2016 Minnesota Statutes

136A.1275 GRANTS TO STUDENT TEACHERS IN SHORTAGE AREAS.

Subdivision 1.Establishment.

The commissioner of the Office of Higher Education must establish a grant program for student teaching stipends for low-income students enrolled in a Board of Teaching-approved teacher preparation program who are interested in teaching in a high needs subject area or region after graduating and receiving their teaching license. For purposes of this section, "high needs subject area or region" means a shortage of teachers teaching in particular subject areas or a shortage of teachers teaching in particular regions of the state identified in the commissioner of education's biennial survey of districts under section 127A.05, subdivision 6, or in another Department of Education survey on teacher shortages.

Subd. 2.Eligibility.

To be eligible for a grant under this section, a teacher candidate must:

(1) be enrolled in a Board of Teaching-approved teacher preparation program that requires at least 12 weeks of student teaching and results in the teacher candidate receiving a full professional teaching license enabling the licensee to teach in a high needs subject area or region; and

(2) demonstrate financial need based on criteria established by the commissioner under subdivision 3.

Subd. 3.Administration; repayment.

(a) The commissioner must establish an application process and other guidelines for implementing this program.

(b) The commissioner must determine each academic year the stipend amount based on the amount of available funding and the number of eligible applicants.

History:

2016 c 189 art 25 s 59