The burden of student loan debt has been growing more unmanageable for social workers and students over the last several years. A recent survey by the Council on Social Work Education found that the average loan debt of social work students graduating in 2004 with a master’s degree in social work was $26,777. Those with bachelor’s degrees in social work faced repayment of $18,609 in loans and those with doctoral degrees in social work were $32,841 in debt. Repayment is particularly challenging for social workers, whose salaries continue to be among the lowest for professionals in general and for those with master’s level educations in particular. In 2001, 22 percent of social workers earned under $30,000 and 20 percent earned between $30,000 and $39,999. The median salary for social workers with two to four years experience was $35,600.

The National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) and the Project on Student Debt have developed the Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project that can help loan saddled social workers and other borrowers to find out more information about the recently passed College Cost Reduction and Access Act, among other student loan related issues. This multi-featured website was created for people who already have student loans and want to know more about their options and rights.  The site enables the borrowers to browse a wide range of issues, such as loan basics, default and delinquency, bankruptcy, loan cancellation, repayment, and collections.

The College Cost Reduction and Access Act forgives outstanding education debt for those persons that meet the eligibility requirements.  Those that would benefit are employees that have made 120 monthly payments on their loans while serving full-time in social work in public child or family service agencies, government, nonprofit, military, education, and others areas. The loan forgiveness provisions became effective on October 1, 2007.

Preventing problems by providing up-front information about the intricacies of student loans is critical in preventing default.  Although the site falls short of providing legal advice about individual cases, it does give a comprehensive overview of the issues and complexities that borrowers face in trying to manage their student loan debt.

Government Relations Update

Hate Crime Legislative Update

The Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 (S.1105/H.R.1585), introduced by Senator Kennedy (D-MA) in the Senate and Representative Conyers (D-MI) in the House of Representatives, would strengthen existing federal hate crime laws in multiple ways.  Foremost, the measure would eliminate a serious limitation on federal involvement under the existing 1968 law-the requirement that a victim of a bias-motivated crime was attacked because he/she was engaged in a specified federally-protected activity, such as serving on a jury or attending public school.

Secondly, current law, (18 U.S.C. Sec. 245), authorizes federal involvement only in those cases which the victim was targeted because of race, color, religion, or national origin.  The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 would also authorize the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute certain bias-motivated crimes predicated on the victim’s actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.  Current federal law does not provide sufficient authority for involvement in these cases.

Pending Hate Crimes legislation is designed to eliminate gaps in federal authority to investigate and prosecute bias-motivated crimes.  The bill would provide an essential backdrop to state as well as local law enforcement by permitting federal authorities to provide assistance in these investigations-and by allowing federal prosecutions when necessary to achieve a fair and impartial result.  In those states without hate crime statutes, and in others with limited coverage, local prosecutors are not able to pursue bias crime convictions.  Presently, only thirty-one states and the District of Columbia include sexual orientation-based crimes in their Hate Crime statutes; only twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia include coverage of gender-based crimes; only ten states include coverage of gender-identity based crimes, in addition, only thirty-one states and the District of Columbia include coverage for disability-based crimes.  The data extrapolated from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) manifests that there is strong majority support for the expansion of Hate Crime legislation to include sexual orientation, gender, and gender-identity among the general American population.

On December 6, 2007 the provisions of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act were removed from the Department of Defense Authorization conference report.  There were not enough votes to assure passage on the House floor due to a confluence of staunch opposition from the Republicans to the Hate Crimes provision, opposition from progressive Members to the Iraq War language contained in the conference report, in addition to a reluctance of moderate Democrats to risk a veto that would delay the military pay raise.  NASW believes that violence directed against individuals on the basis of their race, religion, national origin, gender, or sexual orientation is exceedingly prevalent-and poses significant and unwarranted threats to the comprehensive participation of all Americans in a democratic society.  Bias-motivated crimes are designed to intimidate the victim and members of the victim’s community, leaving them feeling alienated, vulnerable, and bereft of statutory protection.  Incidents of this magnitude impair the essence of our society and destabilize communities.  NASW recognizes that bigotry is intolerable and cannot be legislated out of existence; therefore, a compelling and moral response to prejudicial violence is required of us all.  As social workers, we earnestly contend that Congress must do everything possible to empower the federal government to assist in local hate crime prosecutions and, where imperative, extend existing federal authority to permit a wider range of investigations and prosecutions.  NASW asserts that the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act is a constructive and equitable response to a problem that continues to plague America.  For this reason, social workers are profoundly committed to advocating for a humane society that will resolve to fight injustice against all people.

