Loan forgiveness for service in areas of national need

The Secretary shall forgive, in accordance with this section, the qualified loan amount described in subsection (c) of the student loan obligation of a borrower who— To provide loan forgiveness under paragraph (1), the Secretary is authorized to carry out a program— The Secretary is authorized to issue such regulations as may be necessary to carry out this section. For purposes of this section, an individual is employed in an area of national need if the individual meets the requirements of one of the following: The individual is employed full-time as an early childhood educator. The individual is employed full-time— The individual— is employed full-time— The individual is employed full-time as a librarian in— The individual— is employed full-time— The individual— The individual— The individual— is employed full-time as a school counselor who has documented competence in counseling children and adolescents in a school setting and who— The individual is employed full-time in— The individual— The individual— has been accepted to, or currently participates in, a full-time graduate medical education training program or fellowship (or both) to provide health care services (as recognized by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education) that— The individual— The individual— The individual is employed full-time in applied sciences, technology, engineering, or mathematics. The individual— The individual is employed full-time as a school superintendent, principal, or other administrator in a local educational agency, including in an educational service agency, in which 30 percent or more of the schools are schools that qualify under section 1087ee(a)(2)(A) of this title for loan cancellation for Perkins loan recipients who teach in such a school. The individual is an occupational therapist and is employed full-time providing occupational therapy services to children, adolescents, or veterans. The individual is employed full-time as an allied health professional— Subject to paragraph (2), for each school, academic, or calendar year of full-time employment in an area of national need described in subsection (b) that a borrower completes on or after August 14, 2008, the Secretary shall forgive not more than $2,000 of the student loan obligation of the borrower that is outstanding after the completion of each such school, academic, or calendar year of employment, respectively. The Secretary shall not forgive more than $10,000 in the aggregate for any borrower under this section, and no borrower shall receive loan forgiveness under this section for more than five years of service. The Secretary shall grant loan forgiveness under this section on a first-come, first-served basis, and subject to the availability of appropriations. Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the refunding of any repayment of a loan. No borrower may, for the same service, receive a reduction of loan obligations under both this section and section 1078–10, 1078–12, 1087e(m), or 1087j of this title. In this section: The term “allied health professional” means an allied health professional as defined in section 295p(5) of title 42 who— The term “audiologist” means an individual who— The term “early childhood educator” means an individual who— The term “eligible preschool program” means a program that— is operated by— The term “eligible early childhood education program” means— a family child care program, center-based child care program, State prekindergarten program, school program, or other out-of-home early childhood development care program, that— The term “low-income community” means a school attendance area (as defined in section 6313(a)(2)(A) of this title)— The term “nurse” means a nurse who meets all of the following: The nurse graduated from— The nurse holds one or more of the following: The term “occupational therapist” means an individual who— The term “physical therapist” means an individual who— The term “speech-language pathologist” means a speech-language pathologist who— There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2009 and each of the five succeeding fiscal years to provide loan forgiveness in accordance with this section.