By KEN CARPENTER
Great Bend Post
People who have student loans to pay off and also live outside Barton County may want to move to the county thanks to a resolution passed on Tuesday by the Barton County Commission. The Kansas Department of Commerce has established a program to help individuals pay off their student loans if they are willing to move to a county with fewer than 40,000 residents. Barton County qualifies for that program.
In the resolution passed by the Commission, anyone wanting to take advantage of the program must find a sponsor to pay for half of the student loan debt. The State of Kansas will pay the other half. Sponsors include local businesses, non-profit organizations and government agencies.
Sue Cooper, the county's grant coordinator, explained some of the rules.
"It provides up to $15,000 in student loan repayment for over five years,” Cooper said. “They can begin receiving this benefit after they have established domicile in Barton County.”
Individuals can receive up to $1500 a year from a sponsor to repay student loans with the State of Kansas matching that amount. The program is designed to encourage more workers to move to rural areas.