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1999 SESSION

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HB 2607 Teaching Scholarship Loan Program.

Introduced by: Mary T. Christian | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles

SUMMARY AS PASSED: (all summaries)

Virginia Teaching Scholarship Loan Program. Codifies the Virginia Teaching Scholarship Loan Program, provides three components of the program, and sets out the criteria for such awards. The components of the program include awards to (i) students pursuing teaching degrees in critical teacher shortage areas; (ii) paraprofessionals to assist them in becoming fully licensed teachers; and (iii) at-risk students for the purpose of increasing diversity among teachers and providing incentives for such students to pursue careers in teaching, as provided in the Diversity in Teaching Program. The Board of Education is required to establish criteria for determining, biennially, critical teacher shortage area and for defining “high concentrations” of at-risk students. The Board is also required to consult with the State Council of Higher Education in developing and implementing the program. Recipients of the awards must be undergraduate students in the junior or senior year of college enrolled full-time in an accredited public or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth, maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.7 on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent, and be nominated for the scholarship by the institution in which they are enrolled. However, paraprofessionals may be enrolled part-time or full-time at an accredited public or private college or university in Virginia. Students may repay the loans by teaching in a critical teacher shortage area, or in a school division with high concentrations of at-risk students, or at grade levels or in a geographical region of the Commonwealth in which at-risk students are under-represented. In addition, a special nonreverting fund, known as the Diversity in Teaching Fund, is established on the books of the Comptroller to receive such funds as may be appropriated, and any donations, gifts, grants, and bequests as may be received by the Board of Education on behalf of the Diversity in Teaching Program. Further, funds appropriated to the Minorities in Teaching Program shall be deemed to be appropriated to the Diversity in Teaching Program and must be used solely for this purpose. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Access and Diversity in Higher Education.


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