Subdivision 1. Establishment. (a) The commissioner of the Office of Higher Education must establish a grant program for student teaching stipends for low-income students who intend to teach in a license shortage area or rural school district after graduating and receiving their teaching license.
(b) "License shortage area" means a licensure area that is identified as a shortage area by the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board in coordination with the commissioner using data collected for the teacher supply and demand report under section 122A.091, subdivision 5, provided that only licensure areas within the following fields may be identified as a license shortage area for purposes of this section:
(1) English as a second language;
(2) early childhood;
(3) special education;
(4) career and technical education;
(5) science, technology, engineering, arts, and math; and
(6) world languages.
(c) "Rural school district" means a school district with fewer than 30 resident pupil units under section 126C.05, subdivision 6, per square mile.
Subd. 2. Eligibility. To be eligible for a grant under this section, a student teacher must:
(1) be enrolled in a Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board-approved teacher preparation program that requires at least 12 weeks of student teaching;
(2) demonstrate financial need based on criteria established by the commissioner under subdivision 3;
(3) be meeting satisfactory academic progress as defined under section 136A.101, subdivision 10; and
(4) intend to teach in a rural school district or intend to teach in a license shortage area. Intent to teach in a license shortage area must be verified based on the teacher license field the student is pursuing. To verify intent to teach in a rural school district, the student must submit to the commissioner a completed affidavit, prescribed by the commissioner, affirming the student's intent to teach in a rural district following graduation. Upon obtaining employment after graduating, the teacher shall report to the office the name of the school district in which the teacher is teaching.
Subd. 3. Administration. (a) The commissioner must establish an application process and other guidelines for implementing this program. The commissioner must notify grant recipients of their award amounts by the following dates:
(1) for fall student teaching placements, recipients must be notified by August 15;
(2) for spring student teaching placements, recipients must be notified by December 1; and
(3) for summer student teaching placements, recipients must be notified by May 1.
These notification deadlines do not apply in cases where grants are awarded to student teachers who applied after application deadlines and funds remained after the initial round of grants were awarded.
(b) The commissioner must determine each academic year the stipend amount up to $7,500 based on the amount of available funding, the number of eligible applicants, and the financial need of the applicants.
(c) The commissioner must give equal consideration to all eligible applicants regardless of the order the application was received before the application deadline.
(d) If there are insufficient funds to provide an award to all eligible applicants, the commissioner shall prioritize the awards to eligible participants based on:
(1) the financial need of an applicant; and
(2) whether the applicant intends to teach in both a rural school district and a license shortage area.
Subd. 4. Reporting. (a) By February 1 of each year, the commissioner must submit a report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over E-12 and higher education finance and policy. The report must include the following information:
(1) the total number of awards, the total dollar amount of all awards, and the average award amount;
(2) the number of eligible applicants and the number of student teachers receiving an award, each broken down by postsecondary institution;
(3) the licensure areas and school districts in which the student teachers taught; and
(4) other summary data identified by the commissioner as outcome indicators, including how many student teachers awarded a rural teacher grant were employed in a rural school district after graduation.
(b) By July 1 of each odd numbered year, the commissioner must update and post on the office's website a list of licensure shortage areas eligible for a grant under this section.
2016 c 189 art 25 s 59; 2017 c 89 art 2 s 11; 1Sp2017 c 5 art 12 s 22; 2019 c 64 art 2 s 8,9; 2020 c 109 art 1 s 9; 1Sp2021 c 2 art 2 s 13
Structure Minnesota Statutes
Chapters 135A - 137 — Postsecondary Education
Chapter 136A — Higher Education
Section 136A.002 — Definitions.
Section 136A.01 — Office Of Higher Education.
Section 136A.03 — Executive Officers; Employees.
Section 136A.031 — Student Advisory Council.
Section 136A.0411 — Collecting Fees.
Section 136A.0412 — Acceptance Of Private Funds; Appropriation.
Section 136A.05 — Cooperation Of Institutions Of Higher Education.
Section 136A.051 — Student Records And Data.
Section 136A.055 — Developmental Education Reporting.
Section 136A.057 — Student Transfer Reporting.
Section 136A.06 — Federal Funds.
Section 136A.091 — Summer Academic Enrichment Program.
Section 136A.095 — Grants-in-aid; Purpose.
Section 136A.096 — Financial Aid Goals.
Section 136A.101 — Definitions.
Section 136A.103 — Institution Eligibility Requirements.
Section 136A.1201 — Minnesota Promise.
Section 136A.121 — State Grant Program.
Section 136A.1215 — Grants For Students With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities.
Section 136A.123 — Mn Reconnect Program.
Section 136A.1241 — Fostering Independence Higher Education Grants.
Section 136A.125 — Child Care Grants.
Section 136A.126 — Indian Scholarships.
