The Delaware Higher Education Office (DHEO) administers three state-sponsored loan repayment programs. For each program, DHEO will make a one-time payment on behalf of an awarded applicant directly to a student loan lender.
For all three student loan payment programs:
- Payments can be made towards private and federal student loans.
- The loan payment will be sent directly to the educator’s student loan provider
- Payments may be subject to taxation which will be amortized over the course of a recipient’s paycheck
- These programs are different from the Federal Teacher and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program and awards will not affect one’s eligibility for these federal programs.
| Program | Description |
|---|---|
| High Needs Educator Student Loan Payment Program | Educators are eligible to apply if they have a qualified student loan and teach on a standard certificate that is active in DEEDS. Educators must teach in a high-needs Delaware public school and/or a high-needs subject area, (listed below this table). Applicants must be employed full-time for at least 1 school year in the high-need school/area. An applicant can receive only 1 payment per year and no more than 5 payments over the applicant’s lifetime.
Educators in any facility operated by the Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families in which education programs are provided are also eligible to apply. |
| Speech Language Pathologist Student Loan Payment Program | Speech Language Pathologists are eligible to apply if they have a qualified student loan and hold a standard certificate in DEEDS. Must be employed full-time as a speech-language pathologist in a Delaware public school, for at least 1 school year. An applicant may receive only 1 loan payment per year and may not receive more than 3 loan payments in the applicant’s lifetime. |
| Mental Health Support Services Student Loan Payment Program | An applicant must be employed as a school counselor, school psychologist or a school social worker in a Delaware public school for at least 1 school year. An applicant must have a qualified student loan and hold a standard certificate in one of the 3 eligible areas in DEEDS. An applicant may receive only 1 loan payment per year and may not receive more than 3 loan payments in the applicant’s lifetime. |
Application Timelines
The application timelines for the 2025–2026 school year will be announced in Fall 2025. Please check this website for updates.
