Librarians Could Get a Break

Bill proposes loan forgiveness for librarians serving low-income areas

Staff -- School Library Journal, 7/1/2004

If you're a librarian or are thinking about becoming one, here's another added perk: a new bill floating around Capitol Hill is proposing that the government forgive portions of student loans for librarians who work in low-income areas.

Representative Xavier Becerra (D-CA), who drafted the legislation, is hoping to attract more librarians to the profession by paying a portion of their outstanding Perkins and Stafford loans. To be eligible, media specialists must work in districts where 30 percent or more of the student population qualifies for Title I funds, and public librarians must work in areas where 30 percent or more of the population lives below the poverty line.

"Almost half of the librarian population will be retiring by 2008, so ultimately, this bill is to attract more librarians to the field and to keep them there for a longer time," says Cindy Panuco, a legislative aide to Becerra.

According to Becerra's proposed Librarian Education and Development Act, 15 percent of a librarian's Perkins's loan would be forgiven after one to two years on the job, 20 percent after three to four years, and 30 percent after five years. A total of $5,000 in Stafford loans would be forgiven after five years of service.

The American Library Association is asking librarians to urge their representatives to support the bill. Becerra and his 15 cosponsors are hoping that Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), a huge library advocate, will introduce a companion bill in the Senate. Funding such a bill would cost $2 million over four years.