RELATES TO: KRS 164.770
NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY: KRS 164.770 establishes
the Teacher Loan Program and provides that the Kentucky Higher Education
Assistance Authority (authority) may permit deferment of repayment for cause.
This administrative regulation defines "deferment" and establishes conditions
under which specified types of deferments may be approved by the authority. 11 KAR 8:030 establishes a new program of teacher scholarships pursuant to House
Bill 799 (1990 RS), Part I, F., 46., p. 52 and the corresponding budget
memorandum. This amendment is necessary to rename the program established
pursuant to KRS 164.770 to avoid confusion.
Section
1. Definitions. Unless otherwise specified, the words and phrases
used herein shall have the same meaning as set forth in
11 KAR 8:010.
"Deferment" means a temporary waiver of the obligation of a teacher loan
recipient to make payments to the authority, pursuant to one or more promissory
notes executed between the recipient and the authority, which is granted by the
authority, for a specified period of time, upon a showing of cause by the
recipient.
Section 2. Request for
Deferment. The recipient must request a deferment in writing by submitting
complete and accurate information on a form prescribed by the authority. The
recipient's submission of a request for deferment shall constitute
authorization for the authority to request and receive such verification of
facts represented by the recipient as may be deemed necessary by the
authority.
Section 3. Effect on
Repayments. During a deferment, no principal or interest repayments shall be
required but interest shall continue to accrue on the unpaid principal balance
owed by the recipient. Nothing contained herein shall require the authority to
grant a deferment if such deferment would legally impair the ultimate recovery
of the principal and accrued interest otherwise owed by the recipient. If,
during a deferment, the recipient resumes full-time enrollment in a teacher
education program at a participating institution or renders qualified teaching
service, then the deferment shall nullify the commencement of repayment, such
that any promissory note so deferred may be subsequently cancelled in
accordance with
KRS 164.770 and
11 KAR 8:010.
Section 4. Types of Deferments. The following
deferments may be granted by the authority:
(1) Enrollment deferment. A deferment granted
to a recipient who is enrolled on at least a half-time basis at a business
school, college, vocational school or school of nursing (as those terms are
defined in KRS 164.740) in the United States. The recipient must provide to the
authority, at least annually, evidence of such enrollment on properly completed
forms provided by the authority.
(2) Disability deferment. A deferment granted
to a recipient who is temporarily totally disabled and, therefore, unable to
obtain any full-time employment or to attend school; or, a deferment granted to
a recipient who is unable to obtain any full-time employment or attend school
due to the temporary total disability of the recipient's spouse who requires
continuous (twenty-four (24) hour) nursing or similar care by the recipient.
For purposes of this deferment, a recipient, or the spouse of a recipient, is
temporarily totally disabled if he/she suffers an injury or illness which
necessitates an extended or indefinite period of recovery which can be expected
to preclude gainful employment or school attendance and, in the case of a
recipient's spouse, he/she is not confined to a hospital, nursing home,
intermediate care facility, or similar institution. The recipient must provide
to the authority a statement from a licensed physician certifying that the
recipient or spouse is temporarily totally disabled in accordance with the
preceding terms and conditions. The recipient is solely responsible for
securing the physician's certifications. This deferment may, at the authority's
discretion, be granted for a period not to exceed three (3) years, subject to
annual review of a physician's certification. After the third year of any
deferment, pursuant to this subsection, the authority may, in its sole
discretion, cancel the debt.
(3)
Unemployment deferment.
(a) A recipient
seeking, but unable to obtain, a qualified teaching service position within six
(6) months following completion of a teacher education program at a
participating institution may be granted a single deferment for a period not to
exceed one (1) year. The recipient must have applied for a qualified teaching
service position with at least three (3) public school districts and must not
have refused an offer of employment in a qualified teaching service position in
such public school districts or in any other public school districts to which
the recipient may have applied, and must provide the authority a signed
statement which sets forth:
1. The recipient's
current address;
2. The names of
public school districts to which the recipient has applied for qualified
teaching service employment; and
3.
The recipient's agreement to notify the authority when he/she obtains full-time
employment in a qualified teaching service position; or
(b) A recipient seeking, but unable to
obtain, any full-time (at least thirty (30) hours per week) employment may be
granted a single deferment for a period not to exceed one (1) year. The
recipient must provide, on the form prescribed by the authority, a signed
statement which sets forth:
1. The recipient's
current address;
2. Certification
that the recipient has registered with a public or private employment agency,
if one is accessible, specifying the name and address of such agency;
and
3. The borrower's agreement to
notify the authority within thirty (30) days of a date upon which he/she
obtains full-time employment. If full-time employment is obtained at any time
during the period of a deferment approved pursuant to this section, such
deferment shall be immediately terminated.
(c) The immediately preceding subsections of
this section are alternative ways to qualify for a single deferment for a
period not to exceed one (1) year. Pursuant to paragraph (a) of this
subsection, a recipient, who is seeking, but unable to obtain, a qualified
teaching service position, may receive a deferment even if employed full-time
in another type of position. Pursuant to paragraph (b) of this subsection, a
recipient, who is not actively seeking a qualified teaching service position,
may receive a deferment only if actively seeking and unable to obtain any type
of full-time employment.
(4) Parenting deferment. A deferment may be
granted by the authority when a recipient interrupts qualified teaching service
or enrollment in a teacher education program at a participating institution
under an approved leave of absence for purposes of rearing a preschool age
child. The borrower must provide to the authority a statement, signed by an
authorized representative of the public school district or participating
institution, evidencing that such a leave of absence has been approved for the
recipient. This deferment shall remain in effect during the period of the leave
of absence not to exceed two (2) years. The recipient is solely responsible for
securing, at least annually, the required verification of an approved leave of
absence.
(5) Hardship deferment. If
enrollment in a teacher education program or employment in a qualified teaching
service position is temporarily interrupted due to circumstances beyond the
recipient's control, including, but not limited to, illness, accident or death
in the family, after which the recipient intends to resume such enrollment or
qualified teaching service position, then the authority may determine that a
hardship exists and may grant a single deferment of a period not in excess of
one (1) year.
(6) Qualified
teaching service deferment.
(a) Deferments may
be granted, from time to time, to a recipient who, due to current employment in
a qualified teaching service position, may reasonably be expected, solely with
the passage of six (6) months or less time, to qualify for cancellation
benefits pursuant to
11 KAR 8:010.
(b) In the event that a recipient has
received loans or scholarships from more than one (1) program administered by
the authority, which require a period of qualified teaching service for
repayment or cancellation, and the recipient is either:
1. Obligated to concurrently make cash
payments on the teacher loan and another such program; or
2. Performing qualified teaching service to
fulfill the requirement of another such program; then a deferment of repayment
of the teacher loan may be granted during the period in which the recipient is
making payments or performing qualified teaching service in accordance with the
requirements of the other program.