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House File 2083 - IntroducedA Bill ForAn Act 1relating to the eligibility for grants under the teach
2Iowa scholar program.
3BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 261.110, subsection 3, Code 2022, is
2amended to read as follows:
33. Criteria for eligibility shall be established by the
4commission and shall include but are not limited to the
5following:
6a. The applicant was in the top twenty-five fifty percent
7academically of students exiting a teacher preparation program
8approved by the state board of education pursuant to section
9256.7, subsection 3, or a similar teacher preparation program
10in another state, or had earned other comparable academic
11credentials.
12b. The applicant is preparing to teach become a teacher
13who provides classroom instruction in fields including but not
14limited to science, technology, engineering, or mathematics;
15English as a second language or special education instruction;
16or is preparing to teach in a hard-to-staff subject as
17identified by the department. The department shall take
18into account the varying regional needs in the state for
19teachers in these subject areas when applying the criterion
20of this paragraph. The department shall annually identify
21and designate hard-to-staff subjects for the purpose of this
22paragraph. The eligibility of an applicant who receives a
23teach Iowa scholar grant and who is preparing to teach in a
24hard-to-staff subject as identified by the department shall
25not be affected in subsequent years if the department does not
26continue to identify that subject as a hard-to-staff subject
27 any of the following located in this state:
28(1) A school district.
29(2) A charter school.
30(3) An area education agency.
31(4) An accredited nonpublic school.
32c. The applicant met all of the eligibility requirements
33of this section on or after January 1, 2013. A person who met
34the program eligibility requirements of this section prior to
35January 1, 2013, is ineligible for this program.
-1- 1d. On or after July 1, 2022, the total value of grants
2awarded under this section each year to applicants who are
3preparing to become teachers who provide classroom instruction
4in a school district, charter school, area education agency, or
5an accredited nonpublic school shall be as follows:
6(1) Fifty percent shall be awarded to applicants preparing
7to become teachers who provide classroom instruction in
8a school district, charter school, area education agency,
9or an accredited nonpublic school, with less than or equal
10to one thousand two hundred students. However, if the amount
11requested by applicants pursuant to subparagraph (2) is less
12than the amount reserved for applicants under subparagraph (2),
13the commission may award the difference to applicants under
14this subparagraph.
15(2) Fifty percent shall be awarded to applicants preparing
16to become teachers who provide classroom instruction in a
17school district, charter school, area education agency, or an
18accredited nonpublic school, with greater than one thousand
19two hundred students. However, if the amount requested by
20applicants pursuant to subparagraph (1) is less than the amount
21reserved for applicants under subparagraph (1), the commission
22may award the difference to applicants under this subparagraph.
23EXPLANATION
24The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
25the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
26This bill relates to the eligibility for grants under the
27teach Iowa scholar program.
28The teach Iowa scholar program, administered by the
29college student aid commission, provides grants to certain
30high-caliber, full-time teachers in Iowa in amounts not to
31exceed $4,000 annually or $20,000 over five years. Under
32current law, the eligibility criteria established by the
33commission for grants under the program include that the
34applicant was in the top 25 percent academically of students
35exiting a teacher preparation program and the applicant is
-2-1preparing to teach in certain specified fields. The bill
2modifies these provisions to provide that the applicant was in
3the top 50 percent academically of students exiting a teacher
4preparation program and the applicant is preparing to become
5a teacher who provides classroom instruction in a school
6district, charter school, area education agency, or accredited
7nonpublic school located in the state.
8The bill provides that on or after July 1, 2022, the total
9value of grants awarded under the program to applicants who are
10preparing to become teachers who provide classroom instruction
11in a school district, charter school, area education agency,
12or an accredited nonpublic school shall be equally divided
13between applicants preparing to become teachers who provide
14classroom instruction in a school district, charter school,
15area education agency, or an accredited nonpublic school with
16less than or equal to 1,200 students and applicants preparing
17to become teachers who provide classroom instruction in a
18school district, charter school, area education agency, or an
19accredited nonpublic school with greater than 1,200 students.
20The bill authorizes the commission to award different amounts
21to each group of applicants if the amount requested by
22applicants of either group is less than the amount reserved for
23that group.
