Well folks, this post is kind of long, but here is the information about the A.P.L.E. grant. It is the Assumption Program of Loans for Education. It is our government’s way of giving back to those who labor so hard in a sometimes thankless job where the only rewards are the progress of the students. The website to find out more information about this excellent program is http://www.csac.ca.gov/doc.asp?id=111.
For Future Teachers K through 12
The APLE is a competitive teacher incentive program designed to encourage outstanding students, district interns, and out-of-state teachers to become California teachers in subject areas where a critical teacher shortage has been identified or in designated schools meeting specific criteria established by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
APLE applicants must agree to teach in one of the following teacher shortage areas:
- Mathematics (Grades 7 – 12)
- Science (Life/Physical)(Grades 7 – 12)
- Foreign Language
- Education Specialist Instruction (formerly Special Education)
- Reading and Language Arts
- English(Grades 7 – 12)
- Low-Income Area School
- School Serving Rural Area
- State Special School
- School with a High Percentage of Emergency Permit Teachers
- Low-Performing School
ELIGIBLE SCHOOLS
The 2005-2006 APLE eligible schools have been identified by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. This list may vary from prior year school listings. To locate an eligible school, you may click here.
Low-Performing –
Must be pursuing a muliple subject or single subject credential and agree to teach at a school ranked in the bottom 50th percentile of the Academic Performance Index (API) grades K-12.
APLE participants who agree to, and provide, the designated teaching service in the area of math, science, or education specialist instruction are eligible to receive an additional $1,000 per year in loan assumption benefits. Particpants meeting this requirement who provide teaching service in a California public school that is ranked in the lowest 20th percentile of the API are eligible to receive an additional $1,000 per year, making the total amount of loan assumption $19,000.
Designated Low Income –
Must be pursuing a multiple subject or single subject credential and agree to teach at a designated low-income school in grades K-12.
Schools with a High Percentage of Emergency Permit Teachers –
Must be pursuing a multiple subject or single subject credential and agree to teach at a school with a high percentage of emergency permit teachers in grades K-12.
Rural Schools –
Must be pursuing a multiple subject or single subject credential and agree to teach at a school serving rural areas in grades K-12.
DISBURSEMENT PAYMENTS TO LENDERS
The Commission may assume up to $19,000 in outstanding educational loan balances in return for four consecutive years teaching service.
* Up to $2,000 after completion of first full school year of eligible full-time teaching
* Up to $3,000 after completion of second full year of eligible full-time teaching
* Up to $3,000 after completion of third full school year of eligible full-time teaching
* Up to $3,000 after completion of fourth full school year of eligible full-time teaching
ELIGIBILITY
- Approved to receive or have received an educational loan(s)
- Not in default on any educational loans
- Agree to teach in a CA public school in one of the areas listed above for at least four years
The following are additional eligibility requirements for APLE only:
- Legal resident of CA
- Completed 60 semester units (90 quarter units)
- In a program leading to BA or in teacher prep program
Filed under: Financial stuff
Hello, my name is James Hightower. I am an APLE Grant recepient. I must say that the way I have been given the run around by the people in charge of running the program has been very stressful. Every time I try to contact someone, I always receive a busy signal. Up until this point, I have not been able to even get the necessary paperwork to turn into my bank to verify my employment and receive my money for teaching this past year. I just wish somebody would be truthful with me in regards to giving me the money that was promised when I signed up to work at an underperforming school. If that state is having porblems funding the program then they should let me know. I think it is very unfair for the state to leave me hanging stressing over how I am going to reapay my loan when I have kept up my part to the contract by working extremely hard at my school. This reflects wery poorly on the way the state of California runs its programs.
Sincerely,
James Hightower
I am an APLE grant recipient in name only. I have been teaching in low performing schools for 8 years and have been eligible for the grant for the past four years. Unfortunately, I have been given incredibly confusing information about payments that I was to have started receiving since I became eligible. Between APLE and Sallie Mae I have had one long ongoing headache trying to figure out why I don’t get paid. I keep being told “next month,” which never comes. I need help in tracing down the problem, but no one seems capable of unraveling this mess. I’m tempted to just apply at some high performing school and end this fiasco. Good luck in getting your payments if you “qualify.”
Hi all. Cool site Google
Thank.
