|
Description
The Assumption Program of Loans for Education (APLE), administered
by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC), is a teacher incentive
program designed to address California’s teacher shortage in
specific subject areas and designated schools. The state assumes
up to $19,000 in educational loans for students who agree to teach
in a subject area with a teacher shortage, a low-performing school,
a school that serves a large population of students from low-income
families, a school that has a high percentage of teachers holding
emergency permits or a school that serves a rural area. The program
assumes $2,000 of an individual’s loans after the first year
of full-time teaching and $3,000 each year for three consecutive
years, for a total of $11,000 in loan assumption benefits. In 2000,
SB
1330 (Alpert) provided an additional $1,000 each year in loan
assumption benefits for teachers who teach math, science or special
education and another $1,000 each year for teachers who teach math,
science or special education in a school ranked in the lowest 20th
percentile of the Academic Performance Index.
Funding
Since 1999–2000, funding for APLE has doubled each year as
the Legislature continues to increase the number of agreements and
thus payments awarded under the program. In 2002–03, funding
for APLE reached $22.3 million, 10 times the amount in 1999–2000.
According to the Legislative Analyst’s Office, the cost of
the APLE program will grow significantly over the next few years
because of the increased number of loan assumption agreements made
in 2002–03.
APLE Expenditures and Loan Assumption
Payments
|
Fiscal Year
|
Expenditures (in millions)
|
Loan Assumption Payments
|
|
1998–99
|
$2.1
|
830
|
|
1999–2000
|
$2.1
|
798
|
|
2000–01
|
$5.0
|
2,136
|
|
2001–02
|
$11.7*
|
4,332
|
|
2002–03
|
$22.3*
|
≈7,800
|
| *Figure represents total funding appropriated
in budget bill, not expenditures. |
Participation
Participation in APLE has grown steadily, as the number of agreements
has been increased each year by the Legislature. Students must have
at least junior standing and outstanding educational loans to be
eligible for APLE. They must enroll in or continue coursework for
an initial teaching credential, and they must agree to teach in
a California public school for at least four consecutive years after
obtaining a full teaching credential. CSAC also can provide up to
500 APLE awards to school districts or county offices of education
for individuals participating in a district intern program; additional
awards are provided to county offices of education for use in recruiting
out-of-state teachers. Participation in the district intern and
out-of-state teacher APLE programs has been scant.
Number of APLE Agreements
|
Fiscal Year
|
Maximum Agreements
|
Total Agreements Granted
|
|
1998-99
|
4,500
|
3,787
|
|
2000-01
|
6,500
|
6,327
|
|
2001-02
|
6,500
|
Not available
|
|
2002-03
|
7,500
|
–
|
| *Figure does not include agreements granted
to district interns. |
In 2000–01, 31.8 percent of APLE participants agreed to teach
a subject with a teacher shortage, and the remaining 68.2 percent
agreed to teach in a designated school. Half the students granted
APLE agreements during 2000–01 attended independent colleges
and universities. Students at National University, an independent
institution, received 1,282 or 20 percent of all 6,327 agreements.
Forty-three percent attended a California State University, and
6 percent attended a University of California.
Additional Resources
|
