S.B. 968 Summary

• Establishes a teacher loan forgiveness program administered by the Department of Education in partnership with a Hawaii-based financial institution to provide financial support to individuals who agree to teach full-time for two years in Hawaii public schools.

• Prioritizes applications from individuals willing to teach at schools located in rural areas as determined by the superintendent.

• Requires applicants to obtain a Hawaii teacher standards board license prior to submitting an application and to apply within the first year of employment (or before employment begins).

• Limits loan forgiveness to a maximum amount per individual to be determined by the board, with the department required to approve or deny applications within ninety days and monitor compliance with the two-year teaching requirement.

• Appropriates general revenues for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to fund the program, effective July 1, 2025.