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Read. Follow. Verify.Alabama renames teacher loan program to LASEA, provides up to $7,500 annually for educators in shortage fields
Last action · March 31, 2026: EnactedSponsor: Terri Collins
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What This Bill Does
Alabama enacts HB 124, renaming the Alabama Math and Science Teacher Education Program (AMSTEP) to the Loan Assistance in Support of Educators in Alabama (LASEA) Program, effective August 1, 2026. The legislation provides base loan assistance of $7,500 per year or $3,750 per semester, and supplemental assistance of $3,000 per year or $1,500 per semester for educators working in acute shortage locations for up to four consecutive years.
Qualifying K-12 educators teaching math, science, or computer science in designated shortage areas receive direct federal student loan repayments of up to $10,500 annually for a maximum of four years, funded through state appropriations administered by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education.
- The Alabama Commission on Higher Education coordinates higher education policy and administers student financial aid programs across the state. context
- Acute teacher shortages in STEM disciplines have prompted various legislative initiatives in southern states to recruit and retain qualified educators. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Certified educators in math, science, and computer science
Eligible educators receive direct loan repayment assistance of $7,500 annually, with additional supplemental support if employed in shortage locations.
Public K-12 school systems and charter schools
Schools must provide employment documentation for participating educators and are impacted by teacher recruitment and retention incentives.
Alabama Commission on Higher Education
The commission administers the loan repayment program, establishes continuing eligibility criteria, and develops accountability and evaluation plans.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum amount an eligible teacher can receive through the LASEA program?
Are charter school teachers eligible for the LASEA program?
How are loan repayment funds disbursed to recipients?
What happens if a recipient moves from an acute shortage school to a regular school?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Became law.
Procedural history
17 actions- Mar 31, 2026HouseEnrolledEnacted
- Mar 11, 2026HouseEnrolledDelivered to Governor
- Mar 11, 2026SenateSignature Requested
- Mar 10, 2026HouseEnrolled
- Mar 10, 2026HouseReady to Enroll
- Mar 10, 2026SenateFloorMotion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 790
Show 11 earlier actions
- Mar 10, 2026SenateThird Reading in Second House
- Feb 25, 2026SenateRead for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
- Feb 25, 2026SenateCommitteeReported Out of Committee Second House
- Jan 15, 2026SenateCommitteePending Committee Action in Second House
- Jan 15, 2026SenateIntroducedRead for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Finance and Taxation Education
- Jan 15, 2026HouseFloorMotion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 11
- Jan 15, 2026HouseThird Reading in House of Origin
- Jan 14, 2026HouseRead for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
- Jan 14, 2026HouseCommitteeReported Out of Committee House of Origin
- Jan 13, 2026HouseCommitteePending Committee Action in House of Origin
- Jan 13, 2026HouseIntroducedRead for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Education Policy
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Program Modernization and Expansion
The legislation formally renames AMSTEP to LASEA, broadening its scope from math and science to include computer science and acute shortage fields, while repealing alternative certification reimbursement rules.
Connected Entities
Sources
alison.legislature.state.al.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
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