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Loan Assistance in Support of Educators in
Alabama (LASEA) Program

Complete information about the LASEA program will be available here shortly.

The Loan Assistance in Support of Educators in Alabama (LASEA) Program is a state-funded initiative that helps attract and retain qualified educators in Alabama’s public K–12 schools by assisting with the repayment of outstanding federal student loans. The program provides loan repayment assistance to eligible educators who are certified in acute educator shortage areas and employed in designated acute educator shortage locations across the state. LASEA is administered by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) in collaboration with the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) to identify the acute educator shortage areas. ACHE administers loan repayment awards to eligible participants twice annually for a maximum of four years.

Program Support Levels

  • Base Support: Provides up to $7,500 per year (or $3,750 per semester) for up to four consecutive years for certified educators employed in a program identified as having an acute educator shortage.
  • Supplemental Support: Provides an additional $3,000 per year (or $1,500 per semester) for educators employed in an acute educator shortage location among Alabama’s public K-12 schools/school systems.

Depending on eligibility, an eligible applicant may receive the base support or both the base support and supplemental support. 

LASEA Documents:

LASEA Verification Reimbursement Form (will link to the pdf file)

LASEA Administrative Procedures (will link to the pdf file)

List of Acute Educator Shortage Areas and Locations (will link to the pdf file)

An applicant must satisfy all of the following:

  1. Be a graduate of an ALSBE approved program in math or science beginning with the spring term of 2018 and forward from that date, at the baccalaureate or master’s level, from an approved institution leading to an initial secondary professional educator certificate endorsed in math or science. This does not include a teacher who only earns a passing score on the Praxis test in math or science to add a certificate endorsement, and who has not completed an entire approved program.
  2. Holds a valid Alabama professional educator certificate endorsed in secondary math or science, or both.
  3. Is teaching math or science full-time in an Alabama public school district, or at a charter school which has been approved by the Alabama Public Charter School Commission.
  4. Is a citizen or a lawful permanent resident of the United States.
  5. Has been a resident of Alabama for at least twelve (12) months before the application deadline, and provides documentation proving a permanent connection to the state of Alabama. ACHE shall accept any one of the following as proof of residency:
    1. A current valid Alabama driver’s license.
    2. A current valid Alabama vehicle registration.
    3. A current valid Alabama voter registration card.
  6. Has outstanding federal student loans, subsidized or unsubsidized.

Steps in the Application Process:

  1. Complete Section I of the AMSTEP Verification Reimbursement Form (see AMSTEP Links box below for the form).
  2. Take the Verification Reimbursement Form to your System’s Superintendent or Human Resource Officer for them to complete Section II. The school system will then forward the form to the Alabama State Department of Education to verify your credentials (Section III).
  3. Upon completion of their review, the Alabama State Department of Education will then inform the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) if you meet the requirements.
  4. ACHE will inform you of the results of the verification process.
  5. Should you be approved to continue, you will need to submit the following information to ACHE by either email or by regular mail.
    1. Proof of Alabama residency, you must provide one of the following to ACHE one time:
      1. A current valid Alabama driver’s license.
      2. A current valid Alabama vehicle registration.
      3. A current valid Alabama voter registration card.
    2. Documentation concerning the balance of your federal student loans (subsidized or unsubsidized). This must be provided each time you apply for loan repayment funds.
    3. Should you meet all the criteria, ACHE will send you an email notification that you have been approved to participate in the program and you will be given detailed instructions on how to register with the State of Alabama’s Vendor Self Service (VSS) website so that you may receive your payments.

Contact:

AMSTEP Links:

 

Artcola Pettway
Grants and Scholarships Associate
P.O. Box 302000
Montgomery, AL 36130-2000
(334) 353-0985

AMSTEP Verification Reimbursement Form

Administrative Procedures

School Systems with Critical Teaching Shortages