Prospective Teacher Scholar Program

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.