If you are a teacher serving in a low-income or subject-matter shortage area, it may be possible for you to cancel or defer your student loans.

Recipients of the Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarship may reduce the years of service they must perform by teaching in a shortage area. Federal Perkins Loan borrowers may be eligible for cancellation for full-time teaching in three categories. If you have a loan or multiple loans from the Federal Direct Loan Program or the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFEL), you may be eligible for deferment if you are teaching full-time in a teacher shortage area.

The Georgia HOPE Teacher Scholarship Program encourages qualified individuals to seek advanced degrees in critical teaching fields and then serve as teachers in Georgia.

The U.S. Secretary of Education has approved Georgia's critical teacher shortage areas for the 2007-2008 school year. This information can be accessed in the annual publication of the Teacher Shortage Areas, Nationwide Listing.