DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of the Secretary

PROPOSED

PUBLIC NOTICE

Educational Impact Analysis Pursuant to 14 Del.C. §122(d)

1206 Speech Language Pathologist Incentive Loan Program

A. TYPE OF REGULATORY ACTION REQUIRED

Amendment to Existing Regulation

B. SYNOPSIS OF SUBJECT MATTER OF THE REGULATION

Pursuant to 14 Del.C. §§122(b)(8), 181(15), 183, 3402(c), and 3435(a), the Delaware Department of Education ("Department"), through the Delaware Higher Education Office ("DHEO"), proposes to amend 14 DE Admin. Code 1206 Speech Language Pathologist Incentive Loan Program. When House Bill 480 of the 151st General Assembly was signed into law on August 25, 2022, the Speech Language Pathologist Incentive Loan Program was repealed and the Speech-Language Pathologist Scholarship Program was enacted. The Speech-Language Pathologist Scholarship Program is a student financial assistance for higher education program that is administered by DHEO. The regulation provides the application process, eligibility criteria, and award process for the Speech-Language Pathologist Scholarship Program. The proposed amendments include revising the title of the regulation; revising the name of the program in Section 1.0; adding and striking definitions in Section 2.0; clarifying the application process in Section 3.0; revising the eligibility requirements in Section 4.0; and revising the awards process in Sections 5.0 and 6.0. The proposed amendments are consistent with House Bill 480 of the 151st General Assembly. In addition, the Department proposes to renumber the regulation from 1203 to 1212.

Persons wishing to present their views regarding this matter may do so in writing by submitting them to the Department of Education, Office of the Secretary, Attn: Regulation Review, 401 Federal Street, Suite 2, Dover, Delaware 19901 or through the Department's online submission form at https://education.delaware.gov/community/delaware-education-laws-and-regulations/provide-public-comment/ by the close of business (4:30 p.m. EST) on or before February 2, 2023. Any person who wishes to receive a copy of the proposed regulation may obtain a copy from the Department at the Office of the Secretary on the second floor of the Townsend Building, 401 Federal Street, Dover, Delaware.

C. IMPACT CRITERIA

1. Will the amended regulation help improve student achievement as measured against state achievement standards? The amended regulation concerns a student financial assistance for higher education program and is not designed to help improve student achievement as measured against state achievement standards.

2. Will the amended regulation help ensure that all students receive an equitable education? The amended regulation concerns a student financial assistance for higher education program and is not designed to help ensure that all students receive an equitable education.

3. Will the amended regulation help to ensure all students' health and safety are adequately protected? The amended regulation concerns a student financial assistance for higher education program and is not designed to help to ensure all students' health and safety are adequately protected.

4. Will the amended regulation help to ensure that all students' legal rights are respected? The amended regulation concerns a student financial assistance for higher education program and is not designed to help to ensure that all students' legal rights are respected.

5. Will the amended regulation preserve the necessary authority and flexibility of decision-makers at the local board and school level? The amended regulation concerns a student financial assistance for higher education program and does not change authority and flexibility of decision makers at the local board and school level.

6. Will the amended regulation place unnecessary reporting or administrative requirements or mandates upon decision makers at the local board and school levels? The amended regulation concerns a student financial assistance for higher education program and does not place unnecessary reporting or administrative requirements or mandates upon decision makers at the local board and school levels.

7. Will decision making authority and accountability for addressing the subject to be regulated be placed in the same entity? The Department, through DHEO, implements the regulations promulgated and adopted relating to student financial assistance for higher education programs that are administered by DHEO.

8. Will the amended regulation be consistent with and not an impediment to the implementation of other state educational policies, in particular to state educational policies addressing achievement in the core academic subjects of mathematics, science, language arts, and social studies? The amended regulation is consistent with, and not an impediment to, the implementation of other state educational policies, and in particular to state educational policies addressing achievement in the core academic subjects of mathematics, science, language arts, and social studies.

9. Is there a less burdensome method for addressing the purpose of the amended regulation? There is not a less burdensome method for addressing the purpose of this amended regulation.

10. What is the cost to the state and to the local school boards of compliance with the adopted regulation? There is no expected cost to the state of complying with this amended regulation. The regulation does not apply to local school boards.

1206 1212 Speech Language Speech-Language Pathologist Incentive Loan Scholarship Program

The purpose of this regulation is to provide eligibility criteria and application procedures for the Speech Language Speech-Language Pathologist Incentive Loan Scholarship Program pursuant to 14 Del.C. §3422 §3435(a).

