has been as a special education teacher 
whose primary responsibility is to pro-
vide special education to children with 
disabilities (as those terms are defined 
in section 602 of the Individuals with 
Disabilities Act); and 
‘‘(III) who, as certified by the 
chief administrative officer of the pub-
lic or nonprofit private elementary or 
secondary school in which the borrower 
is employed, is teaching children with 
disabilities that correspond with the 
borrower’s special education training 
and has demonstrated knowledge and 
teaching skills in the content areas of 
the elementary or secondary school cur-
riculum that the borrower is teaching. 
‘‘(B) ACCELERATED
PAYMENT.—Notwith-
standing the requirements of subsection (b)(1)(A) 
and paragraph (1) of this subsection that 5 con-
secutive complete years of service have been com-
pleted prior to the receipt of loan forgiveness, in 
the case of service described in subparagraph (A) 
of this paragraph, the Secretary shall repay a 
portion of a borrower’s loan obligation out-
standing at the commencement of the qualifying 
service under this subsection, not to exceed a 
total of $17,500, in the following increments: 
‘‘(i) up to $1,750, or 10 percent of such 
outstanding loan obligation, whichever is 
less, at the completion of the second year of 
such service; 
‘‘(ii) up to $2,625, or 15 percent of 
such outstanding loan obligation, whichever 
is less, at the completion of the third year 
of such service; 
‘‘(iii) up to $4,375, or 25 percent of 
such outstanding loan obligation, whichever 
is less, at the completion of the fourth year 
of such service; and 
‘‘(iv) up to $8,750, or 50 percent of 
such outstanding loan obligation, whichever 
is less, at the completion of the fifth year of 
such service. 
‘‘(C) PROMISE TO COMPLETE SERVICE RE-
QUIRED FOR ACCELERATED PAYMENT.—Any bor-
rower who receives accelerated payment under 
this paragraph shall enter into an agreement to 
continue in the qualifying service for not less 
than 5 consecutive complete school years, or,
upon a failure to complete such 5 years, to repay 
the United States, in accordance with regula-
tions prescribed by the Secretary, the amount of 
the loans repaid by the Secretary under this 
paragraph, together with interest thereon and, to 
the extent required in such regulations, the rea-
sonable costs of collection. Such regulations may 
provide for waiver by the Secretary of such re-
payment obligations upon proof of economic 
hardship as specified in such regulations. 
‘‘(D) HIGHER POVERTY ENROLLMENT RE-
QUIRED.—In order to qualify for an increased 
repayment amount under this paragraph, section 
465(a)(2)(A) shall, for purposes of subsection 
(b)(1)(A)(i) of this section, be applied by sub-
stituting ‘40 percent of the total enrollment’ for 
‘30 percent of the total enrollment’.’’. 
SEC. 3. IMPLEMENTING HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHER RE-
QUIREMENTS. 
(a) AMENDMENTS.—
(1) FFEL LOANS.—Section 428J(b)(1) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1078–
10(b)(1)) is amended—
(A) by inserting ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon 
at the end of subparagraph (A); and
(B) by striking subparagraphs (B) and (C) 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘(B) if employed as an elementary or sec-
ondary school teacher, is highly qualified as de-
fined in section 9101(23) of the Elementary Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965; and’’. 
(2) DIRECT LOANS.—Section 460(b)(1)(A) of 
such Act (20 U.S.C. 1087j(b)(1)(A)) is amended—
(A) by inserting ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon 
at the end of clause (i); and 
(B) by striking clauses (ii) and (iii) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(ii) if employed as an elementary or 
secondary school teacher, is highly qualified 
as defined in section 9101(23) of the Ele-
mentary Secondary Education Act of 1965; 
and’’. 
(b) TRANSITION RULE.—
(1) RULE.—The amendments made by subsection 
(a) of this section to sections 428J(b)(1) and 
460(b)(1)(A) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
shall not be applied to disqualify any individual who, 
before the date of enactment of this Act, commenced 
service that met and continues to meet the require-