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Applications open for teacher loan repayment program

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Applications open for teacher loan repayment program

Mississippi has opened applications for first-year teachers to apply for loan repayment funds on a first-come, first-serve basis with priority given to those in districts with a teacher shortage. 

The Office of Student Financial Aid will award up to 150 first-year, full-time teachers through the William Winter Teacher Loan Repayment Program, which was created by the Legislature in 2021. The program makes loan repayment awards to teachers for up to three years. 

Awards are paid to teachers at the end of the school year, and the amount will vary depending on a teacher’s school district. First-year teachers with a valid, five-year state educator’s license who work in a geographical critical shortage district will receive $4,000 in loan repayment, while teachers who do not will receive $1,500. 

A school district is declared a geographical teacher shortage area if it has 60 or more teaching positions and 10% or more of them are not appropriately licensed. Not appropriately licensed includes teachers teaching out of field, teachers teaching with no certificate, and long-term substitutes.

A school district with less than 60 teaching positions becomes a geographic shortage area if 15% or more of their teaching staff isn’t appropriately licensed.

Second-year teachers who received funds last year are also eligible to reapply. Second-year teachers in geographical shortage districts will receive $5,000 in loan repayment; those in a non-shortage area will receive $2,500. 

The deadline to apply is Sept. 15. 

To qualify, teachers with undergraduate loans must be graduates of a regionally accredited university and cannot be delinquent or in default. 

Teachers who have received funds from other state loan programs targeting the education profession – such as the Critical Needs Teacher Forgivable Loan Program, the William Winter Teacher Forgivable Loan Program, or the Teacher Education Scholars Forgivable Loan Program – are not eligible. 

Teachers who don’t qualify might be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness, according to OSFA’s website. 

The William Winter Teacher Loan Repayment Program was proposed by Sen. David Blount, D-Jackson, last year as a way to ameliorate the state’s current teacher shortage. It replaced a slew of loan programs targeting teachers that the Legislature had created in the 1990s but left unfunded in recent years. 

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Mississippi News

Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: April 25-27

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2025-04-25 09:48:00

SUMMARY: This weekend in Mississippi (April 25-27) features a variety of events across Central and Pine Belt regions. Highlights include MiraGotSoul at Vibe Studio in Jackson, a community Dinner and Movie in Clinton, and the Natchez Kite Festival. Enjoy live performances with Sweet Lizzy Project in Natchez and the New Bourbon Street Jazz Band in Clinton. Family-friendly activities include the Native Plant Fest and Community Farmers Market in Jackson. In Hattiesburg, catch the Henry Cho tour and the Downtown Crawfish Jam Music Festival. Overall, it’s a weekend full of entertainment, culture, and fun activities for all ages.

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Mississippi News

Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: April 18-20

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2025-04-18 07:36:00

SUMMARY: This weekend (April 18-20), Mississippi offers a variety of events for all ages. In Jackson, enjoy Food Truck Friday, a jazz concert, free outdoor movie screenings, and multiple exhibitions including “Of Salt and Spirit” and “Hurricane Katrina: Mississippi Remembers.” For family fun, there’s an Easter Egg Hunt at the Ag Museum and “Bunnies & Butterflies” at MCM. Natchez features the Spring Pilgrimage, Lafayette’s 200th anniversary celebration, and a farmers market. In the Pine Belt, highlights include Live at Five, a Spring Candle-Making Workshop, and Easter events at the Hattiesburg Zoo. Don’t miss the Bluff City Block Party and more!

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Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: April 11-13

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2025-04-11 07:37:00

SUMMARY: This weekend in Mississippi (April 11-13), enjoy a variety of events across the state. Highlights include the Eudora Welty Birthday Bash in Jackson, Trivia Night at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, and Boots & Bling Fundraiser in Natchez. For family fun, check out the Bunny Bonanza in Jackson or the Easter Egg Hunt in Clinton. The Natchez Concours d’Elegance Car Show and Stranger Than Fiction Film Festival offer cultural experiences, while the 12th Annual Dragon Boat Regatta in Ridgeland and the Hub City Classic Car Show in Hattiesburg provide exciting activities for all ages.

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