There are several programs providing tuition aid, exemptions and grants, and low-interest housing loans for educators. Information and links to the following programs are available on the TCTA website at tcta.org.

Tuition/fee grants and exemptions
The Teach for Texas Loan Repayment Assistance Program provides up to $5,000 annually in loan repayment assistance for eligible classroom teachers who: (1) submit a completed application to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board during the annual application period between April 1 and June 15 for teaching service during the current academic year being completed; (2) are currently teaching full-time, or are contracted to teach full-time at the preschool, primary or secondary level in a Texas public school; and (3) are certified and teach full-time in a field OR at a campus identified by TEA as experiencing a shortage of teachers during the academic year for which the application is submitted.

The aggregate maximum for loan repayment amounts is $20,000. Participation in the program is limited to five years. Annual loan repayments are disbursed after verification of eligible teaching for a complete academic year, and are made co-payable to the participant and the holder of the loan.

The educational aide tuition exemption program allows any current school employee who has worked as an educational aide for at least one of the last five years to qualify for college tuition and fee exemptions while seeking teacher certification.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) oversees these tuition assistance programs and is available to answer questions at (800) 242-3062 or (512) 427-6340. Information is also available on the Coordinating Board’s website.

Loan deferment/forgiveness
Teachers who have received federal loans to attend school and now serve in a designated low-income school or in a subject-matter shortage area may have the opportunity to cancel or defer student loans, depending on the type of loans. Some Stafford loan forgiveness benefits have increased from $5,000 to $17,500, for teachers meeting certain requirements. Details on this and other loan forgiveness/deferment/cancellation benefits are available on the TEA website.

Texas B-On-Time Student Loan Program
The Texas B-On-Time (BOT) Student Loan Program provides no-interest loans to eligible students with the possibility of loan forgiveness when the student completes his/her degree on time and graduates with at least a B average. Only Texas residents who graduated from a public or accredited private high school not earlier than the 2002-03 academic year under the recommended or advanced high school curriculum are eligible (Note: additional requirements apply). According to THECB, BOT loans are being approved for previous recipients, but there is not sufficient funding to provide these loans to students who have not received a BOT loan in the past. More information on this and other loan programs is available from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board website.

Low-interest housing loans
Low-interest housing loans may be available for full-time teachers, counselors, librarians, nurses and teacher’s aides through a program administered by the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation (TSAHC). Recipients must be employed by a Texas public school district at the time of application, must meet certain income and home purchase price limits and must be a first-time home buyer or have not owned a home in the last three years. Through the program, eligible borrowers are able to apply for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage loan plus closing costs and down payment assistance in an amount equal to 5 percent of the mortgage loan amount. Questions can be directed to the TSAHC at (888) 638-3555 or (512) 477-3555, and additional information is available online.

Web posted:  08/01/08