Top-ranked high school seniors interested in becoming teachers have until the end of the month to apply for a renewable $7,500-a-year state-funded college scholarship.
The Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship will be awarded in March to 200 students statewide as part of a legislative initiative to produce more high-quality Hoosier educators and reduce Indiana's teacher shortage.
"The (scholarship) is designed to help future educators fund their education and provide Indiana students with motivated, quality teachers," said Teresa Lubbers, Indiana higher education commissioner.
"We look forward to the positive impact these educators will have on their students and on Indiana’s teacher pipeline."
WATCH NOW: Indiana's Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship
Scholarship applications are available online at ScholarTrack.in.gov and must be submitted by Jan. 31, along with a 500-word essay on why the applicant wants to become a teacher.
Applicants should be set to graduate in the top 20 percent of their high school class, or earned a score of at least a 26 on the ACT exam or 1220 on the SAT.
Recent high school graduates not attending university classes or current college freshmen and sophomores meeting those criteria also may apply.
Scholarship winners are required to complete 30 credit hours a year in college with a 3.0 cumulative grade point average to continue receiving the annual $7,500 award.
The money can be used to attend any public or private university in Indiana with a teacher training program, including Indiana University Northwest, Purdue University Northwest, Valparaiso University and Calumet College of St. Joseph.
After graduation, students must teach in Indiana for five consecutive years, or repay 20 percent of the scholarship for each of the five years they don't teach.
Last year, a total of 367 students from 213 high schools in 82 of Indiana's 92 counties applied for the 200 available scholarships.
The $1.5 million annual state cost for each scholarship class initially was covered using excess revenue collected through Indiana's 2015 tax amnesty program.
It now is a separate line item in Indiana's biennial budget.
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