Assumption Program of Loans for Education (APLE)

The Assumption Program of Loans for Education (APLE) offers significant loan forgiveness for students who plan to become teachers in California.

11/12 APLE applications are now available. The priority filing date was November 1, 2011, however, the California Student Aid Commission is still accepting applications until all allocations have been filled. See below for How to Apply.

Info for 10/11 and previous APLE applicants

Students who have previously applied for APLE should contact the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) to check on the status of their application.  The CSAC APLE office can be reached toll-free at 1-888-224-7268, option 3.  Customer service hours for APLE requests are from 1:00 p.m. to 4:55 p.m.  Please be aware that CSAC is backlogged in processing applications due to shortage of staff.

Purpose of APLE

APLE is an incentive program designed to provide a financial reward for future teachers in the form of student loan reduction. The APLE program will assume federal educational loans (Stafford and Perkins) that were incurred to meet the costs associated with obtaining a baccalaureate degree or an initial teaching credential.

State-funded through the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC), APLE is also intended to meet California's K-12 teaching needs by encouraging outstanding California undergraduates and credential students to become teachers in critical "teacher-shortage" fields and high-need schools. Current teacher shortage fields that qualify for APLE are agriculture, business, mathematics/computer education, science (life/physical), special education, industrial arts and foreign language. High-need schools that qualify include low-performing schools, schools serving rural areas, state special schools, schools with a high percentage of emergency permit teachers, and low-income schools.

Benefits of APLE

Basic Plan: CSAC may assume up to $11,000 in educational loans in return for four years of full-time or part-time teaching.

Additional Benefit: For teaching in the area of mathematics, science, or education specialist instruction, APLE participants may receive both the basic $11,000 and up to $1,000 after each qualifying year of teaching service in a low-performing school in the lowest 60th percentile of the state's API. You may receive an additional $1,000 benefit after each qualifying year of teaching in a low-performing school in the lowest 20th percentile of the API, resulting in a maximum of $19,000 in loan forgiveness benefits.

How to Apply

Students who have taken a federal educational loan and plan to teach in a shortage field and/or a school that meets the state's high-need criteria, are encouraged to apply. In addition to agreeing to the service requirements, applicants must satisfy the following criteria to qualify for the APLE loan forgiveness program:

• Complete a minimum of 60 semester, or 90 quarter, undergraduate units
• Be enrolled in either a program leading to a BA or a California teaching credential
• Be approved to receive or have received an educational loan
• Not be in default on any educational loan

For application, access the California Student Aid Commission APLE site. Download, print, and complete the application and return to the CSU, Chico APLE Coordinator:

Mason White
Financial Aid and Scholarship Office
California State University, Chico
Chico, CA 95929–0705
mmwhite@csuchico.edu

For additional information, including APLE's most frequently asked questions and eligible APLE teaching schools, visit the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) or contact the CSAC Specialized Programs office toll-free at 1-888-224-7268, option 3 or specialized@csac.ca.gov.

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