Connecticut § 10-156ii - Aspiring educators diversity scholarship program.

§ 10-156ii. Aspiring educators diversity scholarship program.

Sec. 10-156ii. Aspiring educators diversity scholarship program. (a) There is established an aspiring educators diversity scholarship program administered by the Department of Education. The program shall provide an annual scholarship to diverse students who (1) graduated from a public high school in an alliance district, as defined in section 10-262u, and (2) are enrolled in a teacher preparation program at any four-year institution of higher education. A diverse student may receive an annual scholarship in an amount up to ten thousand dollars for each year such diverse student is enrolled and in good standing in a teacher preparation program. As used in this section, “diverse” has the same meaning as provided in section 10-156bb.

(b) Not later than January 1, 2023, the department shall, in consultation with the chairpersons of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education, develop a policy concerning the administration of the scholarship. Such policy shall include, but need not be limited to, provisions regarding (1) any additional eligibility criteria, (2) payment and distribution of the scholarships to diverse students through the teacher preparation programs in which they are enrolled, and (3) the notification of students in high school in alliance districts of the scholarship program, including the opportunity to apply for a scholarship under the program while enrolled in high school and prior to graduation if such student will be enrolled in a teacher preparation program during the following fall semester at a four-year institution of higher education.

(c) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2024, and each fiscal year thereafter, the department shall award scholarships in accordance with the provisions of this section and the guidelines developed pursuant to subsection (b) of this section.

(d) The Commissioner of Education shall develop scholarship repayment criteria for recipients who are not employed as a certified teacher by a local or regional board of education in the state following graduation from a teacher preparation program. Any amounts repaid to the department shall be deposited in the General Fund.

(e) The department may accept gifts, grants and donations, from any source, public or private, for the aspiring educators diversity scholarship program.

(f) Not later than January 1, 2024, and annually thereafter, the department shall develop a report that includes annual data on the race and ethnicity of the diverse students who receive a scholarship under the program and the teacher preparation program in which they are enrolled. The department shall submit such report to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a.

(P.A. 22-80, S. 15; P.A. 23-167, S. 11; P.A. 24-41, S. 50.)

History: P.A. 22-80 effective July 1, 2022; P.A. 23-167 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “a minority teacher candidate scholarship program” with “an aspiring educators diversity scholarship program”, replacing “minority students” with “diverse students”, deleting provision re maximum grants not to exceed $20,000 per year, adding provision re diverse student may receive annual scholarship up to $10,000 per year for each year such student is enrolled and in good standing in a teacher preparation program and replaced definition of “minority” with “diverse”, amended Subsec. (b) by adding “to diverse students through the teacher preparation programs in which they are enrolled” in Subdiv. (2) and adding provision re opportunity to apply for scholarship while in high school if student will be enrolled in a teacher preparation program in fall semester at a four-year institution of higher education in Subdiv. (3), added new Subsec. (d) re commissioner to develop scholarship repayment criteria, redesignated existing Subsec. (d) as Subsec. (e) and amended same by replacing “minority teacher candidate” with “aspiring educators diversity”, and added Subsec. (f) re annual report that includes data on race and ethnicity of diverse students receiving scholarship and the teacher preparation programs in which they are enrolled, effective July 1, 2023; P.A. 24-41 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “a priority school district, as described in section 10-266p” with “an alliance district, as defined in section 10-262u” and amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “priority school districts” with “alliance districts”, effective July 1, 2024.