A scholarship program for prospective teachers that lawmakers hoped would stem the state’s teacher shortage has so far filled only half of its available spots.
Up to 200 high-achieving high school seniors could receive $7,500 for college tuition each year in exchange for a promise to teach in Indiana for five years after graduation. But with less than a month to go before the application period closes on Dec. 31, just 103 students have applied.
Of those, only seven are from Marion County, and none of the applicants are graduates of Indianapolis Public Schools.
“We expect to see a big surge at the end,” said Stephanie Wilson, a spokeswoman for the Commission for Higher Education, the state agency that administers the program. “But we’re understandably digging into the applications a bit to see who’s applying.”
The scholarship program — called the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship — was approved by the state legislature last spring in response to news that the number of educators applying for state teaching licenses had dropped, along with enrollment in teachers colleges.
That has led to a teaching shortage in some districts, especially urban and rural districts with high numbers of low-income kids. Many schools also report shortages in certain subjects like science and special education.
Lawmakers, who set aside $10.5 million for the new scholarships, hoped that the program would make a bigger splash.
Before the application window opened for the first time last month, the Commission ran ads on television and radio in hopes of attracting a large group of future teachers.
Wilson says the higher education commission is working to continue to spread the word before the application deadline, but schools and districts can also play a big role in notifying their students. She said people probably might just be waiting until the last minute, but she also knows schools and districts are busy, and the program could be getting lost in the shuffle.
“In some districts we’ve seen some leadership where superintendents are actually calling principals to say ‘Hey, identify at least one student in your building who would be a good candidate for this,’” Wilson said. “I think that makes a big difference. (Principals) get lots of emails from lots of government agencies. It’s just a matter of breaking through the constant bombardment that they get.”
To qualify for the scholarship, students must either graduate in the top 20 percent of their senior class or earn a score in the top 20th percentile on the SAT or ACT. If they earn a 3.0 GPA and complete 30 class credit hours per year, they can continue to receive the scholarship. Once they graduate, students will have to get their teaching license.
Students who are interested in applying must be nominated by a teacher and then submit the nomination form to the Commission. Those who will be considered for a scholarship spot will then take part in interviews with local community, business and education leaders from across the state.
For more information about the scholarship program, check out the Commission for Higher Education’s website.