Department of Education

Office of the Secretary

1200 Higher Education - Scholarships

1215 Public School Employee Support Program for High Need Areas

1.0 Purpose

The purpose of this regulation is to provide eligibility criteria, application requirements, and award process for the Public School Employee Support Program for High Need Areas pursuant to14Del.C.§3437.

2.0 Definitions

The following words and terms, when used in this regulation, shall have the following meaning:

"Award" means a stipend payment made under the program.

"Delaware Higher Education Office" or "DHEO" means the Delaware Department of Education's office which administers specific programs related to higher education, including student financial assistance programs.

"Department" means the Delaware Department of Education.

"High needs area" means a certification field that the Department designates as a high needs subject area or a high needs Delaware public school as defined on the Department’s website.

"Public school employee"means an individual employed at a Delaware public school in 1 of the following positions:

1. (a) Educator;
2. (b) School counselor;
3. (c) School psychologist;
4. (d) School social worker; or

5. (e) Speech-language pathologist.

   "Qualified educational loan" means a government, commercial, or foundation loan for actual costs paid for tuition and reasonable educational expenses related to a public school employee’s undergraduate or graduate degree program.

   "School" means a Delaware public school, including a vocational-technical school and a charter school.

3.0 Eligibility

1. 3.1 In order to be eligible for an award under the public school employee support program for high need areas, an applicant must meet all the following requirements:

   1. 3.1.1 Be a full time public school employee at a school in a high needs area;
   2. 3.1.2 Have secured a qualified educational loan prior to submitting an application;
   3. 3.1.3 Have a valid, current license and certificate issued by the Department;
   4. 3.1.4 Have not had an ineffective evaluation on the State's current evaluation system or the equivalent on a State-approved alternative educator evaluation system;
   5. 3.1.5 Instruct or provide educational support in an identified high needs subject area or high needs school for at least 1 school year.

4.0 Application Requirements

1. 4.1 The application acceptance and submission period for the public school employee support program for high need areas shall be posted on the DHEO's website by December 1 of each calendar year.
2. 4.2 DHEO will not accept or process incomplete applications or applications submitted outside the posted application acceptance period.

3. 4.3 In order for an application to be considered complete, an applicant must, by the last date of the application acceptance and submission period:

   1. 4.3.1 Certify to DHEO that the applicant meets all of the eligibility requirements in Section 3.0.
   2. 4.3.2 Provide the applicant's current employment information and all requested application information.
4. 4.4 Every year applicants must submit a new, completed application and any additional information DHEO may request in accordance with the program regulations.

5.0 Awards

1. 5.1 The ability to make awards each year is contingent upon the availability of funds.
2. 5.2 Awards will be determined based on the pool of eligible applicants in the given year. If possible, DHEO shall make an award to every applicant who satisfies the requirements of this regulation.

3. 5.3 If there are insufficient funds to make an award to every applicant who satisfies program requirements, DHEO shall give priority to applicants who meet 1 or more of the following criteria:

   1. 5.3.1 Applicants employed in both a certification field and a school that the Department has identified as a high needs area as defined in this regulation.
   2. 5.3.2 Applicants having the greatest financial need. The applicants having the greatest financial need shall be determined at the sole discretion of DHEO. To determine financial need, the DHEO shall request at least the applicant’s income and total amount of qualified educational loans.
4. 5.4 DHEO will pay awards through the State’s central payroll operation.
5. 5.5 An applicant may receive only 1 award per year and may receive no more than 5 awards in their lifetime.

6.0 Award Payment

1. 6.1 An award shall be at least $1,000.

2. 6.2 DHEO will not issue awards to applicants who:

   1. 6.2.1 Fail to complete an acceptance form as provided by the DHEO upon notification of award eligibility and return the completed form to the DHEO by the stated deadline. The DHEO will not accept any acceptance forms outside of the stated acceptance deadline; or
   2. 6.2.2 Are no longer employed at a Delaware public school at the time of award distribution through the State’s payroll system.
3. 6.3 If an applicant knowingly submits false information or commits fraud in connection with the application process, DHEO may reevaluate the applicant's eligibility for an award.

26 DE Reg. 852 (04/01/23)

27 DE Reg. 162 (09/01/23)

29 DE Reg. 600 (01/01/26)

26 DE Reg. 852 (04/01/23)

27 DE Reg. 162 (09/01/23)

29 DE Reg. 600 (01/01/26)

26 DE Reg. 852 (04/01/23)

27 DE Reg. 162 (09/01/23)

29 DE Reg. 600 (01/01/26)

26 DE Reg. 852 (04/01/23)

27 DE Reg. 162 (09/01/23)

29 DE Reg. 600 (01/01/26)

26 DE Reg. 852 (04/01/23)

27 DE Reg. 162 (09/01/23)

29 DE Reg. 600 (01/01/26)

27 DE Reg. 162 (09/01/23)

29 DE Reg. 600 (01/01/26)

22 DE Reg. 470 (12/01/18)

26 DE Reg. 852 (04/01/23)

27 DE Reg. 162 (09/01/23)

29 DE Reg. 600 (01/01/26)