(a) It is the intent and purpose of the General Assembly through this subchapter to enable and encourage academically talented Delawareans to pursue careers in specific fields identified as areas of need within the State.

(b) A committee of 5 to 8 members chosen by the Office for their knowledge of and expertise in employment trends in Delaware will review employment trends in Delaware and identify no more than 8 to 10 high need career fields from which scholarship applicants will be chosen. The career fields will be reviewed every 5 years by the committee. Additionally, the committee will define retention strategies to encourage recipients to pursue careers in Delaware. Contingent upon funding from the General Assembly and based on the size of the applicant pool, at least 1 student in each high need career field will be awarded a career-based scholarship annually.

(c) To be eligible for a career-based scholarship an applicant must meet all of the following criteria:

(1) The applicant must be enrolled in an undergraduate program of study leading to a career in a high need field as determined by the committee under subsection (a) of this section.

(2) The applicant must be a resident of this State.

(3) The applicant must be enrolled at a college or university that is located in Delaware and is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education.

(d) The amount of an award is determined by the Office.

(e) Awards are renewable for up to 3 additional years if the student remains enrolled in a program of study leading to a career in a high need field as determined under subsection (a) of this section and maintains satisfactory academic progress.

(f) If the committee determines that a particular high need field is no longer high need, students enrolled in a program of study leading to a career in that field will be eligible to renew their scholarship up to 3 additional years.

65 Del. Laws, c. 437, §  1;  73 Del. Laws, c. 188, §  1;  83 Del. Laws, c. 413, § 1; 

(a) [Repealed.]

(b) For the purpose of this section, an award is a scholarship that is not repaid to the State. Recipients awarded incentive loans prior to July 1, 2022, will be awarded a scholarship instead of an incentive loan if they are eligible to renew their award as provided in subsection (c) of this section. Recipients will be required to repay the full amount of any incentive loans made to them prior to July 1, 2022, unless the amount is forgiven as provided in this subchapter.

(c) Renewal of awards is limited to the number of years that constitute the standard full-time completion rate. To be eligible for renewal of an award, the recipient must meet the academic progress standards set by the Office and communicated in writing to the recipient at the time the initial award is granted. Except for recipients of incentive loans under the Ada Leigh Soles Memorial Professional Librarian and Archivist Incentive Program [14 Del. C. § 3423], the Office will determine whether a recipient is eligible to renew an award. The Division of Libraries will determine whether a recipient of an incentive loan under the Ada Leigh Soles Memorial Professional Librarian and Archivist Incentive Program is eligible to renew an award.

(d), (e) [Repealed.]

73 Del. Laws, c. 188, §  1;  70 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  1;  77 Del. Laws, c. 431, §  12;  83 Del. Laws, c. 413, § 1; 

(a) The Office shall determine payment amounts, length of repayment period, and the rate and type of interest to accrue on awards, within the limitations specified in this chapter.

(b) The Office shall communicate the terms of repayment and interest accrual to the recipient and secure a promissory note from the recipient attesting to the recipient’s agreement to such terms at the time the award is made.

(c) Repayment or forgiveness will commence following completion of the program of study and a grace period not to exceed 12 months, or immediately after the student discontinues full-time enrollment or discontinues the specified program of study.

(d) If after 12 months following graduation the recipient is engaged in qualifying employment, no repayment of award principal or interest will be required. The recipient’s awards will be forgiven in accordance with the service repayment ratios specified in this chapter and in the order in which they were made.

(e) If during the period of service repayment, the recipient terminates qualifying employment, the recipient will be required to commence repayment of the awards or portions thereof which have not been forgiven at the time qualifying employment was terminated.

(f) If after 12 months following graduation the recipient is not engaged in qualifying employment, the recipient shall be obligated to make monthly payments until the amount of the award and interest on the award from the date of disbursement is paid in full.

(g) If during the period of cash repayment the recipient begins qualifying employment, payments will be deferred and the service repayment ratio specified in this chapter will be applied. Under no circumstances will payments already made by the recipient be reimbursed as a result of obtaining qualifying employment.

(h) The Office may, in its discretion, grant deferments from repayment in cases of economic hardship, inability to secure qualifying employment, severe or prolonged illness, or other circumstances that can be documented to the satisfaction of the Office. Such deferments will be limited to periods not to exceed 1 year and only 1 deferment may be granted. The length and terms of a deferment shall be communicated in writing to the recipient.

(i) The Office may grant a deferment of repayment obligations of up to 1 year to students who have a compelling reason to interrupt coursework temporarily. Students must submit a written request for deferment and provide such documentation as the Office deems necessary. Interest on the loan will continue to accrue during deferment periods.

