Georgia bill would provide student loan forgiveness for teachers -- with a catch

(WCAX)
Published: Jan. 15, 2020 at 10:20 AM EST
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Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020

ATLANTA, GA (WRDW/WAGT) -- A bill filed in the Georgia House of Representatives looks to help out debt-straddled teachers.

House Bill 736 is seeking to establish a student loan forgiveness program for teachers, but there are several caveats.

The bill, in its current form, would help teachers by forgiving loans as long as teachers agree to teach in a "turnaround school" in a "high demand subject area."

To be eligible, the bill says teachers must have obtained a bachelor's degree in Georgia and also have an outstanding loan balance from a school in Georgia.

If it passes, the bill would push the Georgia Student Finance Committee to distribute loan repayment assistance through a lump sum or monthly debt service payments.

However, the bill says those funds will be available to eligible teachers on a "first-come, first-served" basis until money for the program runs out.

The bill currently has bi-partisan appeal, as it is being sponsored by three Republicans and two Democrats.

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