I have been teaching for about 8 years at an underperforming school. I just heard about the APLE Grant. I received my credential in 2000. I was wondering if anyone knows if I can still apply for the APLE Grant? Or, did I find out about it too late? Also, I was wondering if anyone knew if there were any other grants I might be eligible for. tracyp71@verizon.net
Oh my gosh James , I know exactly what you mean. You call them and call them and you always get a busy signal on the other end. I just want to know what is going on so I can start making my repayment plans. Sigh.
[...] A.P.L.E. (up to $11,000 for General ed., up to $19,000 for Special [...]
I have been teaching at an underperforming school for the last four years and when I called they told me the school didn’t qualify but another teacher at the school got her Aple grant. This state is totally messed up.
I have similar woes. I received the first 2 years of my aple grant without a hitch. I have not received my 3rd and 4th consecutive payments. I turned in my paper work via fax and mail. I had mailed and faxed Sallie Mae the form that they were required to fill out and fax or mail to aple. This is where there is some major confusion… APLE says they never got Sallie Maes paper work that shows I am not in default… and Sallie Mae claims to have mailed and faxed their paper work to APLE… which is not showing up???? I have tried to correct and resend Sallie Maes paper work for over 2 years now. I am now into my 6th year of teaching and I am still owed the last two payments. No one ever returns my calls or emails ever!! This lack of organization does not reflect well of our state! I somehow managed to receive the Teacher Forgiveness Loan a month ago. Again, I am required to show no default on my repayment… I was approved for that but not for the APLE which I applied for and am still waiting for payment for 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 That is $6,000.00 dollars that my 1 hour 15 minute daily commute should be rewarded! Any help out there??? I give up!
I’m an APLE participant in name only as well. Does anyone know anyone who has received a payment in 2008? All my proper paperwork was in as of last spring but still no payment as of Dec. 3. Maybe they are delayed because of the budget crisis? Whose job is it to answer the phone down there?
Don’t feel bad, you are not alone in your woes with APLE. I have been in the program for several years now and its been one big headache every year. I have to call, call, call to get anything done. Last year they dropped me from the program because I had switched school two years before, even though I had gotten prior approval for switching and was still at a qualified school. It took months to get reinstated. I have been lucky enough to get three payments out of them, but it usually is 9-12 months after the school year is over before receiving payment. Again, I call and call and call. I fax them documents and then immediately call to see if they get them. I am curious to know whether the current budget crisis is going to delay the payments, I am still waiting to be paid for the 07-08 school year. Just keep trying, you’ll eventually get through. (though how are teachers supposed to call during the day???)
Hello,
I am on the phone, (on hold for 15 min. now), with the APLE people. I have been elgible for the APLE grant for 3 years now. I have yet to receive payment for the 05-06 school year. I call every month and am told that they are backed up on inputting the paperwork. I have sent everything in twice. Somehow, my friend received her first payment but I did not. Also, they’ve changed their fax and phone numbers so make sure that you have the updated numbers. For CA it’s 888-224-7268, option 3 and they can only be reached from the hours of 8-12 M-F. The Rancho Cordova fax number no longer exists. The new fax is 916-464-7977.
I actually got connected to a very helpful lady this time who is processing my first payment as I type. I also just found out that I am not eligible for payment in the year I received my credential. Apparently the clock starts ticking after the first full year of teaching with your credential. She is the first phone rep to tell me this in 2 years!) So hopefully I will be receiving 07-08′s payment in 4-6 weeks. I was also told that they have not processed the 07-08 payments yet. I hope this info helps someone. You’re not alone in your frustration!
Just a correction-I meant I will be receiving 06-07′s payment in 4-6 weeks.
My husband works in a low-income school and I have been hadling the APLE paperwork for him for the past 5 years. The APLE program has been the most frustrating program that I’ve ever worked with. I’ve had to send my paperwork in 4-6 times every year. We’ve been paid for the first 3 years after many many calls and long waits. We normally get paid in the late spring of the following year. The 2006-2007 shcolarships were scheduled to be paid in Oct. I tried calling them last month only to find out that they have cut their office hours to just a few hours a day. I was on hold for 20 minutes (while trying to handle my two babies) and then I got hung up on. I sent an e-mail (2 times!!) only to get an automated response that they are working hard and expected payments to go out in January. In the meanwhile his loans are collecting interest…and we know they aren’t going to pay that! It’s so frustrating, he has completed his side of the agreement and they just ignore us and our needs. We (and I know there are thousands of others in our same position) need to come together and go to our congressman because this is shockingly unacceptable.
