High school and college students interested in teaching as a profession are encouraged to apply for the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship through Jan. 31.

Created by the Indiana General Assembly, the renewable scholarship awards recipients up to $10,000 for a maximum of four academic years totaling $40,000.

This is a $3,500 increase from previous years after lawmakers allocated $24 million in the new 2024-25 state budget to better support future teachers’ career success through the scholarship.

In return for the scholarship, students must agree to teach for five years at an eligible Indiana school or repay the corresponding, prorated amount of the scholarship.

Program requirements:

• Must be an Indiana resident
• Must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
• Must be a current high school senior or college student in Indiana
• Must have graduated or will graduate from an Indiana accredited high school or non-accredited, non-public high school
• Must be able to utilize the scholarship for at least two full academic years
• Must meet one of the three Academic Requirements

• Rank in the top 20% of high school graduating class
• Have a top 20% ACT or SAT score
• Have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale

• Must currently attend or plan to attend an eligible Indiana institution as a full-time student
• Must pursue or intend to pursue a course of study that would enable the student to teach at an eligible Indiana school after college graduation
• Must obtain a license to teach in Indiana and serve as a teacher in an eligible Indiana school for five years after college graduation
• Must maintain a 3.0/4.0 GPA, complete 30 credit hours per year or their equivalent and meet all other requirements established by their program to renew the scholarship
• Must file a free application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year
• Must not be in overpayment or default on a federal student loan or grant
• Must complete the service requirement or have all funds provided converted to a loan that must be repaid.

The 2024-25 application is available in ScholarTrack (scholartrack.che.in.gov/) until Jan. 31, 2024.

After the Jan. 31 deadline passes, the Commission will review all applications and notify all applications of their scholarship status via email by April 2024.

For more information, send emails to NextTeacher@che.in.gov

Get the most recent Shelby County Post headlines delivered to your email. Go to shelbycountypost.com and click on the free daily email signup link at the top of the page.