The
UNC Policy Manual
800.4.1
The University of North Carolina has been directed to establish a
pilot program at three of the Focused Growth campuses to recruit new
nonresident students to pursue a full-time course of study that will lead to
teacher certification in North Carolina and to employment teaching in a North
Carolina public school (or school operated by the United States government in
North Carolina). Pursuant to Senate Bill
1115, Section 9.9 (2001), the UNC Board of Governors is required to report
guidelines and regulations for these pilot programs to the Joint Legislative
Education Oversight Committee by November 15, 2002, and then report annually to
the Committee on the progress of the pilot programs and their costs.
The
following policies are to be used for implementation of the Prospective Teacher
Scholar programs at Elizabeth City State University, the University of North
Carolina at Pembroke, and Western Carolina University.
1.
The Prospective Teacher Scholar funds are to be used for
non-resident students who make a commitment to pursue a degree in teacher
education at one of the three constituent institutions, ECSU, UNCP, or WCU.
2.
The Prospective Teacher Scholar program is a scholarship-loan
program. Scholarship funds will be used
to pay the difference between the cost of resident tuition and fees and
non-resident tuition and fees. For each
year the student receives the scholarship-loan, the student must teach full-time
for an academic year in a North Carolina (K-12) public school
or a school operated by the United States Government in North Carolina. The student will have a maximum of seven (7)
years or two years time for each year of the
scholarship (whichever is less) from the date of graduation to fulfill the
payback agreement by teaching in a North Carolina public school.
a. Eligibility
to participate in the Prospective Teacher Scholar program is limited to
non-resident students who enter as a new freshman or as an undergraduate
transfer student, and will be enrolled full-time each
fall and spring semester, and make satisfactory progress toward a teaching
degree.
b. The
student must maintain a satisfactory GPA and be in good standing with the
university each year of study.
c. The
student must meet the criteria and be admitted to the Teacher Education program
by the beginning of the Junior year.
d. The student must graduate and be
eligible for a license to teach in a North Carolina public school within six
months after graduation.
3.
Students participating in the Prospective Teacher Scholar program
will not be included in the campus’ cap of 18% freshmen non-resident students.
4.
Any Prospective Teacher Scholar student who chooses to attend
summer school classes will be eligible for the in-state resident rate for
tuition and fees.
5.
Each recipient of a Prospective Teacher Scholar scholarship-loan
is required to sign a promissory note, along with a surety, agreeing that if
the student does not fulfill the payback requirement to teach in a North
Carolina public school (as described in #2), the student will be required to
repay the campus the differential between the resident and non-resident tuition
and fees for each year they do not fulfill the payback requirement. The student will also be required to pay the
campus the cost as identified above plus 10% interest on the identified amount
which begins to accrue from the date of graduation or the date the student
transfers to another institution or the date the student is no longer enrolled
full-time and full-term, whichever is earliest.
6.
Any Prospective Teacher Scholar recipient who does not complete
the teacher education program or who terminates the degree program will be
subject to the repayment of the scholarship as described in item #6.
7.
Awards may begin as early as the spring 2003 semester for new
freshmen or new transfer students.
Currently enrolled students are not eligible to participate in the
Prospective Teacher Scholar program.
8.
Students selected as Prospective Teacher Scholar recipients will
be eligible for consideration for additional merit awards and non-state funded
need-based financial aid.
9.
The Prospective Teacher Scholar scholarship-loan must be
considered as part of the student’s financial aid package. When the total financial aid award exceeds
financial need, the scholarship may not be reduced to prevent an over-award.
10.
The campus shall forgive the repayment if it finds that it is
impossible for a person to comply with the requirements of item #2 or item #6
because of the person’s death or permanent disability. The campus may forgive the repayment if the
President finds that a person could not comply with the requirements of item #2
or item #6 for extraordinary circumstances not within the person’s control.