Scholarship focused on teacher shortage opens for applications

INDIANAPOLIS — Applications are now being accepted for a new college scholarship designed to encourage top high school students to stay and teach in Indiana.

The Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship provides up to $7,500 each year of college for students who commit to teaching in Indiana for five years after earning their degrees.

In April Gov. Mike Pence ceremonially signs legislation establishing a new scholarship for top high school students who commit to teaching in Indiana for five years. The Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship fund will provide up to $7,500 a year. Photo provided by the governor's office.

In April Gov. Mike Pence ceremonially signed legislation establishing a new scholarship for top high school students who commit to teaching in Indiana for five years. The Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship fund will provide up to $7,500 a year. Photo provided by the governor's office.

The scholarship, approved by the General Assembly earlier this year, received bipartisan support. During the legislative session, House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, described the scholarship as an effort to address a recent drop in the number of college graduates earning teacher licenses.

"We strongly believe that the most important factor in a child's education is a great teacher in the classroom," Bosma said in a statement. "This scholarship encourages our best and brightest to enter the teaching profession, which will strengthen Indiana's talent pipeline and improve the overall quality of education in our state."

Interested students must be nominated by a teacher or school administrator and submit an application by Dec. 31. To qualify students must either graduate in the top 20 percent of their class or receive a score in the top 20th percentile on their SAT or ACT exam.

Students currently enrolled in college are also eligible, but priority will be given to high school students.

After receiving the scholarship, students must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or higher and complete at least 30 credit hours per year. A single recipient cannot receive more than $30,000 total.

In the first year of the scholarship, up to 200 students will be selected to receive the funding based on academic achievement, teacher nomination and an interview process. Finalists will be selected by Jan. 31, 2017. Students awarded the scholarship will be notified by April 15, 2017.

Source: Scholarship focused on teacher shortage opens for applications