Tennessee Teaching Scholars Program: (Promulgated Rules) (On-line Application)

The Tennessee Teaching Scholars Program is intended to encourage exemplary students to enter the teaching field in Tennessee.  Participation is limited to college juniors, seniors, and post baccalaureate candidates admitted to a teacher education program in a Tennessee college or university.

To be eligible, the applicant must:

• be a Tennessee resident and a U.S. citizen, and
  
• have at least a 2.75 cumulative grade point average or higher if required for the teacher education program at their school of choice, and
  
• be enrolled full-time if undergraduate or at least half-time if a graduate student, and
  
• not be a licensed teacher, and not be employed or previously employed in a teaching position.
  

An application, in order to be considered complete, must be accompanied by:

• a letter of recommendation from an official of a state-approved teacher education program, attesting to the applicant’s commitment to teaching and potential for success as a teacher.
  
• official copies of all college or university transcripts and documentation verifying the standardized test scores used for admission to the teacher education program. 

Those who accept the award must sign a promissory note and in doing so incur an obligation to teach at a PreK-12 in a Tennessee public school one year for each year an award is received. Recipients must be employed as a full-time teacher to be considered for forgiveness.

If recipients do not meet this obligation, the award must be repaid to TSAC.  Repayment will begin if the recipient does not complete the plan of study or is not employed at an eligible PreK-12 eligible school.  Interest accrues at 9% from the date of each disbursement.

Awards are made in equal installments each term throughout the academic year. The award may be renewed three times for a total of four years.  The recipient must maintain at least a 2.75 grade point average to remain eligible. 

Applications are available by clicking on the link above (On-line Application). Awards are very competitive and based on funding. Renewal applicants are given first priority.  Applicants seeking initial licensure are considered. TSAC must receive the completed application and required attachments by April 15.

Tennessee Teaching Scholars Program Poster