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Counties join Rural Opportunity Zones
Published 7/11/2011 in Local News
The southwest Kansas counties of Hamilton, Kearny, Wichita and Stanton are among 10 that recently joined the state Rural Opportunity Zones program allowing forgiveness of part of residents' college student loans.
Counties in the program partner with the state under legislation proposed by Gov. Sam Brownback and approved by the legislature this year to pay up to $3,000 a year for five years on individual student loans. It is part of the governor's efforts to provide incentives for people to move into rural areas that have seen significant population declines.
Other counties that have just become part of the student loan forgiveness plan are Barber, Graham, Mitchell, Morton, Ness and Trego.
Greeley County in southwest Kansas already was part of the project as were the counties of Hodgeman, Kingman, Lane, Pratt, Rooks, Russell, Scott, Wallace and Woodson.
Individuals who move to one of the Rural Opportunity Zone counties can qualify to have 20 percent of their student loans repaid (up to $3,000 per year for up to five years) by the county and state, if the individuals graduated from an accredited post-secondary institution.
The formal application form for the student loan repayment program is available online at KansasCommerce.com/RuralOpportunityZones.
The Rural Opportunity Zone program also provides a state income tax exemption for up to five years to individuals who relocate to a participating Kansas county from out of state.
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