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Montana Superintendent Juneau Announces Teaching Fields Eligible for Student Loan Repayment Assistance

The Montana Board of Public Education has adopted recommendations from the Office
of Public Instruction identifying 10 education fields facing critical teacher shortages in Montana.
Teachers who work in schools that are impacted by educator shortages in the identified fields will
be eligible for up to $3,000 in student loan assistance for up to four years. The program is
targeted at schools facing rural isolation, economic disadvantage, and low student achievement.

"Identifying these shortage areas helps us recruit the right people for the right places," said
Denise Juneau, Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction. “It is important that we do what we
can to keep great teachers here in Montana so they can inspire our young leaders and help build a
brighter future.”

To qualify for loan assistance an educator must be:

• A full-time educator holding a valid educator license with an endorsement in an impacted subject
area or a licensed professional providing services to students in a school district, an education
cooperative, the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind, the Montana Youth Challenge Program or a
state youth correctional facility.

• Teaching in an impacted school. These schools tend to be rural and isolated, have a higher
percentage of economically disadvantaged students, and/or have greater challenges in closing the
achievement gap. A list of qualifying schools is available at:
http://opi.mt.gov/PDF/Supt/Impacted_School_Score.pdf

• Teaching in an impacted academic area. These areas are Career and Technical Education, Music,
Special Education, Mathematics, Speech/Language Pathologist, Science, World Languages, School
Counselor, Library Media, and Art.

The Quality Educator Loan Assistance Program is administered by the Montana Guaranteed Student Loan
Program, a division of the Commissioner’s Office of Higher Education. Questions regarding the
program and application process may be directed to Montana Guaranteed Student Loan Program at
800-537-7508.

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