§ 679-a. New York state licensed social worker loan forgiveness\nprogram.
1.Purpose. The president shall grant student loan forgiveness\nawards for the purpose of increasing the number of social workers\nserving in critical human service areas. For the purposes of this\nsection, the term "critical human service area" shall mean an area in\nNew York state designated by the corporation, in consultation with a\ncommittee comprised of one representative each from the corporation, the\ndepartment, the department of health, the department of mental hygiene,\nand the office of children and family services, provided that such areas\nshall include, but not be limited to, areas with a shortage of social\nworkers in home care, health, mental health, substance abuse, aging,\nHIV/AIDS and child welf
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§ 679-a. New York state licensed social worker loan forgiveness\nprogram. 1. Purpose. The president shall grant student loan forgiveness\nawards for the purpose of increasing the number of social workers\nserving in critical human service areas. For the purposes of this\nsection, the term "critical human service area" shall mean an area in\nNew York state designated by the corporation, in consultation with a\ncommittee comprised of one representative each from the corporation, the\ndepartment, the department of health, the department of mental hygiene,\nand the office of children and family services, provided that such areas\nshall include, but not be limited to, areas with a shortage of social\nworkers in home care, health, mental health, substance abuse, aging,\nHIV/AIDS and child welfare concerns, or communities with multi-lingual\nneeds.\n 2. Eligibility. To be eligible for an award pursuant to this\nsubdivision, applicants shall (a) be licensed as a social worker\npursuant to article one hundred fifty-four of this chapter; (b) comply\nwith subdivisions three and five of section six hundred sixty-one of\nthis part; and (c) have an outstanding student loan debt.\n 3. Priority. Such awards shall be made annually to applicants in the\nfollowing priority:\n (a) First priority shall be given to applicants who have received\npayment of an award pursuant to this section in a prior year and who, in\nthe year prior to application, have provided social work services in (i)\na critical human service area, or (ii) a previously designated critical\nhuman service area;\n (b) Second priority shall be given to applicants who have not received\npayment of an award pursuant to this section in a prior year and who\nhave provided social work services in a critical human service area in\nthe year prior to such application; and\n (c) Third priority shall be given to applicants who are economically\ndisadvantaged as defined by the corporation.\n 4. Awards. The corporation shall grant awards in the value of six\nthousand five hundred dollars to individuals who have provided full-time\nsocial work services in a critical human service area in the year prior\nto such application, provided that no recipient shall receive an award\nthat exceeds the total remaining balance of the student loan debt and\nthat no recipient shall receive cumulative awards, pursuant to this\nsection, in excess of twenty-six thousand dollars. Awards shall be\nwithin the amounts appropriated for such purpose and based on\navailability of funds.\n 5. Rules and regulations. The corporation is authorized to promulgate\nrules and regulations necessary for the implementation of the provisions\nof this section. In the event that there are more applicants who have\nthe same priority, as provided in subdivision three of this section,\nthan there are remaining awards, the corporation shall provide in\nregulation the method of distributing the remaining number of such\nawards, which may include a lottery or other form of random selection.\n