Recruitment & Special Programs > Jose P. Loan Forgiveness Program For New OTs and PTs

Jose P. Loan Forgiveness Program For New Occupational Therapists and Physical Therapists

 

The Jose P. Loan Forgiveness Program offers tax-free student loan repayment grants of up to $24,000 for newly hired New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) educators in certain therapist roles. To participate, individuals must commit to serving in an approved NYCPS district for up to six consecutive years.

This program supports staffing in critical shortage disciplines within NYC public schools, specifically:

• Occupational Therapist
• Physical Therapist

Approved loan sources for the program include:

• Perkins Loan Program (formerly National Direct Student Loan)
• Stafford Student Loan Programs (including Guaranteed Student Loans, Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans)
• Supplemental Loans for Students (Auxiliary Loans to Assist Students)
• Health Professions Student Loans / Nursing Student Loans
• Health Education Assistance Loans (HEAL Program)
• Bank Loans for Educational Purposes (must be specifically for educational expenses)
• Other federal government student loans

Eligible applicants must:

• Hold a valid New York State license to practice in one of the listed shortage areas.
  
• Have a full-time placement at an eligible New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) site within the relevant title.
  
• Provide proof of U.S. citizenship or permanent residency (note: driver’s licenses and social security cards are not accepted).
  
• Hold an active NYCPS payroll line by November 15 of the current fall deadline.
  

Preliminary eligibility is determined soon after the required documents are submitted to the Office of Scholarships, Incentives, and Pupil Personnel Services. Final eligibility is confirmed at the close of each school year.

DISTRICT RESTRICTIONS:

Occupational Therapists and Physical Therapists must be employed in a New York City public school within one of the following districts:

• Bronx: Borough-wide (Districts 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12)
  
• Brooklyn: Districts 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 23, and 32
  
• District 75: Locations in the Bronx and Brooklyn only
  

Pre-K Centers: All eligible titles may work in pre-K centers across the approved districts and boroughs.

Note: The list of eligible districts is reviewed annually and may change for new applicants, as determined by the New York City Public Schools. If you have already been accepted into the program, the district criteria in place at the time of your acceptance will remain valid for your participation. Changes to eligible districts do not apply retroactively; they cannot make ineligible those who have already been accepted, nor can they make newly eligible someone who did not qualify under the criteria for prior years.

ADDITIONAL APPLICATION RESTRICTIONS:

• Awardees may not have previously participated in, or received benefits from, any other incentive program administered by New York City Public Schools (NYCPS). This includes but is not limited to: Psychology in Training (PIT) Program, Teachers of Tomorrow, Intensive Teacher Institute in Bilingual Special Education (ITI-BSE), New York City Teaching Fellows, Teach for America, I-Start, New Visions Urban Teacher Residency Program, Success Via Apprenticeship, Math for America, and the Jose P. Graduate Scholarship Program.
• Former NYCPS employees who previously worked in an eligible title may not apply to this program. However, prior service in an unrelated position—such as paraprofessional or substitute teacher—does not affect eligibility.
• Applications must be submitted during an individual’s first full Fall semester of employment, with a deadline of November 15. Employees hired after November 15 may apply during the following Fall semester.

SERVICE AGREEMENT and COMMITMENT:

To remain eligible each year, participants must:

• Complete a full year of satisfactory service in an authorized shortage area position at New York City Public Schools (NYCPS), within approved districts according to their job title, for up to six (6) consecutive years.
  
• Remain within eligible districts, as outlined for each position, if transferring to a different school.
  
• Receive a satisfactory performance review each year.
  

Participants may take up to six (6) weeks of break in service per school year, excluding vacation or sick days. This allowance is consistent with the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) Paid Parental Leave policy. Breaks in service exceeding six weeks result in forfeiture of the grant for that year. That year counts toward the six-year program limit, and participants continue to be eligible in subsequent years.

If a participant leaves NYCPS employment during a school year, they are immediately removed from the program and forfeit the grant for that year. However, if a participant leaves the NYCPS between school years but has completed the previous year in full, they remain eligible to receive the grant for that completed year, as awards are disbursed annually based on satisfactory, completed service.

The annual grant amount is determined at initial acceptance, based upon the amount of eligible student loan debt documented through application materials. The total eligible loan balance is divided evenly over six years, with no annual grant exceeding $4,000 and a total program maximum of $24,000. This grant amount is disbursed to participants as a physical, tax-free check. It is the responsibility of all participants to utilize this grant award for student loan repayments.

APPLICATIONS:

To apply for the Jose P. Loan Forgiveness Program for New Teachers and Clinicians, you must submit the online application and upload the following required documents before the deadline:

•  Proof of your New York State license issued in the applicable shortage area (screenshots or PDFs acceptable)
• Academic transcript(s) (unofficial copies accepted)
• Proof of U.S. citizenship or permanent residency (only copies of your passport, birth certificate, or naturalization papers are acceptable)
• Proof of outstanding student loan balances (screenshots or PDFs must clearly display your name, loan provider, and total balance)

Note: Applications must be completed online through the Teachers Support Network (TSN) portal. Physical mail submissions are not accepted.

For questions about the application process, contact loanforgiveness@schools.nyc.gov or call (718) 935-2449 during standard business hours. Program implementation is subject to annual funding availability and the staffing needs of New York City Public Schools. We look forward to receiving your application and questions!

INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED!

 

It is the policy of the NYC Public Schools of the City of New York to provide educational and employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, creed, ethnicity, national origin, alienage, citizenship status, age, marital status, partnership status, disability, sexual orientation, gender (sex), military status, prior record of arrest or conviction (except as permitted by law), predisposing genetic characteristics, or status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual offenses and stalking, and to maintain an environment free of harassment on any of the above-noted grounds, including sexual harassment or retaliation.  Inquiries regarding compliance with this equal opportunity policy may be directed to: Office of Equal Opportunity, 65 Court Street, Room 923, Brooklyn, New York 11201, or visit the OEO website at http://schools.nyc.gov/OEO.