To everyone who has commented, I am so sorry that this happened to you. I hope that this doesn’t happen to me. I will have to begin repaying my loans in a couple of months and am not looking forward to this run around. Thanks for the heads up.
Oh my Gosh. My husband has been a math teacher in a low performing school for the past 4 years and has also completed his end of the agreement. I have been on the phone with Aple for 20 minutes now and counting. My neck is hurting. Perhaps this is were the bailout money went.
Fall ’08 was supposed to be my first APLE payment year. I’m still waiting! As everyone else here has noted, getting through to anyone at CSAC is agonizing. It took me three months to finally get a live person, and all I needed to do was find out if they received my change of address request.
I’m so sorry that this happened to you and so many others. I hope this will be cleared up soon.
I was told today that payments will be going out in March for 07-08 school year. Let us hope that information is correct. The person I talked to was nice.
I hope they do indeed follow through.
I thought I was the only one. What a nightmare!! Where are these funds supposed to be coming from? Are they in danger of drying up before payout? If they are, it would be nice to know so we could make other arrangements. At 7% interest, these loans are the best money maker around (and every dollar I keep in savings makes about 2%). I could afford to pay for my credential program (barely) at the time I took my coursework, but took student loans because I qualified for APLE. Now the interest is mounting while I sit on my hands waiting for the state to pony up. My e-mail efforts end up in some sort of cyber-hell. I guess I could take a day off from teaching to wait on the phone all morning. The last time I did this I was told the information given to me the previous time was incorrect. I was told next month (February) in January. We’ll see if March is the magic month. If we all volunteered a 1/2 day’s work do you think we could sort it out for them?
Just called the Student Aid Commission to ask when the APLE payments would be sent or processed. Was told that they hope to begin processing in the next month or so… a continuing story. I asked when the payments would be sent out to lenders and was told that I might not be in the first round of payments sent out and should call back at the end of July to check on it.
So like the rest of the recipients, I am left waiting with the story changing monthly.
To anyone who is not receiving APLE payments they were told they would or is receiving the run-around – please contact me. APLE should not be making offers they can’t stand by – and should not continue the program if they don’t have the funds. Please email me at APLEaction@gmail.com if you have similar stories and want to join me in pursuing payments.
I just tried calling re the status of my APLE Grant for 2007-2008, and the paperwork for 2008-2009, and they no longer list option 3 (specialized student loans) when you call in. Does anyone know what is going on?
I called one day this week, Wednesday or Thursday, and was told they were having a meeting on Friday, June 5, 2009, about changes to the APLE. I am to call back on Monday for the result of the meeting….
I am so sorry that I don’t have more info for everyone. All I can say is keep trying to contact them. I hope it works!
Follow this link to an article dated June 10, 2009….
http://blogs.csun.edu/news/clips/2009/06/10/california-worries-about-fate-of-loan-repayment-aid-for-teachers/
I finished my 2nd year of teaching in June of 2007. I had to wait one year before the APLE payment was credited to my student loan balance of $15,000. In June of 2008, I finished my 3rd year of teaching, got all my paperwork the day after I was informed that it was required. Now, more than one year later, I am still waiting for APLE to make the payment. Like others posted here, I have tried communicating by email and phone and the answers that I have been getting have not turned out to be correct. It’s frustrating and it’s scary.
Fortunately, I’ve been enrolled in graduate classes more than half time and as a result, my payments on my loan are still deferred. If I had not been enrolled in classes, it’s possible that I might have had to pay off my loan and the promise of APLE payments would have been moot. It looks like this still could be true. I guess we’ll see.
NO PAYMENTS, CONSTANT RUN AROUND AND THE APLE PROGRAM IS STILL SOLICITING MORE PEOPLE INTO THEIR PROGRAM!
I thought I was alone in this as well. I will be starting my 5th year of teaching and I’ve only received 1 payment from APLE so far. I just received this initial payment only 5 months ago (despite numerous calls and emails). I guess I’ll just keep my fingers that I will eventually see the other payments or just pay off these loans myself.
