Submission deadline: Monday, August 3, 2020
Calling all students in Education! The Virginia Teaching Scholarship Loan Program (VTSLP) is offering financial support to students who are preparing to teach in one of Virginia’s critical shortage teaching areas.
The critical shortage teaching areas are determined annually through the Supply and Demand Survey for School Personnel, based on data received by school divisions in Virginia. Shortages in specific subject areas are derived from the top 10 academic disciplines identified by the survey as shortage fields. Scholarship recipients may fulfill the teaching obligation by accepting a teaching position and teaching for at least two years in a school division where 50 percent or more of the students are eligible for free and reduced-price lunch.
AMOUNT OF SCHOLARSHIP LOANS
Subject to available funding, Scholarship amounts will be based on $10,000 per academic year for full-time students and shall be prorated for part-time students based on the number of credit hours.
2020-2021 ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
- Enrolled full-time or part-time in an approved (undergraduate or graduate level) teacher education program.
- Maintained a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent.
- Nominated for such scholarship by the institution where they are enrolled.
- Be a resident in the Commonwealth of Virginia with plans to teach in the Commonwealth.
In addition, the candidates must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- be enrolled in a program leading to an endorsement in a critical shortage area as established by the Board of Education:
- Special Education
- Elementary Education PreK-6
- Middle Grades 6-12 (including Algebra I)
- Mathematics Grades 6-12 (including Algebra I)
- Career and Technical Education
- Science (Secondary)
- Foreign Language PreK-12 English (Secondary)
- Library Media PreK-12
- History and Social Science (Secondary)
- English (Secondary)
- be a minority teacher candidate enrolled in any teacher endorsement area.
Teacher candidates who previously received funding through the Virginia Teaching Scholarship Loan Program are not eligible.
Recipients of VTSLP are expected to teach in the public schools of the Commonwealth in the first full academic year after becoming eligible for a renewable teaching license and shall fulfill the teaching obligation in accordance with the Promissory Note by teaching full-time under contract continuously in Virginia for at least two years in a school division
- in one of the critical teacher shortage disciplines as established by the Board of Education; or
- in a Virginia public school with 50 percent or more of the students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch; or
- in a school division designated critical shortage subject area, as defined in the Board of Education’s Regulations Governing the Determination of Critical Teacher Shortage Areas.
Scholarship recipients who only complete one year of the teaching obligation shall be forgiven for one-half of the scholarship loan amount.
Complete applications must be submitted directly to the George Mason University College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) Student and Academic Affairs (SAA) by Monday, August 3, 2020. Applications must be mailed to:
College of Education and Human Development (CEHD)
Student and Academic Affairs
Attn: Kathleen Enos / VTLSP Scholarship
4400 University Drive, MS 4B4
Thompson Hall, Suite 2300
Fairfax, VA 22030
Applications must be mailed with original signature. Please sign and date ALL pages in blue ink.
All applications must be received by the College of Education and Human Development on or before Monday, August 3, 2020. Please mail your completed application in sufficient time to meet postal deadlines. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
More information on VTSLP and their application can be found at https://cehd.gmu.edu/admissions/funding-sources-discounts/scholarships/