Bill > SB2833

This bill establishes the Educator Student Loan Repayment Program to help address a shortage of qualified public school educators in Hawaii by providing financial assistance to those with student loan debt. To be eligible, an educator must be licensed, employed full-time in a public school, and have outstanding student loans for their education. The program offers two disbursements: up to $20,000 after five consecutive years of full-time service and an additional $25,000 after two more years of service, for a total of seven consecutive years. This program aims to attract and retain experienced teachers by easing the financial burden of student loans, similar to how a successful healthcare loan repayment program has helped address shortages in that field. The bill also appropriates funds for the program's implementation and specifies that educators cannot receive duplicate benefits from other state loan repayment programs for the same service period.