Jackson State University is making history with the first-ever student loan repayment program. JSU is the first HBCU to initiate a program as such that is designed to alleviate the burden that many students face after graduation, student loan debts. According to BPRW, The program offers students and their families a significant promise: “ if post-graduation income is below $45,000, the LRAP will aid in repaying federal student loans, private alternative loans, and parent PLUS loans.” A program as such is a great relief for part of the 89% of individuals who graduate from an HBCU with student loan debt annually.
The state of Mississippi is currently facing a teacher shortage which has caused several programs with incentives to arise to keep teachers and support educators who decide to stay in Mississippi. Some of these incentives stem from the Mississippi Critical Teacher Shortage Act which is also being extended up until 2027. In core subjects such as Math and Science, the teacher shortage margin is larger. There is also a need for more SPED and Foreign Language instructors in Mississippi. Some of the incentives that the Mississippi Board of Education provides for these teachers include housing assistance, bonus stipends, and student loan forgiveness. JSU’s loan forgiveness program will be added to the two existing programs that are currently under, Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi.
The JSU loan repayment program will be available starting in the fall for all freshmen teacher education majors as well as for certain other freshmen and transfers who are pursuing teaching. The program is free for students who qualify.
The benefits of this program stretch beyond relieving student loans for HBCU students. With this program, the percentage gap between black educators and white educators will also decrease for the state of Mississippi. Through this program, a long-term effect would be that the overall number of black educators in Mississippi would increase, amplifying diversity in public education. As of 2023, 29% of teachers were Black in Mississippi’s public education realm. The need for more black educators is increasing and programs that can support graduates who are looking to teach are a true benefit to public education.
Janieth Wilson-Adams, the Director of Undergraduate Admissions at JSU also emphasized the impact of this program on current students by sharing, “We are directly addressing the financial challenges that many of our graduates face. This initiative ensures that our students can focus on their professional aspirations and personal growth without the burden of overwhelming debt.”
Many who decide to pursue education at JSU and remain there to teach in Mississippi will benefit from this program. According to Teaching Degrees, the average salary for public educators in MS is a little over 43K a year, meaning that most, if not all, students who decide to take advantage of this program will qualify. Due to the requirement of post-graduation income to be under $45,000.
In an economy that is battling the effects of growing inflation in conjunction with living expenses, black students who aspire to be educators in Mississippi can rest assured that their student loans will not have to be a burden or deterrent from them pursuing a career that they are passionate about because of the salary. Their state is working hard to support their efforts to pursue a career in education and ensure them that life beyond college does not have to be as stressful financially after graduation.
