in a graduate degree
• Contingent upon the annual number of eligible
  applicants
• Granted once per year in late fall
• Participants may receive up to a maximum of
  10,000 for the duration of the program

7
CTS-LF Program Qualifying Loans

• The award amount is based on the unpaid principal
  balance due on educational loans preceding the
  applicant's date of employment as a first-year,
  full-time teacher certified in a CTS Area.  
• Eligible educational loan(s) are those that are
  received prior to becoming a certified teacher in
  the CTS area for which the applicant is applying.
  
• Applicants who receive an award continue to be
  responsible for meeting repayment obligations to
  the lender.  
• Teachers/Applicants are financially obligated for
  their loans and must continue to make regularly
  scheduled payments.

8
CTS Tuition ReimbursementProgram (CTS-TR)

• Established to improve the skills and knowledge
  of current teachers or certified personnel
  preparing to work in a CTS area.
• Provides assistance to certified teachers in
  Florida publicly-funded schools to obtain an
  endorsement, certification, or a graduate degree
  in a CTS area.

9
CTS-TR Requirements

• The Applicant must be
• An employee working in a publicly-funded school
• Certified to teach any subject in the state
• Taking college credit courses in critical
  shortage areas leading to
• Advanced Degree, or
• New Subject Area
• Certification in a CTS area
• Endorsement in a CTS area

10
CTS areas for Tuition Reimbursement for the
2008-09 Academic year

• Orientation Mobility
• Physically Impaired
• Middle and High School Level Science
• Reading
• Severe or Profound Handicapped/Disabilities
• Speech Language Impaired
• Specific Learning Disabled
• Technology Education - Industrial Arts
• Varying Exceptionalities
• Visually Impaired

• American Sign Language
• Autism
• Emotionally Handicapped
• English for Speakers of Other Languages
• Middle and High School Level English/Language
  Arts
• Middle and High School Level English/Language
  Arts
• Exceptional Student Education Programs (ESE)
• Foreign Languages
• Gifted
• Hearing Impaired
• Mentally Handicapped
• Middle and High School Level Mathematics

11
Eligible CTS-TR Courses

• Courses taken during the current academic year
  (e.g. fall 2008, spring summer 2009) for
  college credit which leads to
• Certification or Endorsement in a CTS area, or
• A graduate degree in a CTS area
• Courses must be passed with a minimum of 3.0 on a
  4.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) scale.  
• Courses taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory or
  pass/fail basis require validation by the
  postsecondary institution as equivalent to a B
  or above.

12
CTS-TR Program Award Amounts

• CTS-TR awards may be prorated at less than the
  full award amount depending upon both the
• Annual funding appropriated by the Florida
  Legislature
• Annual number of eligible applicants
• Visit the OSFA Web site for prior year award
  amounts.
• Full awards for tuition reimbursement may be an
  amount
• Up to 78 cost per credit hour.
• Up to 9 credit/semester hours, or the equivalent
  in quarter hours per academic year.
• Granted once per year.
• The program maximum is 36 cumulative credit hours
  or the equivalent, regardless of proration.

13
OSFA Web site

• For additional details, visit the OSFA Web site
  at www.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org
• Select
• "State Grants, Scholarships Applications,"
• "Programs Offered," and then
• Click on any of the programs listed to view the
  program's fact sheet

14
State Programs Teacher Application

• To begin the application process, complete and
  submit our online application available at
  https//www.FloridaStudentFinancialAidsg.org/ua/SA
  WTCHR_teacherform.asp.
• These programs are subject to annual review,
  evaluation, and legislative funding.
• OSFAs Customer Service Representatives are
  available to answer questions about the Florida
  Critical Teacher Shortage Student Loan
  Forgiveness and Tuition Reimbursement programs
  toll-free at 1-888-827-2004.

15
The CTS Application
www.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org Select "State
Grants, Scholarships Applications" Select
Apply Here
Select Initial State Teacher
Application
16
Before You Begin the Teacher Application
DO NOT Skip this IMPORTANT Information
After reading 1 - 5 of the Before You Begin
pages, you may proceed to the Teacher Application
17
Complete the Teacher Application
Read the Certification/Permission Section before
Submitting Application
Submit the Application Online
18
Print a Copy of Application
After completing all required fields of the
Application and Submitting the Application, print
a copy of your application and retain for your
records.
19
Print Your Saved Results
20
Read Your Responsibilities
21
Documents Certifications Required
07/15/2008
09/15/2008
22
Check on the Status of your Application
Certifications
23
View Your Certifications
24
Employment Certifications

• Employment Certification must be completed
• By the Employer
• Prior to Awarding

2007-08
2007-08
25
Lender Certification
06/30/2007
Not Complete indicates that certification has
NOT been received
26
Lender/Servicing Agent Changes

• Lenders and servicing agents frequently change
  due to
• Sale of loan(s)
• Change of Servicing Agent(s)
• Consolidation
• Inform OSFA IMMEDIATELY if any changes occur
  following your initial application to the CTS-LF
  program by calling us toll-free at 1-888-827-2004.

