DE HB346

Establishes the High Needs Educator Student Loan Payment Program within the Delaware Department of Education to provide state payments toward qualified student loan debt for eligible educators.

Requires applicants to be Delaware educators with valid licenses, have obtained qualified educational loans, receive an "effective" or higher performance rating, and work in identified high-need areas (shortage certification fields or high-need schools) for at least one school year.

Awards range from a minimum of $1,000 to a maximum of $2,000 per year, with a lifetime cap of five awards per educator; department makes payments directly to lending agencies on behalf of applicants.

Prioritizes funding for applicants who work in both shortage certification fields and high-need schools, or alternatively for applicants with greatest financial need (determined by income, spousal income, dependents, and total loan amounts).

Requires annual reporting to House and Senate Education Committees with de-identified data on applicant demographics, certification areas, schools served, and student population characteristics at those schools.