Rural and Underserved Educator Incentive program is paying student loan debt and other educational expenses

BOISE, Idaho — Educators working in rural or underserved schools in Idaho have until Sept. 30 to apply for the Rural and Underserved Educator Incentive program.

The program, created by the Idaho Legislature in 2022, offers up to $12,000 over four years to help eligible educators repay student loans, fund future educational endeavors, and cover other eligible educational expenses. The program is paid through state funding.

“Across the country, teacher retention is a challenge. In Idaho, only about 63% of our first-year teachers stay beyond the fifth year so this program was an opportunity to try and encourage our teachers to live and work in our rural communities,” Chief Policy Officer, Jenn Thompson told KTVB Tuesday.

Applications for the 2020 cohort opened on April 1, 2024. The Idaho State Board of Education will make decisions on acceptance to the program between October and December of 2024.

To qualify, educators must be full-time, hold a standard five-year teaching certificate, and be employed in a school that meets the criteria for rural isolation or economic disadvantage.

To qualify, CPO Jenn Thompson said, “It’s a combination of the location of the school but also the percentage of low socio-economic status students so schools across the whole state fall into qualifying categories.”

The incentive program is available to educators who remain employed at the same school or in the same district for four years.

“This is a great program to help educators to find their way in the field of education and stay in the field of education. We want educators not only to serve our students long term but to serve our communities long term,” Thompson said. 

The payment structure starts at $1,500 in the first year, increasing each year to $4,500 by the fourth year.

Applications must include proof of loan debt or receipts for educational expenses.

Eligibility requirements for this program, according to the Idaho Board of Education, are as follows:

1. Full-time (1.0 FTE) as an Instructional and/or Pupil Service Staff Member (Part-time Employees are Ineligible)
2. Standard Certified (5-year renewable standard certificate) (Interim Certificates, Emergency Provisionals, and Alternative Authorizations are Ineligible)
3. Employed as an instructional and/or pupil service staff (Administrators and Classified Staff are Ineligible) 
4. Employed in an eligible Idaho school district, chartered, or an eligible charter school
5. Has signed a contract with an eligible Idaho school district, chartered, or an eligible charter school
6. Working in a school that qualifies under the critical quality educator shortage criteria pursuant to Idaho Code § 33-6503:
   1. Rural Isolation of the school pursuant to Idaho Code § 33-319 (If the district is rural per Idaho Code § 33-319, then the school would qualify as rural and would get at least one point – additional points are based on the NCES Reference Sheet) and/or
   2. Economic disadvantage of the school based on eligibility for funds pursuant to Title I, part A of the federal elementary and secondary education act, as amended
   3. Please review the NCES Reference Sheet to determine the rurality and Title I status of your school.
7. Has a federal educational loan in the applicant’s name only through the federal student loan program that is not in default and that has a minimum unpaid current balance of at least one thousand dollars ($1,000) at the time of the application OR at least one thousand dollars ($1,000) in current eligible education expenses starting July 1st, 2022 that may be reimbursed as pursuant to Idaho Code 33-65 at the time of application.”

To apply for the program, visit the Idaho State Board of Education website.