27
Awarding

• Eligibility and award amounts are determined for
  all applicants in late fall.
• Awards may be prorated at less than the full
  award amount visit the OSFA Web site for prior
  year award amounts.
• Award amounts are based on the number of eligible
  applicants and annual funding appropriated by the
  Florida Legislature.
• Eligible applicants receive an award letter
  stating the amount to be received.
• The award letter for
• CTS-LF lists the lender(s)/servicing agent(s) to
  whom the award check will be made.
• CTS-TR lists the course names and credit hours
  reimbursed.

28
CTS-LF Award Letters

• This letter is the awardees opportunity to
  inform OSFA of corrections to be made before
  checks are cut.
• It is CRITICAL that awardees inform OSFA of
  changes to
• Name
• Address
• E-mail
• Lenders/Servicing Agents

29
CTS-TR Award Letters

• This letter is the awardees opportunity to
  inform OSFA of corrections to be made before
  checks are cut.
• It is CRITICAL that awardees inform OSFA of any
  missing information and changes to
• Name
• Address
• E-mail

30

• Additional Sources
• of
• Financial Assistance

31
Teacher Education Assistance for College and
Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program

• Through the College Cost Reduction and Access Act
  of 2007, Congress created the TEACH Grant Program
  that provides grants of up to 4,000 per year to
  students who intend to teach in a public or
  private elementary or secondary school that
  serves students from low-income families.
• Visit the Federal Web site at http//studentaid.ed
  .gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/TEACH.jsp for
  additional information and eligibility
  requirements.

32
Federal Student Aid (FSA) Teacher Loan
Forgiveness Program

• Federal Student Aid (FSA) has a Teacher Loan
  Forgiveness Program for full-time teachers.  The
  Federal program may be used in conjunction with
  the state program and has different
  requirements. 
• For example, the Federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness
  program requires teaching five consecutive years
  in a designated low-income school.
• Application to the program may be made after the
  five years of teaching service have been
  completed. 
• You may visit the FSA Web site at
  http//studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/en
  glish/cancelstaff.jsp?tabrepaying for
  qualifications and a listing of low-income
  schools. 
• For more information on the Federal Loan Program,
  please contact Elaine Fletcher at
  Elaine.Fletcher_at_fldoe.org. 

33
Federal Direct Loans Loan Forgiveness Program
for Public Service Employees

• Under this new program, the amount forgiven is
  the remaining outstanding balance of principal
  and accrued interest on an eligible Direct Loan
  for a borrower who
• Is not in default and
• Makes 120 monthly payments on the loan after
  October 1, 2007.
• The borrower must be employed full-time in a
  public service job
• During the same period in which the qualifying
  payments are made
• At the time that the cancellation is granted.
• For more information about this federal program
  please visit
• https//studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/st
  udent_guide/2009-2010/english/loancancellation.htm
  lnfrgivepse provides a listing of eligible
  public service jobs.
• http//studentaid.ed.gov/students/attachments/site
  resources/Public20Service20Employees.doc
  program fact sheet.

34

• State
• Contact
• Information

35
Educator Certification

• Bureau of Educator Certification
• www.fldoe.org/edcert
• Florida Certification Coverages
• www.fldoe.org/edcert/subjlist.asp
• Customer Service
• Toll-free Number 1-800-445-6739
• edcert_at_fldoe.org
• Florida Department of EducationBureau of
  Educator CertificationSuite 201, Turlington
  Building325 West Gaines StreetTallahassee,
  Florida 32399-0400

36
State CTS Program Information

• www.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org
• Provides details regarding each CTS program
• Customer Service
• Toll-free Number 1-888-827-2004
• osfa_at_fldoe.org
• Program Contacts
• Catherine Hall, Program Director
  Catherine.Hall_at_fldoe.org

37
(No Transcript)