NJ Updates: Events, Deadlines, Programs, Guidance, and More

Direct Care workers help older adults or individuals with disabilities to live healthy, active, and engaged lives in the community. From helping with personal, health, and home care to providing support with community activities, workers in these roles make a difference. Care New Jersey, a new website, can help you find jobs in the Direct Care field.

Interested in becoming a teacher but worried about the cost of living while making your way through school? In addition to other forms of financial aid available to college students, the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA, rhymes with "Lisa") recently began issuing $3,000 stipends to help make life more affordable for New Jersey college students currently completing their full-time clinical practice semester.

The Student-Teacher Stipend Pilot Program aims to make it easier for New Jerseyans to pursue a career as an educator by helping student-teachers with expenses such as housing, nutrition, health care, education, and more. Additional stipends will be issued for the Spring 2024 semester in the coming months.

More New Jersey teachers than ever before can now receive student loan relief under the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority's (HESAA) expanded New Jersey Teacher Loan Redemption Program. New Jersey residents teaching a pre-K through grade 12 class in either math, science, special education, world languages, English as a Second Language (ESL), or Career and Technical Education within an?eligible school may be eligible for up to $20,000 in student loan redemption.

Teachers who meet all applicable criteria and are approved for this program can receive up to $5,000 per year in redemption for up to four years total. This program aims to not only help fill gaps that exist in certain school communities, but also offer affordability to teachers by easing the burden of student loan debt.

The application period for this program closes February 1st, 2024.

College students who need assistance with housing, food, transportation, childcare, and other matters can now visit BasicNeeds.NJ.gov to get centralized information, including eligibility requirements and application processes for seeking State assistance.

NJ TRANSIT is offering a number of regional travel deals to help New Jerseyans visit family and friends during the holiday season. A special family SuperSaver fare runs throughout December, allowing up to two children aged 11 and younger to travel free with each fare-paying adult.

Download the NJ TRANSIT app to buy tickets and gain exclusive access to holiday promo codes. Single-use codes include buy-one-get-one deals and deep discounts to Philadelphia and Atlantic City.

Riders can purchase and print full-fare NJ TRANSIT tickets from home at njtransit.com/webtickets or purchase tickets at a station kiosk. Full details on all promotions and holiday travel destinations are available at njtransit.com/holiday.

Cold and flu season is upon us. New Jerseyans are encouraged to take precautions to keep themselves and their loved ones healthy.

Basic strategies to prevent the spread of viruses include staying up to date on your vaccinations, washing your hands often, coughing or sneezing into your elbow, and staying home if you're feeling or are sick.

Check with your health care provider to learn how best to protect yourself and your family from the flu, COVID-19, and RSV, especially if you have a weakened immune system.

Find locations offering COVID-19 vaccines on vaccines.gov. Visit NJ.gov/health/vaccines for more information.?Free COVID-19 test kits are available from the federal government.