Federal Programs

Perkins Loan Forgiveness Program
Additional information: Check with your college or university financial aid office.

Program for social workers working in public or private nonprofit child or family service agencies providing services to high-risk children and families from low-income communities or social workers providing early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities in public or private nonprofit agencies under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). This program is also available for teachers, nurses, law enforcement professionals.

Recipients of Federal Perkins Loan funds received after July 22, 1992 can qualify for postponement/ cancellation of up to 100% of the loan. The cancellation takes place over 5 years. For each year of service completed, the student is entitled to cancellation of the loan at the following rates:

• First and second years of employment: 15% each year
• Third and fourth years of employment: 20% each year
• Fifth year of employment: 30%.

National Health Service Corp - Federal Program
Additional information: http://nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov/join_us

Fully trained health professionals, including clinical social workers, who are dedicated to working with the underserved and have qualifying educational loans are eligible to compete for repayment of those loans if they choose to serve in a community of greatest need. In addition to loan repayment, these clinicians receive a competitive salary, some tax relief benefits, and a chance to have a significant impact on a community.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) - Loan Forgiveness for Researchers
Additional information and on-line application: http://www.lrp.nih.gov/
Program is for social workers and other professionals who are pursuing research careers in the areas of clinical, pediatric, contraception and infertility, or health disparities. Participants must possess a doctoral-level degree, devote 50% or more of their time to research funded by a non-profit organization or government entity (federal, state, or local), and have educational loan debt equal to or exceeding 20% of their institutional base salary.

Other Federal Resources

• U.S. Department of Education: http://www.ed.gov/ or http://www.ed.gov/finaid/info/find/edpicks.jhtml?src=ov
• Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid: http://www.finaid.org/
• Income Contingent Repayment http://www.finaid.org/loans/icr.phtml
• Volunteer Organizations: http://www.finaid.org/loans/forgiveness.phtml
• Military: http://www.finaid.org/loans/forgiveness.phtml

State Programs

National Health Service Corp - State Loan Repayment Program
Additional information: http://nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov/join_us/slrp.cfm

The State Loan Repayment Program is part of the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Bureau of Health Professions (BHPr) overall strategy to improve access to underserved communities. NHSC grants matching funds directly to States to operate their own loan repayment programs. Primary care health professionals who are providing full-time clinical services in a public or non-profit facility located in a federally designated Health Professional Shortage Area are eligible for this program. Eligibility requirements and benefits vary from State to State. For specific information, please contact the States directly.

State Loan Repayment Contacts

If your state is not listed below, it is because they do not provide state loan repayment for social workers.

Arizona
Elizabeth Gagnon
Office of Primary Health Care Resources
Arizona Department of Health Services
1740 W. Adams, Room 302
Phoenix, AZ 85007
602-542-2954
602-542-2011 (FAX)
mailto:egagnon@hs.state.az.us

California
Karen Munsterman
Office of Statewide Health Planning Development
1600 9th Street, Room 440
Sacramento, CA 95814
916-654-2102
916-654-3138 (FAX)
mailto:kmunster@oshpd.state.ca.us
http://www.oshpd.state.ca.us/HWCDD/stateloan/index.htm

Connecticut
Mario Garcia, M.P.H.
Program Manager
Connecticut Department of Public Health
Public Health Initiatives Branch
410 Capitol Avenue, MS#11HLS
P.O. Box 340308
Hartford, CT, 06134-0308
(860) 509-7138
860-509-7720 (Fax)
mailto:martha.okafor@po.state.ct.us
http://www.dph.state.ct.us/BCH/Family%20Health/SLRP/slrp_home.htm

Georgia
Peggy Shull
Executive Director
State Medical Education Board
2 Northside 75, NW, Suite 220
Atlanta, Georgia 30318-7701
404-206-5420
404-206-5424 (FAX)
mailto:pshull@dch.state.ga.us

Indiana
Janet Chorpenning
Indiana State Department of Health
2 N. Meridian Street, Section 8B-99
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317-233-1385
317-233-7761 (FAX)
mailto:jchorpenning@isdh.state.in.us

Iowa
Patricia Kehoe
Iowa Department of Public Health
Lucas State Office Building, 5th floor SE
Des Moines, IA 50319-0075
515-281-5069
515-242-6384 (FAX)
mailto:pkehoe@idph.state.ia.us
http://www.idph.state.ia.us/hpcdp/primecarre.asp

