BISMARCK, N.D. - Applications for a teacher incentive program aimed at retaining elementary and secondary teachers will be accepted by the North Dakota University System Office beginning April 1, 2007. The application deadline is June 30.

The Teacher Shortage Loan Forgiveness Program will reduce student loan indebtedness by $1,000 per year up to a maximum of three years for teachers who work at a grade level or in a content area identified as a teacher shortage area by the Department of Public Instruction. The 18 defined shortage areas for academic year 2006 - 07 are: (1) art (2) business and office technology/business education (3) career education (4) diversified occupations (5) driver and traffic safety education (6) English language arts/English as a second language (7) family and consumer sciences (8) health careers (9) information technology (10) languages/Native American languages (11) marketing education (12) mathematics (13) music (14) science (15) social studies (16) special education programming (17) technology education - industrial arts and (18) trade and industrial education.