Want to graduate college debt free? Teach in a rural area
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The teacher shortage in poor, rural districts in South Carolina is so bad, the state is considering offering would-be instructors a way to graduate from college debt free.
But they'd have to teach eight years in the state's neediest districts to get up to $30,000 in loans erased. That's a much longer commitment than the state's existing program that doesn't require teaching in a rural school. It can erase $20,000. Yet, since 2013, it hasn't had enough applicants to spend all $5 million available yearly.
The teacher shortage is nationwide. States are offering to wipe away college loans or increase salaries, but the incentives haven't enticed enough teachers.
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In South Carolina, colleges graduate 2,000 fewer teachers than needed. First-year teachers make just slightly more than graduates' average debt of $29,000.