-3-jda/jh
2Iowa scholar program.
3BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 261.110, subsection 3, Code 2022, is
2amended to read as follows:
33. Criteria for eligibility shall be established by the
4commission and shall include but are not limited to the
5following:
6a. The applicant was in the top twenty-five fifty percent
7academically of students exiting a teacher preparation program
8approved by the state board of education pursuant to section
9256.7, subsection 3, or a similar teacher preparation program
10in another state, or had earned other comparable academic
11credentials.
12b. The applicant is preparing to teach become a teacher
13who provides classroom instruction in fields including but not
14limited to science, technology, engineering, or mathematics;
15English as a second language or special education instruction;
16or is preparing to teach in a hard-to-staff subject as
17identified by the department. The department shall take
18into account the varying regional needs in the state for
19teachers in these subject areas when applying the criterion
20of this paragraph. The department shall annually identify
21and designate hard-to-staff subjects for the purpose of this
22paragraph. The eligibility of an applicant who receives a
23teach Iowa scholar grant and who is preparing to teach in a
24hard-to-staff subject as identified by the department shall
25not be affected in subsequent years if the department does not
26continue to identify that subject as a hard-to-staff subject
27 any of the following located in this state:
28(1) A school district.
29(2) A charter school.
30(3) An area education agency.
31(4) An accredited nonpublic school.
32c. The applicant met all of the eligibility requirements
33of this section on or after January 1, 2013. A person who met
34the program eligibility requirements of this section prior to
35January 1, 2013, is ineligible for this program.
-1- 1d. On or after July 1, 2022, the total value of grants
2awarded under this section each year to applicants who are
3preparing to become teachers who provide classroom instruction
4in a school district, charter school, area education agency, or
5an accredited nonpublic school shall be as follows:
6(1) Fifty percent shall be awarded to applicants preparing
7to become teachers who provide classroom instruction in
8a school district, charter school, area education agency,
9or an accredited nonpublic school, with less than or equal
10to one thousand two hundred students. However, if the amount
11requested by applicants pursuant to subparagraph (2) is less
12than the amount reserved for applicants under subparagraph (2),
13the commission may award the difference to applicants under
14this subparagraph.
15(2) Fifty percent shall be awarded to applicants preparing
16to become teachers who provide classroom instruction in a
17school district, charter school, area education agency, or an
18accredited nonpublic school, with greater than one thousand
19two hundred students. However, if the amount requested by
20applicants pursuant to subparagraph (1) is less than the amount
21reserved for applicants under subparagraph (1), the commission
22may award the difference to applicants under this subparagraph.
23EXPLANATION
24The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
25the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
26This bill relates to the eligibility for grants under the
27teach Iowa scholar program.
28The teach Iowa scholar program, administered by the
29college student aid commission, provides grants to certain
30high-caliber, full-time teachers in Iowa in amounts not to
31exceed $4,000 annually or $20,000 over five years. Under
32current law, the eligibility criteria established by the
33commission for grants under the program include that the
34applicant was in the top 25 percent academically of students
35exiting a teacher preparation program and the applicant is
-2-1preparing to teach in certain specified fields. The bill
2modifies these provisions to provide that the applicant was in
3the top 50 percent academically of students exiting a teacher
4preparation program and the applicant is preparing to become
5a teacher who provides classroom instruction in a school
6district, charter school, area education agency, or accredited
7nonpublic school located in the state.
8The bill provides that on or after July 1, 2022, the total
9value of grants awarded under the program to applicants who are
10preparing to become teachers who provide classroom instruction
11in a school district, charter school, area education agency,
12or an accredited nonpublic school shall be equally divided
13between applicants preparing to become teachers who provide
14classroom instruction in a school district, charter school,
15area education agency, or an accredited nonpublic school with
16less than or equal to 1,200 students and applicants preparing
17to become teachers who provide classroom instruction in a
18school district, charter school, area education agency, or an
19accredited nonpublic school with greater than 1,200 students.
20The bill authorizes the commission to award different amounts
21to each group of applicants if the amount requested by
22applicants of either group is less than the amount reserved for
23that group.
-3-jda/jh