article: SECTION. 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Adult Education Instructor Recruitment and Retention Act of 2002''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. The Congress finds the following: (1) Adult literacy and remedial education teachers provide adults and out-of-school youths basic skills that equip them to solve problems and become active participants in our society, to hold a job, and to further their education. (2) Students in adult literacy and remedial education classes are made up of those who dropped out of school or have passed through the school system without an adequate education. It also includes students who want to take the General Educational Development examination and, increasingly, immigrants whose native language is not English. (3) In the year 1998, there were over 4,000,000 students enrolled in adult education programs throughout the United States. (4) Nearly one-fourth of the 4,000,000 students enrolled were unemployed. Another 24 percent were working poor. Welfare recipients comprised almost 10 percent of all students in 1998. (5) That same year, there were 177,943 adult education instructors. Nearly 23,000 of those were working full-time, with another 69,129 working part-time. The remaining 85,924 teachers were volunteers. (6) Adult education has been shown to assist persons in achieving job skills and gain or advance in employment. For example, in 1998, over 150,000 adult education students went on to do other training; nearly 300,000 students retained, advanced, or gained employment. (7) As employers increasingly require a more literate workforce, workers' demand will grow for all types of literacy and remedial classes. (8) A softening economy may require more students to obtain additional education to get a job. (9) Adult education instructors often feel they are not as respected by education departments as their general education peers. Funding is generally inadequate, and resources are often old or nonexistent. Funding level changes can cause the number of teaching jobs to fluctuate from year to year. (10) Median hourly earnings of adult literacy and remedial education teachers and high school equivalency instructors were $16.12 in 2000. Yet, many adult education teachers have high student loans that they need to repay. SEC. 3. LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR ADULT EDUCATION INSTRUCTORS. (a) Guaranteed Student Loans.--Part B of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 is amended by inserting after section 428K (20 U.S.C. 1078-11) the following new section: ``SEC. 428L. LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR ADULT EDUCATION INSTRUCTORS. ``(a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section-- ``(1) to bring more highly trained individuals into the adult education profession; and ``(2) to keep more highly trained adult education instructors in the adult education field for longer periods of time. ``(b) Definitions.--In this section: ``(1) Adult education facility.--The term `adult education facility' means a facility that provides any of the following types of educational instruction for individuals 16 years old and older: ``(A) Education for adults with limited English proficiency. ``(B) Adult secondary education. ``(C) Literacy education for older adults. ``(D) Adult basic education programs for adults with disabilities. ``(2) Year.--The term `year', when applied to service as an adult education instructor means any period of 365 consecutive days. ``(3) Low-income family.--The term `low-income family' means a low-income family, as determined by the local educational agency for purposes of allocating funds to schools under section 1113(c)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6313(c)(1)). ``(4) Low-income community.--An adult education facility is serving a low-income community if at least 70 percent of the students enrolled at the facility are from low-income families. ``(5) Full-time.--The term `full-time' means employment that includes at least 30 hours per week of adult education teaching. ``(c) Program Authorized.--The Secretary shall carry out a program, through the holder of the loan, of assuming the obligation to repay a qualified loan amount for a loan made under section 428 or 428H, in accordance with subsection (d) of this section, for any borrower who-- ``(1) has been employed as a full-time teacher for 3 consecutive years in an adult education facility that serves a low-income community; and ``(2) is not in default on a loan for which the borrower seeks forgiveness. ``(d) Loan Repayment.-- ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall assume the obligation to repay a qualified loan amount for each year of employment described in subsection (c)(1) completed after the date of enactment of this section, but counting consecutive years before or after such date for purposes of determining the number of consecutive years. Such qualified loan amount shall be equal to-- ``(A) $500 for the third consecutive year of employment; ``(B) $1,000 for the fourth consecutive year of such employment; ``(C) $1,500 for the fifth consecutive year of such employment; and ``(D) $2,000 for the sixth consecutive year of such employment. ``(2) No refunds.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the refunding of any repayment of a loan made under this part. ``(3) Interest.--If a portion of a loan is repaid by the Secretary under this section for any year, the proportionate amount of interest on such loan which accrues for such year shall be repaid by the Secretary. ``(4) Ineligibility of national service award recipients.