Section 136A.1274 — Underrepresented Student Teacher Grants.
Section 136A.1275 — Student Teacher Grants In Shortage Areas.
Section 136A.1276 — Alternative Teacher Preparation Grant Program.
Section 136A.131 — Accounting And Records.
Section 136A.1311 — Cash Flow.
Section 136A.1312 — Financial Aid Administrator, Professional Judgment.
Section 136A.1313 — Financial Aid Audits.
Section 136A.15 — Definitions.
Section 136A.155 — Additional Institution Eligibility Requirements.
Section 136A.16 — Powers And Duties Of Office.
Section 136A.162 — Classification Of Data.
Section 136A.1701 — Supplemental And Additional Loans.
Section 136A.1702 — Legislative Oversight.
Section 136A.1704 — Student Loan Refinancing.
Section 136A.171 — Revenue Bonds; Issuance; Proceeds.
Section 136A.172 — Negotiable Notes; Issuance; Conditions.
Section 136A.173 — Negotiability; Bond Anticipation Notes; Payment; Conditions.
Section 136A.174 — Security For Bonds.
Section 136A.175 — Refunding Revenue Bonds; Proceeds; Investments.
Section 136A.176 — Bonds Not State Obligations.
Section 136A.177 — Rights Of Bondholders.
Section 136A.178 — Legal Investments; Authorized Securities.
Section 136A.1785 — Loan Capital Fund.
Section 136A.1787 — Self Loan Revenue Bonds Annual Certificate Of Need.
Section 136A.1788 — Student Loan Debt Counseling.
Section 136A.1789 — Aviation Degree Loan Forgiveness Program.
Section 136A.1791 — Teacher Shortage Loan Repayment Program.
Section 136A.1792 — Promotion Of Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Programs.
Section 136A.1793 — Promotion Of Teacher Loan Forgiveness Programs.
Section 136A.1794 — Agricultural Education Loan Forgiveness Program.
Section 136A.1795 — Large Animal Veterinarian Loan Forgiveness Program.
Section 136A.1796 — Tribal College Supplemental Grant Assistance.
Section 136A.18 — Legislative Finding, Declaration, And Directive.
Section 136A.23 — Trustees Of Incorporated Colleges May Prescribe Course Of Study; Annual Report.
Section 136A.231 — Education; Postsecondary Students; Work-study Programs.
Section 136A.232 — Administration; Agreements With Educational Facilities.
Section 136A.233 — Work-study Grants.
Section 136A.246 — Dual Training Competency Grants.
Section 136A.26 — Memberships; Officers; Compensation; Removal.
Section 136A.28 — Definitions.
Section 136A.29 — Powers; Duties.
Section 136A.30 — Source Of Payment Of Expenses.
Section 136A.31 — Notes Of The Authority.
Section 136A.32 — Bonds Of The Authority.
Section 136A.33 — Trust Agreement.
Section 136A.34 — Revenue Refunding Bonds.
Section 136A.35 — Bonds Are Not State Obligation.
Section 136A.37 — Remedies Of Bondholders And Trustees.
Section 136A.38 — Bonds Eligible For Investment.
Section 136A.39 — Exemption From Taxes And Other Restrictions.
Section 136A.40 — Administration.
Section 136A.41 — Conflict Of Interest.
Section 136A.42 — Annual Report.
Section 136A.62 — Definitions.
Section 136A.63 — Registration.
Section 136A.64 — Information Required For Registration.
Section 136A.645 — School Closure.
Section 136A.646 — Additional Security.
Section 136A.65 — Approval Of Degrees And Name.
Section 136A.653 — Exemptions.
Section 136A.657 — Exemption; Religious Schools.
Section 136A.658 — Exemption; State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement Schools.
Section 136A.66 — List Of Registered Institutions.
Section 136A.67 — Registration Representations.
Section 136A.672 — Student Complaints.
Section 136A.675 — Risk Analysis.
Section 136A.685 — Private Institutions; Adjudication Of Fraud Or Misrepresentation.
Section 136A.821 — Definitions.
Section 136A.8225 — School Closure.
Section 136A.823 — License Renewal.
Section 136A.825 — Permits For Solicitors.
Section 136A.826 — Information To Students.
Section 136A.828 — Prohibitions.
Section 136A.829 — Revocation Of License Or Permit.
Section 136A.8295 — Student Complaints.
Section 136A.831 — Injunction.
Section 136A.833 — Exemptions.
Section 136A.834 — Exemption; Religious Schools.
Section 136A.861 — Intervention For College Attendance Program Grants.
Section 136A.87 — Planning Information For Postsecondary Education.
Section 136A.901 — Spinal Cord Injury And Traumatic Brain Injury Research Grant Program.
Section 136A.902 — Spinal Cord And Traumatic Brain Injury Advisory Council.