If you are considering a career in education - but are not sure if you can afford it - there are many options, like student loan forgiveness funding and fast-tracked alternative certification programs. These can make the beginning of your new teaching career easier and rewarding on many levels. The Federal Student Loan Forgiveness Program is designed to support new educators by paying off a portion of outstanding student debt; it also encourages alternative teacher certification in high-need areas by motivating qualified individuals to get into the education field. A career in the public schools can give you an opportunity to make a real difference, and these certification programs may be the most efficient way to get you in the classroom.

The loan forgiveness program was passed by Congress to help educators pay off their past student debt and to get passionate, qualified instructors into at-risk classrooms. It provides $5,000 to $17,500 dollars to educators who have five consecutive years of classroom experience in districts with high rates of poverty, or that are otherwise designated as low-income. While any instructor with the necessary experience is eligible for loan forgiveness of $5,000, math, science, special education and bilingual instructors receive the most funds due to the high need for these specialties in at-risk public schools.

In fact, the program was passed by Congress to address chronic shortages of instructors in these specific subjects in inner-city schools and other districts with elevated poverty. It is intended to attract bright college graduates as well as professionals interested in starting a new career by providing this extra incentive.

Only federal Stafford or federal consolidated loans are included in the program. Private loans from banks or credit unions are not eligible. To qualify, an instructor must be certified in his or her state of employment, and work five consecutive years in a school listed in the Annual Directory of Designated Low-Income Schools. In these schools, more than 30 percent of the enrolled students are eligible for federal services to combat poverty and encourage academic success.

Instructors with alternative certifications are considered "highly qualified" by the government, and are therefore entitled to all the benefits of this federal program. If you have always been interested in education or pursued a different path in college or your career, alternative teacher certification may be the right approach to getting the qualifications you need to succeed in the classroom. The federal loan forgiveness program can help make this dream a reality.