STATEHOUSE – State Rep. Chris May (R-Bedford) encourages local students planning to pursue a career in education to apply for the state’s teaching scholarship by Jan. 31.
May said the Next Generation Hoosier Educator Scholarship pays $7,500 per year for up to four years to students earning a teaching degree and who commit to teaching in Indiana for at least five years. Applications can be submitted online at LearnMoreIndiana.org/nextteacher.
“Retaining some of our top talents for the crucial task of helping prepare Hoosier students for life after school is important to Indiana’s continuing success,” May said. “This scholarship is a great opportunity for education majors to pay for their degree and lead our classrooms for years to come.”
The scholarship is available to 200 high-achieving high school and college students each year who either graduate in the top 20 percent of their class or earn a score in the top 20th percentile on the SAT or ACT. To continue earning the scholarship in college, students must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid each year, earn a 3.0 cumulative GPA, and complete at least 30 credit hours per year. Current college students who apply must be able to use the scholarship for at least two full academic years.
In 2020, 439 students applied for the scholarship, with applications from 231 high schools in 84 counties. Nearly three-quarters of applicants were Indiana high school seniors with the remainder comprised of current college students. Last year, Megan Bickley of Brown County High School earned the scholarship.
Future educators can apply at LearnMoreIndiana.org/nextteacher before the Jan. 31 deadline. Questions may be directed to NextTeacher@che.in.gov. For questions about state financial aid, students can contact the Indiana Commission for Higher Education by phone at 888-528-4719 or via email at awards@che.in.gov.
