COLUMBIA, S.C. — A new study shows more South Carolina teachers are choosing to pay off their student loans and leave the profession, raising concerns about the state’s ability to keep educators in classrooms.

A subcommittee of the Education Oversight Committee met Monday to review the results of the study, which examined the South Carolina Teacher Loan Program. It's designed to get more teachers in the field and ease the financial burden, by paying for future teachers to earn their education degrees through forgivable loans. Borrowers can have their loans forgiven if they teach in a critical needs area.

But instead of staying in the classroom, more participants are opting to repay their loans early. That trend has left the program with a $23 million surplus. It's triple the amount it

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