My husband just started his 6th year of teaching. He is an APLE teacher (and has been since he started teaching). I have been managing the paperwork. What a hassle all around. He’s received payments for his first 3 years of teaching, but we are STILL WAITING for the APLE payment for the 07-08 school year. First the Student Aid Commission (CSAC) claims they don’t have the paperwork. So we re-sent it – TWICE. Then they had it for processing, but the department was backed up because of budget cuts and furloughs. FINALLY they issued payment, but the payment was a California Registered Warrant (aka an IOU from the State of California). Our lender is holding the warrant and will presumably redeem it come Sept. 4th, but in the mean time we are accruing interest on the higher loan balance until the lender gets the actual check (sometime around the 20th of September).
We put in the application for the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program (for 5 years service at a low income school) and will hopefully hear about that by December of this year. Between the 5K for fed program and the last 3K that the State owes us, we should just about have the loans paid off.
We have been counting on these programs to pay off the lion’s share of his student loan debt (16K of total 24K debt). The fact that these agencies take FOREVER to process their paperwork and issue payment is appalling. In the meantime, the borrowers are the ones holding the bag on the interest that is accruing on those larger balances.
They did it! They finally paid $5000 for 2007-08! Look for your payments!!
Has anyone recieved aple payments for the 2008 2009 school year?
WOw. I’m a college student going into a credential program and I was going to apply for the APLE, but after reading all these comments, I don’t think I’m even going to mess with it.
Boy, I thought I was alone. I received my first payment in May 2008 and they paid the correct amount since I am in Special Ed at a low performing school. I also received a payment just recently ( Aug 2009), but it seems like they just payed off one of the 4 little loans and this is not the entire amount that they owe me for one year. Is anybody else out there in the same boat? Has anybody ever received more than one payment in the same year (such as two smaller amounts which added up to the total owed to them for that year? Man, it is very frustrating to deal with these people. I have sent them several e mails and they never respond and I can never get a live person on the phone. Any helpful hints?
I was given the run around for four years straight. Received my preliminary in 2005 but I could not get ANYWHERE with them for years. I’d call call and call each time I went off track they would either not pick up, hang up on me, tell me there were no funds available, or tell me that I should be receiving something “soon”.
It is now 2009 and for the first time in years I was able to speak to Linda Brown, who runs the APLE program. Her number is 1 888 224 7268, extension #3. Her fax number is 1 916 464 7977. She told me to fax my credential in this morning, but I have been trying nonstop for two hours and the fax number is CONSTANTLY busy. I called back and verified that this indeed is the number. I can’t believe a fax machine would be receiving this much all the time… there must be a pile of paper where that machine feeds out to, and they must have a guy feeding it constantly.
In any case, here’s my advice to you people who are still in school, or finishing their preliminary credential, or about to finish their first year. 1) don’t count on APLE money. you might get it. you might not. 2) it is VERY important that you call and badger them constantly, don’t give up, for weeks or months after you get your preliminary, because the clock starts ticking and once your 4th year passes they don’t want to pay you anything anymore. For that reason, I don’t think I’m going to receive much if at all. You cannot give up. Call during lunch, conference, whenever. Those numbers I’ve given you are good, keep trying. 3) Follow up, even if they tell you that you don’t have to. Keep following up until they pay you.
It is really ridiculous, bordering on the edge of a scam, the way that the APLE program is being advertised. We go to school, make sacrifices in terms of career choice, then further sacrifices in terms of what schools we choose to work at, and then our supposed “incentive” turns out to be mainly dreams and fluff. I almost feel like I’m part of some huge pyramid scheme.
update: 10:51AM 10/20/2009
I finally got through to someone at APLE! I spent 3 hours trying to fax…(turns out fax machine is broken)… another two hours calling repeatedly (several times call dropped by host)…. and I got to talk to a lady named Patricia McCall. She was extremely helpful and friendly, acknowledging of APLE’s issues.
I got a whole bunch of paperwork sent to me, 4 megabytes of PDF in total. After 5 years, this will be the first time that I’m actually getting anywhere. I’m grateful, but I’ve learned to not hold my breath.
Keep trying – and soon, because from what I heard the funds will run out very soon again.
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If you got through to APLE on the phone, how? I tried calling and the extension that used to work doesn’t now, with no new phone number on the website.
My 07-08 APLE paper work JUST gave me the 3k forgiveness on Dec 12, 2009. There is HOPE!!!!