Kansas – only for licensed independent practice level)
Barbara J. Gibson, Primary Care Services
KDHE Office of Local and Rural Health
Curtis State Office Building
1000 SW Jackson, Suite 340
Topeka KS 66612 -1365
785 296-1200
785 296-1231 (FAX)
mailto:bgibson@kdhe.state.ks.us
http://www.kdhe.state.ks.us/olrh/

Kentucky
Susan Robertson
University of Kentucky Center for Rural Health
750 Morton Blvd.
Hazard, KY 41701
606-439-3557
606-435-0038 (FAX)
http://www.mc.uky.edu/RuralHealth/SORH/slrp1.htm

Louisiana
Kristy Nichols, Director
State Office of Rural Health
P. O. Box 2870
Baton Rouge, LA 70821-2870
225-342-3814
225-342-0080 (FAX)
mailto:knichols@dhh.state.la.us
http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/offices/page.asp?id=88&detail=4986
Currently does not accept social workers, but have requested in most recent state plan to include social workers. (December 2005)

Maine
Sophie Glidden
Director Primary Health Care, State of Maine
Department of Health and Human Services
35 Anthony Avenue, State House Station #11
Augusta, ME 04333
207-624-5424
207-624-5431 (FAX)
mailto:sophie.e.glidden@state.me.us
http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/bohodr/SLRPSUMM.htm

Maryland
Antoinette W. Coward, M.S., C.H.E.S.
Office of Primary Care Services
MD Dept. Health & Mental Hygiene
201 West Preston Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
410-767-5602
410-333-7501 (FAX)
mailto:cowarda@dhmh.state.md.us

Massachusetts
Julia Dyck
Department of Public Health
250 Washington Street, 5th Floor
Boston, MA 02108
617-624-6043
617-624-6062 (FAX)
mailto:julia.dyck@state.ma.us
http://www.mass.gov/dph/fch/health_shortage.htm

Michigan
Ken Miller
Michigan Department of Community Health
Policy and Legal Affairs Administration
201 Townsend Street
Lansing, MI 48913
517-241-9946
517-241-1200 (FAX)
millerk3@michigan.gov
http://www.mimom.org/page.cfm/42/

Minnesota
Debra L. Jahnke, Sr. State Program Administrator (Loan Repayment)
Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
Minnesota Department of Health
121 East 7th Place, Suite 400
St. Paul, MN 55164-0975
651-282-6334 or 800-366-5424
651-297-5808 (FAX)
mailto:debra.jahnke@health.state.mn.us
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/chs/stateloan.htm

Amy Vallery (Loan Forgiveness)
85 East 70th Pl., Suite 220
St. Paul, MN 55164-0975
651-201-3870
first.vallery@health.state.mn.us

Nevada
Keith Clark
Nevada Office of Rural Health
1500 College Parkway
Elko, NV 89801
775-738-3828
775-738-0689 (FAX)
mailto:clarkk@med.unr.edu

New Hampshire
David Roberts, Workforce Coordinator
Rural Health & Primary Care
NH Dept. of Health & Human Services
29 Hazen Drive
Concord, NH 03301
603-201-2276603-271-4506 (FAX)
mailto:droberts@dhhs.state.nh.us

New Mexico
March Pompei, Primary Care Program Manager
New Mexico Department of Health
1068 Cerrillos Road
Santa Fe, NM 87501-4295
505-476-6513
505-476-6511 (FAX)
mailto:mpompei@che.state.nm.us

Ohio
Geri Rousculp
Ohio Department of Health
Primary Care/Rural Health Program
246 North High Street
Columbus, OH 43215
614-644-8496
614-995-4235 (FAX)
mailto:grouscul@gw.odh.state.oh.us
Limited to LISWs

South Dakota
Nicole Beck
South Dakota Department of Health
Office of Rural Health
600 East Cap. Ave.
Pierre, SD 57501
605-773-2679
604-773-5683 (FAX)
mailto:nicole.beck@state.sd.us

Texas
Senta Galeazzi
Office of Rural Community Affairs
Rural Communities Health Care Investment Program
P.O. Box 12877
Austin, TX 78711
512-936-6743
512-936-6776 (FAX)
sgaleazzi@orca.state.tx.us
http://www.orca.state.tx.us/healthcare/stipend/healthinvprgm.htm

