teachers and improving student achievement, more than any other factor. (5) Research suggests that incurring postsecondary education debt can decrease the likelihood that high-achieving students, lower-income students, and students of color choose to work in lower-wage professions in general, especially in the education system. Therefore, loan forgiveness and service scholarships for teachers may be especially effective for recruiting teachers and school leaders from diverse, lower-income backgrounds. (6) According to the Learning Policy Institute, teacher loan forgiveness and service scholarship programs can be successful in both recruiting and retaining teachers. To be effective, these programs should provide a financial benefit that meaningfully offsets the cost of a teacher’s professional preparation. This includes covering licensing and certification costs. (7) A 2015 Government Accountability Office study of Federal grant and loan forgiveness programs for teachers found that the structure of these programs matters. Further research shows effective loan forgiveness and service scholarship programs follow 5 design principles. These programs— (A) cover all or a large percentage of tuition