-- No student borrower may, for the same service, receive a benefit under both this section and subtitle D of title I of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12601 et seq.). ``(e) Repayment to Eligible Lenders.--The Secretary shall pay to each eligible lender or holder for each fiscal year an amount equal to the aggregate amount of loans which are subject to repayment pursuant to this section for such year. ``(f) Application for Repayment.-- ``(1) In general.--Each eligible individual desiring loan repayment under this section shall submit a complete and accurate application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. ``(2) Conditions.--An eligible individual may apply for loan repayment under this section after completing each year of qualifying employment. The borrower shall receive forbearance while engaged in qualifying employment unless the borrower is in deferment while so engaged. ``(g) Regulations.--The Secretary is authorized to prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section. ``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2003, and such sums as may be necessary for succeeding fiscal years.''. (b) Direct Loans.--Part D of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 is amended by inserting after section 460 (20 U.S.C. 1087j) the following new section: ``SEC. 460A. LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR ADULT EDUCATION INSTRUCTORS. ``(a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section-- ``(1) to bring more highly trained individuals into the adult education profession; and ``(2) to keep more highly trained adult education instructors in the adult education field for longer periods of time. ``(b) Definitions.--In this section: ``(1) Adult education facility.--The term `adult education facility' means a facility that provides any of the following types of educational instruction for individuals 16 years old and older: ``(A) Education for adults with limited English proficiency. ``(B) Adult secondary education. ``(C) Literacy education for older adults. ``(D) Adult basic education programs for adults with disabilities. ``(2) Year.--The term `year', when applied to service as an adult education instructor means any period of 365 consecutive days. ``(3) Low-income family.--The term `low-income family' means a low-income family, as determined by the local educational agency for purposes of allocating funds to schools under section 1113(c)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6313(c)(1)). ``(4) Low-income community.--An adult education facility is serving a low-income community if at least 70 percent of the students enrolled at the facility are from low-income families. ``(5) Full-time.--The term `full-time' means employment that includes at least 30 hours per week of adult education teaching. ``(c) Program Authorized.--The Secretary shall carry out a program of cancelling the obligation to repay a qualified loan amount for Federal Direct Stafford Loans and Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans in accordance with subsection (d) of this section, for any borrower who-- ``(1) has been employed as a full-time teacher for 3 consecutive years in an adult education facility that serves a low-income community; and ``(2) is not in default on a loan for which the borrower seeks forgiveness. ``(d) Loan Repayment.-- ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall cancel the obligation to repay a qualified loan amount for each year of employment described in subsection (c)(1) completed after the date of enactment of this section, but counting consecutive years before or after such date for purposes of determining the number of consecutive years. Such qualified loan amount shall be equal to-- ``(A) $500 for the third consecutive year of employment; ``(B) $1,000 for the fourth consecutive year of such employment; ``(C) $1,500 for the fifth consecutive year of such employment; and ``(D) $2,000 for the sixth consecutive year of such employment. ``(2) No refunds.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the refunding of any repayment of a loan made under this part. ``(3) Interest.--If a portion of a loan is repaid by the Secretary under this section for any year, the proportionate amount of interest on such loan which accrues for such year shall be repaid by the Secretary. ``(4) Ineligibility of national service award recipients.-- No student borrower may, for the same service, receive a benefit under both this section and subtitle D of title I of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12601 et seq.). ``(e) Repayment to Eligible Lenders.--The Secretary shall pay to each eligible lender or holder for each fiscal year an amount equal to the aggregate amount of loans which are subject to repayment pursuant to this section for such year. ``(f) Application for Repayment.-- ``(1) In general.--Each eligible individual desiring loan repayment under this section shall submit a complete and accurate application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. ``(2) Conditions.--An eligible individual may apply for loan repayment under this section after completing each year of qualifying employment. The borrower shall receive forbearance while engaged in qualifying employment unless the borrower is in deferment while so engaged. ``(g) Regulations.--The Secretary is authorized to prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section. ``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2003, and such sums as may be necessary for succeeding fiscal years.''.
summary: Adult Education Instructor Recruitment and Retention Act of 2002 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish student loan forgiveness programs for adult education instructors.