HOUSE BILL REPORT

SB 5937

BYSenators Rinehart, Gaspard, Bauer, Tanner and Patterson

Establishing a loan program for students intending to be public school teachers and for public school teachers getting additional endorsements.

House Committe on Higher Education

Majority Report:  Do pass.  (13)

      Signed by Representatives Jacobsen, Chair; Heavey, Vice Chair; Allen, Barnes, Basich, Jesernig, Miller, Nelson, Prince, Silver, Unsoeld, K. Wilson and Wineberry.

House Staff:Susan Hosch (786-7120)

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION APRIL 2, 1987

BACKGROUND:

Many of the reports of recent years assessing the challenges facing the country's K-12 educational systems, have emphasized a need to recruit academically superior students into the teaching profession.  "Right now too many students entering college programs leading to teaching careers are among the lowest achieving graduates of U.S. high schools.  We are preparing our poorest students to be our future teachers, and this situation must be changed."  This declaration from the Committee for Economic Development was included in A NATION PREPARED, a report on educational reform by the Carnegie Forum on Education and the Economy.

The Marshall Plan, a report recommending major changes needed in higher education to prepare this country for the 21st century, recommended reinstituting a student loan forgiveness program for college graduates entering teaching.  Such a program would complement the Governor's plan to require that future teachers acquire a master's degree before entering the teaching profession.

Washington already provides an incentive loan program for future math and science teachers.  Students receiving loans under this program have the entire loan, with interest, forgiven if they teach math or science in the public schools of this state for ten years.

SUMMARY:

The Higher Education Coordinating (HEC) Board is authorized to create a long-term loan program for students who have declared their intent to complete an approved preparation program leading to initial teacher certification or required for earning an additional endorsement, or who are college or university graduates who seek an additional teaching endorsement or initial teacher certification.  These students must also be enrolled in an accredited Washington college or university, registered for at least ten credit hours, maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average, be Washington residents and meet financial need criteria.

Loans will be limited to the demonstrated financial need of the student or to $2,500 per year, whichever is less, and no one student may borrow more than a total of $10,000. The first loan payments are due nine months from the date the borrower completes the course of study.  But, for each year a borrower teaches in a Washington public school, 10 percent of the loan will be forgiven.  If the borrower ceases to teach in a Washington public school before the loan is fully paid, payments on the satisfied portion of the loan will begin the next payment period.

The loan program, which continues until 1994, is assigned to the HEC Board, which is responsible for collecting and servicing loans and for determining loan forgiveness.

Fiscal Note:      Attached.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    None Presented.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.