Sec. 56.353. ELIGIBILITY. (a) Teach for Texas repayment assistance is available only to a person who applies for the assistance and who:

(1) is certified in a teaching field identified by the commissioner of education as experiencing a critical shortage of teachers in this state in the year in which the person receives the assistance and has for at least one year taught full-time at, and is currently teaching full-time at, the preschool, primary, or secondary level in a public school in this state in that teaching field; or

(2) is a certified educator who has for at least one year taught full-time at, and is currently teaching full-time at, the preschool, primary, or secondary level in a public school in this state in a community identified by the commissioner of education as experiencing a critical shortage of teachers in the year in which the person receives the assistance.

(b) The coordinating board in awarding repayment assistance shall give priority to applicants who demonstrate financial need.

(c) If the money available for loan repayment assistance in a period for which assistance is awarded is insufficient to provide assistance to all eligible applicants described by Subsection (b), the coordinating board shall establish priorities for awarding repayment assistance to address the most critical teacher shortages described by Subsection (a).

(d) A person may not receive loan repayment assistance for more than five years.

Redesignated from Sec. 56.309(b) and amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1261, Sec. 3, eff. June 15, 2001; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 820, Sec. 49, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.