Mississippi News
Applications open for teacher loan repayment program
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.Â
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.Â
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.Â
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.Â
The deadline to apply is Sept. 15.Â
To qualify, teachers with undergraduate loans must be graduates of a regionally accredited university and cannot be delinquent or in default.Â
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.Â
Teachers who don't qualify might be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness, according to OSFA's website.Â
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.Â
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi News
Warmer days ahead for mid-week – Home – WCBI TV
SUMMARY: Temperatures in Columbus, Mississippi will be above average through mid-week before returning to normal for the weekend with a chance of rain. Tuesday will see fog and scattered clouds clearing for a mostly sunny afternoon with highs in the low 80s. Tuesday night will bring possible fog near the rivers with lows in the upper 50s. Wednesday and Thursday will be sunny with temperatures in the upper 80s before clouds increase on Thursday afternoon with isolated showers and storms possible in the evening. Friday and the weekend will continue to be warm with highs in the low 80s and isolated to scattered showers and storms in the afternoon and early evening.
The post Warmer days ahead for mid-week – Home – WCBI TV appeared first on www.wcbi.com
Mississippi News
How it’s remembered in Columbus
SUMMARY: Mississippi state employees had a day off for Confederate Memorial Day, a holiday to remember Confederate soldiers. Columbus, MS, has over 2,000 Confederate soldiers buried at Friendship Cemetery, along with Union soldiers. The holiday began in 1866 with the city's ladies honoring both Confederate and Union soldiers. This gesture of reconciliation inspired a national Memorial Day. Representative Kabir Karriem has tried to abolish Confederate Memorial Day, but his bills have not passed. The holiday's unique history in Columbus highlights the theme of reconciliation and unity in honoring all fallen soldiers.
The post How it's remembered in Columbus appeared first on www.wcbi.com
Mississippi News
Columbus projects progress report: City leaders give update
SUMMARY: Renovations at Columbus's oldest and largest park, Propst Park, including four baseball fields with new turf and fencing, are expected to be completed by mid-May. The city council, led by Councilman Stephen Jones and Vice Mayor Joseph Mickens, is overseeing the project. Additionally, the city is working on a $7 million annual paving project to improve 119 portions of roads and streets. Progress is also being made on the Columbus Riverwalk Pedestrian Bridge, with engineers aiming for completion in the fall, depending on weather conditions. Weather is a key factor in meeting anticipated completion dates for these projects.
The post Columbus projects progress report: City leaders give update appeared first on www.wcbi.com
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