- (1) Loan assistance awards shall be distributed directly to eligible applicants in two disbursements during the applicable year with one disbursement being made after
January 1 and the second disbursement being made after June 1. - (2) If the award amount exceeds the loan balance, the award amount will be reduced to match the loan balance.
- (3) The Commission shall determine the necessary procedures for awarding loan assistance if the eligible applicants' total awards exceed available funding.
- (4) The Commission shall prioritize loan assistance to eligible educators prior to awarding loan assistance to eligible licensed athletic trainers.
(5) Recipients shall notify the Commission in writing of any change in status within 30 days after the change. Failure to notify the Commission of a change in status shall affect future eligibility. A change in status includes all of the following:
- (a) A change in name.
- (b) A change in residence.
- (c) A change in employment status.
- (6) A recipient who receives an Alabama Athletic Trainer Loan Assistance award and continues to satisfy employment criteria shall continue to receive an award for the four-year consecutive limit unless the recipient becomes ineligible. If a recipient leaves a qualifying institution and accepts employment in a school or school system that does not require athletic training services for sanctioned activities or is not governed by the Alabama High School Athletic Association or the Alabama Independent School Association, the recipient shall no longer qualify to receive federal student loan assistance.
- (7) A loan assistance award is considered income by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and must be reported as such.
Author: Artcola Pettway, Stephanie C. Dolan
Statutory Authority: Code of Alabama 1975, Alabama Act 2025-337
History: New Rule: Published September 30, 2025; effective November 14, 2025.