The following words and terms, when used in this regulation, shall have the following meaning unless the context in which they are used clearly indicates otherwise:

“Academic Record” means the applicant’s unofficial transcript from college or graduate school for the most recent academic year.

“Award” means a loan scholarship under the Speech Language Speech-Language Pathologist Incentive Loan Program, the repayment of which is forgiven when the borrower is employed as a licensed speech language pathologist in a Delaware public school or by a provider or its contractors for Delaware programs serving infants and toddlers under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (Birth to Three Early Intervention) for the period of time specified in 14 Del.C. §3422(c)(2) Scholarship.

“Delaware Higher Education Office” or “DHEO” means the Department of Education’s Office which administers specific programs related to higher education, including, but not limited to, scholarship and loan programs.

“Direct Educational Expenses” means tuition, mandatory fees, room, board, books, and supplies.

“Full-Time Student” means a graduate student enrolled in nine (9) 9 or more credit hours.

“Institution” means a post-secondary institution or institution of higher education in Delaware that is accredited, or a candidate for accreditation, by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

“Part-Time Student” means a student enrolled in a graduate program that is at least five (5) and less than nine (9) credit hours per term.

“Student Account Access Site” means the webpage on the DHEO’s website where students can access scholarship and loan forgiveness opportunities.

3.1 The application acceptance and submission period for the Speech Language Speech-Language Pathologist Incentive Loan Scholarship Program shall be posted on the DHEO's website by April 1 December 1 of each calendar year.

3.1.1 Applications shall not be accepted outside of the posted application acceptance period under any circumstances.

3.1.2 Incomplete applications shall not be accepted or processed.

3.2 In order for an application to be considered complete, an applicant must: must

3.2.1 Submit the applicant's Academic Record to DHEO by mail, fax, or email by the last date of the application acceptance period.

3.2.2 Complete complete an application through the Student Account Access Site by the last date of the application acceptance period. The application shall include:

3.2.2.1 3.2.1 The applicant’s major, name of the applicant’s Institution, and the school year in which the applicant was most recently enrolled.

3.2.2.2 3.2.2 Applicants may update their enrollment information on the Student Account Access Site through the last date of the application acceptance period.

3.2.2.3 3.2.3 A first time applicant must establish an account and provide his or her the applicant's valid email address and permanent mailing address before being permitted to submit the information required in subsection 3.2.2 3.2 of this regulation.

4.1 Applicants shall meet the following requirements to be considered for the Speech Language Pathologist Incentive Loan Program: In order to be eligible for an Award through the Speech-Language Pathologist Scholarship Program, the applicant shall meet the requirements in subsections 4.1.1 and 4.1.2.

4.1.1 The applicant shall meet the definition of residency as provided in 14 Del.C. §3402(f).

4.1.1 4.1.2 Be either a Part-Time or The applicant shall be a Full-Time Student enrolled in a graduate program in Delaware that will satisfy the educational requirements to become licensed by the Delaware Board of Speech Pathologists, Audiologists, and Hearing Aid Dispensers as a speech/language pathologist; and speech-language pathologist.

4.1.2 Demonstrate strong academic merit.

5.1 DHEO determines the number and amount of Awards to be given annually. The number and amount of Awards each year will vary and is based on and subject to the General Assembly appropriating funds for the Speech Language Speech-Language Pathologist Incentive Loan Scholarship Program.

5.2 An Award shall be used for, and not in excess of, Direct Educational Expenses.

5.3 An Award may be renewed annually for up to two (2) 2 years.

5.3.1 To be eligible to renew an Award, students are required to submit an Academic Record and updated enrollment information shall complete an application by the date required by the DHEO, meet the requirements of Section 4.0, and maintain Satisfactory Academy Progress. For the purpose of this regulation, Satisfactory Academy Progress means that a student is successfully completing coursework according to the standards of the college or university in which the student is enrolled and the student is eligible to continue to receive financial aid.

5.3.2 An Award may be renewed annually as long as students maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by the Institution.

5.4 An Award may be pro-rated for Part-Time Students.

6.1 A signed promissory note, which includes the terms of repayment and loan forgiveness, shall be executed before disbursement of funds.

6.2 All payments Awards shall be disbursed directly to the eligible recipient's college or university only.