I’m sending out my 08-09 paperwork today (I held on to it, b/c I gave up on APLE) … now I’m scrambling to get my08-09 paperwork out.
WHOOO HOOOO finally!!!!!!!!!! A payment!!!!!!!!
According to a very pleasant person over the phone, my $4,000 payment was issued to SallieMae today. The news put me in such a good mood, however remain skeptical because for all I know the person was trying to get me off of the phone (it was 5:02pm and the offices now close at 4:55). I’m not holding my breath for the full $19,000 forgiveness, however I’m hoping that at least another payment will go through and lower the stress that I have to deal with on a day to day basis.
Not only am I @ a title 1, i’m @ a lowest 20% teaching science. Like everyone else, I’d love and deserve a big heart-felt ‘thank you’ from the state of California and the Govenator.
Jey, I am so happy that things worked out for you. I hope everyone will eventually have a happy ending like you.
Well… I am happy to say that I finally have received all past APLE payments for my 4 qualifying years of teaching service as of this month. I have one year left (this current school year). Yay!!! I couldn’t believe my ears when my lender said they had received all payments. I hope this is the result that many of you end up with as well. It’s been years of phone calls, run-around, and emails but it has finally paid off! Good luck to you all!
Does anyone know if my borrower for my student loan will break up my APLE Grant payment into the minimum payment so that I won’t need to make a payment for a while??
Hi Jen, it is one lump payment.
So .. I got my 07-08 payment in December. I called, and the rep shared that my 08-09 payment was paid Feb 26 and should show up in the end of April. And forms should be coming out at the end of May for this year’s service.
YEAHHH HOOOO!!!!!!!!
Hi Jen,
I have Citibank but I’m 99% sure the payment will be in one chunk of $3,000 or $4,000 depending on what you teach, where you teach, and what year you are in this wonderful process. You still have to make those minimum payments unless you defer or apply for a forebearance. Hope this helps.
The reason they make it such an arduous, seemingly impossible task is to DISCOURAGE AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE from persevering in an attempt to obtain the monies rightfully owed to them. DO NOT GIVE UP!!! THAT’S WHAT THEY WANT!!!
Just received an email that 2008-2009 payments were being sent to lenders… good news, but I’ll believe it when I see it in the account!
OK, the APLE monies have been applied to my federal loan balance! Unbelievable, but the 2008-2009 payment finally went through!
If anyone has an update phone number to get a hold of APLE at PLEASE post it here!!
Conveniently with the number 1 888 224 7268, extension #3
Your only options are extensions 1, 2, or 4… and of course if you press 0, the machine says, that is not a valid response.
I’ll do my best to find a valid number, but hopefully someone else can save me hours of searching
MG-
I never got an email for 2008-09 nor any money!
Have you been hounding the Commission?
Lucky you.
Got any tips for the rest of us?
Anyone get their 09-10 forms yet if so where are they on the website?
I haven’t seen 2009-10 forms either. I’m changing schools in 2 weeks and it would be nice to get them before then. This is my last year of eligibility…thank God!
09-10 Forms are on the website. Here is the link…http://www.csac.ca.gov/apledocs.asp Good Luck everyone….I too have been having much difficulty getting any $$ out of them that they promised…It’s amazing that this program is still promoted at schools. It is almost like a scam because I feel like I am held hostage due to the fact that they only will pay off my loan balance. If I work to pay down my loan I’m almost wasting my money if the CSAC ever does get around to paying me. If I wait in hopes that the CSCA will pay and pay the minimum on my loan I’m wasting my money by accruing interest. I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place. I wish they would just live up to their promises and stop their scam like practices.
Thanks for the post and the updated information on forms that Matt posted!
Hi, I am currently in my last semester of a credential program and was wondering when APLE was going to tell me that I was either accepted or not? does anyone have any idea on this because I called and of course there is an answering machine and I have been waiting 4 months for a response
I always seem to get a reply to my emails when I send them to Specialized Programs at SPECIALIZED@csac.ca.gov . The email I received a week ago requested the best time to call to let me know what happened. A bit ominous, I think, but I hope to find something out!
I am considering participating in the APLE program despite the horror stories I have heard. I would like to know if I can sign up for the Federal Teach grant as well as the APLE program and work them off simultaneously?
Thanks.
Matt