(j) A recipient’s repayment obligation may be forgiven if the Office determines that the recipient is unable to meet repayment obligations because of permanent disability or death. The Office may require such documentation as it deems necessary to verify claims or disability or death, including but not limited to a sworn affidavit from a qualified physician or a death certificate.

65 Del. Laws, c. 437, §  1;  73 Del. Laws, c. 188, §  1;  74 Del. Laws, c. 97, §  2;  77 Del. Laws, c. 431, §  12;  83 Del. Laws, c. 413, § 1; 

(a) Purpose. — It is the intent and purpose of this program to encourage academically talented Delawareans to pursue teaching careers in Delaware public schools.

(b) [Repealed.]

(c) Repayment and forgiveness. — (1) For purposes of this program, qualifying employment is employment as a teacher in a Delaware public school, whether as an employee of the State, the Department of Education, a school district or an individual school, or as an employee of a private organization providing educational services to Delaware school children under a contract with the State, the Department of Education, a school district or an individual school.

(2) Awards will be forgiven at a rate of 1 year of qualifying employment for 1 year of loan.

65 Del. Laws, c. 437, §  1;  70 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  1;  73 Del. Laws, c. 188, §  1;  74 Del. Laws, c. 75, §  1;  83 Del. Laws, c. 413, § 1; 

Transferred by 77 Del. Laws, c. 431, § 10, effective July 23, 2010, to § 3461 of this title. Section 3461 of this title was subsequently transferred to § 3436 of this title by 83 Del. Laws, c. 413, § 3, effective July 1, 2022. Section 3436 of this title was subsequently transferred to § 3435 of this title to conform to redesignations made in view of 84 Del. Laws, c. 350, § 2, effective Aug. 7, 2024.

(a) Purpose. — It is the intent and purpose of the General Assembly through this subchapter to enable and encourage academically talented Delawareans to pursue nursing careers at state-operated hospitals or nonprofit hospitals located in this State.

(b) [Repealed.]

(c) Repayment and forgiveness. — (1) For the purposes of this program, qualifying employment shall be employment as a licensed practical nurse or a registered nurse at a state-owned hospital or clinic or a nonprofit hospital located in this State.

(2) Loans will be forgiven at the rate of 1 year of employment for 1 year of loan.

66 Del. Laws, c. 214, §  1;  67 Del. Laws, c. 64, §§  1-4;  70 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  1;  73 Del. Laws, c. 188, §  1;  82 Del. Laws, c. 175, § 1;  83 Del. Laws, c. 413, § 1; 

(a), (b) [Repealed.]

(c) Repayment and forgiveness. —

(1) For purposes of this program, qualifying employment is employment as a licensed speech pathologist either in a Delaware public school or by a provider for programs serving infants and toddlers under Part C, Birth to Three Early Intervention System [20 USC § 1431 et seq.] and their contractors.

(2) Loans will be forgiven at the rate of 1 year of employment for 1 year of loan.

(d) [Repealed.]

73 Del. Laws, c. 188, §  1;  74 Del. Laws, c. 264, §§  1-4;  82 Del. Laws, c. 64, § 368;  83 Del. Laws, c. 413, § 1; 

(a) Purpose. —

It is the intent and purpose of this Program to enable and encourage academically talented Delawareans to pursue careers as librarians and archivists in Delaware.

(b) [Repealed.]

(c) Repayment and forgiveness. — (1) For purposes of this Program, qualifying employment is employment as a librarian or archivist in a public library, public school library, a member library of the Delaware Library Consortium, state agency or political subdivision in Delaware.

(2) Loans will be forgiven at the rate of 1 year of employment for 1 year of loan for bachelor’s degree students, and 2 years of employment for 1 year of loan for master’s and doctoral degree students.

(3) The repayment and forgiveness of incentive loans awarded under this Program prior to July 1, 2022, will be administered by the Office.

70 Del. Laws, c. 521, §  1;  71 Del. Laws, c. 132, §§  381, 382;  73 Del. Laws, c. 188, §  1;  78 Del. Laws, c. 201, §  1;  81 Del. Laws, c. 82, § 1;  83 Del. Laws, c. 413, § 1; 

(a) Purpose. — It is the intent of this program to encourage academically talented students to pursue careers as optometrists in Delaware. This program replaces the Optometric Institutional Aid Program, but does not change or limit the terms of contracts made to individuals under the provisions of the Optometric Institutional Aid Program.

(b) [Repealed.]

(c) Repayment and forgiveness. — (1) For purposes of this program, qualifying employment is the practice of optometry in the State.

(2) Loans will be forgiven at a rate of 1 year of employment for 1 year of loan.

60 Del. Laws, c. 591, §§  1, 5;  61 Del. Laws, c. 472, §  3;  73 Del. Laws, c. 188, §  1;  77 Del. Laws, c. 431, §  12;  83 Del. Laws, c. 413, § 1;