4. There is established the Social Services Student Loan Redemption Program within the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority.
The purpose of the program is to address the current and projected critical shortage of direct care professionals in the State by providing an incentive for persons to engage in employment at certain public facilities, and nonprofit social services agencies under contract with the Department of Human Services or the Youth Justice Commission, so as to ensure that State residents who are in need of direct care services at these facilities and agencies have sufficient, qualified professional staff in order to provide the needed services.
The program shall provide loan redemption to finance the undergraduate or graduate study of program participants in exchange for full-time employment as a direct care professional at a qualified facility following completion of an approved course of study.