2023 New York Laws › EDN - Education › Title 1 - General Provisions › Article 14 - New York State Higher Education Services Corporation › Part 2 - Student Financial Aid › Sub Part 4 - Other Awards › 679-A - New York State Licensed Social Worker Loan Forgiveness Program.

§  679-a.  New  York  state  licensed  social  worker loan forgiveness
program. 1. Purpose. The president shall grant student loan  forgiveness
awards  for  the  purpose  of  increasing  the  number of social workers
serving in critical human  service  areas.  For  the  purposes  of  this
section,  the  term  "critical human service area" shall mean an area in
New York state designated by the corporation,  in  consultation  with  a
committee comprised of one representative each from the corporation, the
department,  the department of health, the department of mental hygiene,
and the office of children and family services, provided that such areas
shall include, but not be limited to, areas with a  shortage  of  social
workers  in  home  care,  health, mental health, substance abuse, aging,
HIV/AIDS and child welfare concerns, or communities  with  multi-lingual
needs.
2.  Eligibility.  To  be  eligible  for  an  award  pursuant  to  this
subdivision, applicants  shall  (a)  be  licensed  as  a  social  worker
pursuant  to  article one hundred fifty-four of this chapter; (b) comply
with subdivisions three and five of section  six  hundred  sixty-one  of
this part; and (c) have an outstanding student loan debt.
3.  Priority.  Such awards shall be made annually to applicants in the
following priority:
(a) First priority shall be given  to  applicants  who  have  received
payment of an award pursuant to this section in a prior year and who, in
the year prior to application, have provided social work services in (i)
a  critical human service area, or (ii) a previously designated critical
human service area;
(b) Second priority shall be given to applicants who have not received
payment of an award pursuant to this section in a  prior  year  and  who
have  provided  social work services in a critical human service area in
the year prior to such application; and
(c) Third priority shall be given to applicants who  are  economically
disadvantaged as defined by the corporation.
4.  Awards.  The  corporation  shall  grant awards in the value of six
thousand five hundred dollars to individuals who have provided full-time
social work services in a critical human service area in the year  prior
to  such  application, provided that no recipient shall receive an award
that exceeds the total remaining balance of the student  loan  debt  and
that  no  recipient  shall  receive  cumulative awards, pursuant to this
section, in excess of  twenty-six  thousand  dollars.  Awards  shall  be
within   the   amounts  appropriated  for  such  purpose  and  based  on
availability of funds.
5. Rules and regulations. The corporation is authorized to  promulgate
rules and regulations necessary for the implementation of the provisions
of  this  section.  In the event that there are more applicants who have
the same priority, as provided in subdivision  three  of  this  section,
than  there  are  remaining  awards,  the  corporation  shall provide in
regulation the method of  distributing  the  remaining  number  of  such
awards, which may include a lottery or other form of random selection.