Utah
Erin Olsen, Support Services Coordinator
Utah Department of Health
Bureau Primary Care, Rural, & Ethnic Health
288 North 1460 West, 4th Floor
P.O. Box 142005
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-2005
801-538-6113
801-538-6387 (FAX)
mailto:Elolsen@doh.state.ut.us
http://health.utah.gov/primarycare/scholarloanmenu.html

Wisconsin
Peggy Burke
Wisconsin Department of Commerce
P. O. Box 7970
Madison , WI 53707
608-266-3751
608-266-8969 (FAX)
mailto:pburke@commerce.state.wi.us
http://commerce.wi.gov/CD/CD-phc-app.html

Additional State Resources

State Departments of Education
http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/Programs/EROD/org_list.cfm?category_ID=SEA

Individual State Programs

District of Columbia

Social Worker Loan Repayment Program: Social workers who hold bachelor’s degrees can have $10,000-$13,000 in loans forgiven and those with master’s degrees can have $15,000 to $18,000 forgiven if they stay four years.
For more information: Malik Jackson, Director of Recruitment, DC Child and Family Services Agency, 202-724-7387

Florida
The Child Welfare Loan Forgiveness Program is designed to provide loan assistance to eligible students for upper-division undergraduate and graduate study. The primary purpose of the program is to attract capable and promising students to the child welfare profession, increase employment and retention of individuals who are working towards or who have received either a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree in social work, or any human services subject area that qualifies the individual for employment as a family services worker, and provide opportunities for persons making mid-career decisions to enter the child welfare profession. The legislature appropriated $1 million in FY 2003
For more information: Jim Aiken, naswfl@naswfl.org, 850-224-2400

Illinois
The Child Welfare Student Loan Forgiveness Act provides loan assistance, subject to appropriation, to eligible students for upper-division undergraduate and graduate study in social work or human services. It permits forgivable loans to be awarded for a maximum of two (2) academic years and requires a loan recipient to work in child welfare at the Department of Children and Family Services, its successor, or a contracting agency for at least the number of years for which the loan is received. Sets maximum amounts of $4,000 for loans awarded at the undergraduate level and $8,000 for loans awarded at the graduate level. The act contains provisions concerning eligibility, repayment, credit, and a penalty for non-compliance. This bill is subject to appropriations and no funds have been appropriated.
For more information: Joel Rubin, jlrubin@naswil.org, 312-236-8308

Maryland
State and Local Government Employees: includes professionals in social work, law, nursing, physical and occupational therapy, and education. Applicants must earn less than $40,000 gross annual income. More information: Maryland State Scholarship Administration, 16 Francis St. Annapolis, MD 21401, 410-974-2071, ext. 146New Jersey
The Social Services Student Loan Redemption Program is designed to provide loan redemption for state residents who have earned a bachelor’s or master’s degree within a one-year period prior to being hired as a fulltime “direct care professional at a qualified facility.” Eligibility includes degrees in a human services discipline, such as social work, psychology, counseling, or in a health-related profession, such as occupational, physical, or speech therapy. Loan redemption is not to exceed $5,000 per year or $20,000 over four years. Qualified facilities may include state, local, or nonprofit agencies or organizations that provide services under state contract.

The program is managed by the Higher Education Assistance Authority; information available on line at http://www.hesaa.org/aid_professionals2/whats_new/specific.asp?wn_id=93
For more information: Walter Kalman, NASW-NJ Chapter, naswnj@aol.com

New York
The Social Worker Loan Forgiveness Program is designed to attract social workers to employment in shortage areas, including health, mental health, aging, child welfare, and HIV/AIDS. “Multi-lingual” communities also are identified as shortage areas. To be eligible, a social worker with a LMSW or LCSW must have already worked for the last 12 months in one of the critical shortage areas. Loan amounts of $6,500 can be forgiven in each year the graduate is employed in a shortage area, up to $26,000 over four years. The program is expected to fund loan repayment for approximately 160 social workers.
For more information: Bob Schachter, schachter@naswnyc.org, 212-668-0050

NASW-National

• Join NASW’s Loan Forgiveness listserv to advocate for additional loan forgiveness programs for social workers: http://www.socialworkers.org/advocacy/networkNew.asp
• Send a letter or e-mail to your members of Congress urging their support for loan forgiveness programs for social workers: http://63.66.87.48/cweb4/index.cfm?orgcode=NASW
• For information on proposed loan forgiveness legislation and advocacy tools, visit NASW’s Web site: http://www.socialworkers.org/advocacy/issues/loanForgiveness.asp