I’m a Speech/Language Pathologist in the public schools.  I have been a therapist for 6 years and for the past year have been trying to get my Teacher Loan Forgiveness Application approved.  It has been denied 5-6 times for various reasons including not having the appropriate officials sign the document.  The last denial came in October because they say I haven’t taught for 5 years in a title one school.

I worked 4 years at a title one school in my district.  I was then transfered to another school(s) in my district.  I didn’t request a transfer.  As a speech therapist, we often serve more than one school and the schools we serve are chosen based on the number of students needing services.  During my 5th year teaching I was split between two schools.  My home school was a title one school and I spent half of my day at that school Monday-Friday.  The other school was not considered title one.  During this past year, I have never been told that because I spent part of my day at a non title one school during my 5th year that I would nullify my 5 consecutive years.  I was told that I could only receive credit for 4 1/2 years in a title one school.  Do you have any advice on this?  This is $17,500 that I was expecting to have taken off of my loans and after a year of going through this process it is such a low blow.

I’ve tried appealing, but I honestly don’t know who to go to at this point.  I’ve read and re-read the application.  I feel like I’ve met all the criteria.  I was at a title one school for 5 consecutive years (now going on 7 years).  Am I completely out of luck on this?

Thanks!
Lindsay

By definition you have to work FULLTIME at a title one school for five consecutive years.  This is where you are running into trouble.  And its not just with your servicer.  Once they approve it in a preliminary sense they send it off to the Department of Education to look at and cut the funds and the rules are very black and white.  You can plead your case but I do believe you may lose out on this part of the definition.