§ 21-7-601 — Wyoming teacher shortage loan repayment program; eligibility criteria; procedures; program reporting

(a) The Wyoming teacher shortage loan repayment program is
created to be administered by the Wyoming community college
commission established under W.S. 21-18-201. Applicants shall
have a Wyoming residence, as defined in W.S. 22-1-102(a)(xxx),
or shall be graduates of a Wyoming high school and may apply for
loans from the program in accordance with this section.
(b) To qualify for a loan under this section, the
applicant shall first:
(i) Be enrolled in good standing in a teacher
education program at the University of Wyoming leading to:
(A) Certification as a special education, math,
science or world language teacher; or
(B) Eligibility for an additional endorsement to
teach reading or English as a second language.
(ii) If in a program leading to certification under
subparagraph (i)(A) under this subsection, have class standing
of at least a junior for the first semester for which
application for a loan under this program is made;
(iii) If in a program leading to certification under
subparagraph (i)(A) of this subsection, apply for federal
financial assistance.
(c) Subject to the availability of funds appropriated for
this program, loans under this section may be granted to
qualified applicants to pay:
(i) The unmet financial need, as determined by the
Wyoming community college commission, of attendance at the
teacher education program specified under subparagraph (b)(i)(A)
of this section; or
(ii) The cost of attendance at the teacher education
program specified under subparagraph (b)(i)(B) of this section.
(d) Except for a loan for teacher education programs
specified under subparagraph (b)(i)(B) of this section, a loan
provided under this section shall not exceed the cost of
attendance for the approved program, reduced by the amount of
any Pell or other federal grant and any employer based financial
assistance received by the applicant.
(e) A recipient of a loan under this section may repay the
loan without cash payment by teaching at least fifty percent
(50%) of his working hours as a teacher in special education,
math, science, world language, reading or English as a second
language as a certified teacher in a Wyoming public school as
provided in subsection (f) of this section. To qualify as
repayment under this subsection, work shall be performed within
the minimum amount of time necessary to repay the loan, plus two
(2) years, which shall begin with the calendar month following
the month in which the student completed the academic program.
(f) Qualified work under subsection (e) of this section
shall be credited such that the student's loan balance is
reduced on the basis of one (1) year of full-time employment
repaying the loan balance for one (1) academic year of full-time
enrollment. Qualified work shall be credited on a proportional
basis to the loan balance.
(g) Any recipient of a loan under this section who fails:
(i) To complete the academic program for which the
loan was provided shall commence cash repayment of the loan no
later than forty-five (45) days after the recipient leaves the
academic program;
(ii) To obtain employment in the targeted occupation
for which the person received the education within two hundred
forty (240) days after successfully obtaining the appropriate
certification, shall commence cash repayment of the loan within
two hundred eighty-five (285) days after successfully obtaining
the appropriate certification;
(iii) To obtain the appropriate certification within
one hundred eighty (180) days after completion of the program
shall commence cash repayment of the loan.
(h) Loan repayment options under this section may be
deferred for a period not to exceed five (5) years while a loan
recipient is serving on full-time active duty with any branch of
the military services of the United States.
(j) The Wyoming community college commission shall have
the powers and duties specified under W.S. 21-18-202(c) to
implement this section and shall establish terms and conditions
of loans issued under this section, including:
(i) Interest rates and loan terms;
(ii) The form and process for loan application,
review and award;
(iii) Criteria under which students may be relieved
from having to repay loans and interest thereon, in whole or in
part, where the requirement to repay would cause undue hardship;
(iv) Criteria for determining the cost of attendance
as used in establishing the loan amount for teacher education
programs specified under paragraph (b)(i)(B) of this section,
based upon each semester or summer school session of full or
part-time program attendance.
(k) Funding of the loan program established under this
section shall be by appropriation of the legislature. The
community college commission shall transfer approved loan
amounts to the University of Wyoming.
(m) Cash repayment of loans and interest thereon shall be
credited to the public school foundation program account.
(n) The community college commission shall annually review
the loan program established under this section and report to
the governor and the legislature in accordance with W.S.
9-2-1014, regarding program results, funds received and loans
issued during the preceding academic year, together with the
status of all outstanding loan commitments and repayments under
the program. The report required under this subsection shall
include information submitted by the professional teaching
standards board regarding the impact of the program on
identified teacher shortage areas and recommendations for
modifications to the program, including funding levels, to
address other identified teacher shortage areas.
(o) This program created by this section shall expire
effective June 30, 2016.
(p) Notwithstanding subsection (o) of this section:
(i) Any person who receives a loan under this section
shall continue to receive funding for the program as the person
remains eligible as required by this section;
(ii) Repayment of loans provided under this section
shall continue as specified by this section until all loan
obligations have been satisfied.