The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them except when the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

(1) “Award” means the Department’s decision to make a loan payment on an applicant’s behalf.

(2) “Department” means the Delaware Department of Education.

(3) “Educator” shall have the meaning set forth in § 1202 of this title. The definition of “educator” also includes teachers employed by the Delaware Division for the Visually Impaired who teach visually impaired students.

(4) “English learners” means students with limited English proficiency and who meet the definition of English learner as that term is defined by the Department rules and regulations.

(5) “High needs area” means:

a. Any certification field the Department has identified as being difficult to staff or of critical need, or

b. Any school either:

1. In the top quartile in 3 or more of the following:

A. Percentage of low-income students,

B. Percentage of English learners,

C. Percentage of students with disabilities, or

D. Percentage of minority students; or

2. Having 90% of its students classified as low-income, English learners, or minority.

c. Any facility operated by the Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families in which education programs are provided.

(6) “Loan payment” means a payment by the Department to a successful applicant’s lending agency to retire a portion of the applicant’s qualified educational loan.

(7) “Low-income students” means students within the statewide metric determined by the Department of Education utilizing direct certification for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

(8) "Minority students" means students who are members of a racial or ethnic group other than the racial or ethnic group that represents the majority of the State's population.

(9) “Program” means the High Needs Educator Student Loan Payment Program established in this chapter.

(10) “Qualified educational loan” means a government, commercial, or foundation loan for actual costs paid for tuition and reasonable educational expenses related to an educator’s undergraduate or graduate degree program.

(11) “School” means a Delaware public school, including a vocational-technical school and a charter school established pursuant to Chapter 5 of this title.

(12) “Secretary” means the Delaware Secretary of Education.

(13) “Students with disabilities” means students who because of mental, physical, emotional, developmental, speech or learning disability problems, as defined by the Department of Education rules and regulations, require special education and related services in order to develop their own capabilities.

81 Del. Laws, c. 426, § 1.