Arkansas Minority Teachers Scholarship Program Provides Forgivable Loans

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Minority Teachers Scholarship Program
Date Updated: February 2008

General Information
The Minority Teacher Scholars Program (MTSP) provides forgivable loans to African-American, Asian American, Native American, and Hispanic students attending Arkansas higher education institutions with approved teacher education programs.
Recipients who maintain eligibility may receive the loan for a maximum of four (4) semesters or until they have completed licensure requirements, whichever comes first. MTSP scholars may receive a maximum of $5,000 per academic year, with a maximum lifetime award of $10,000.

MTSP scholars must commit to teaching in an Arkansas public school for five (5) years after completing teacher licensure requirements. The teaching requirement will be reduced to three (3) years for teaching in one of the 42 counties in Arkansas designated as the Delta Region or for teaching a subject declared to be a critical subject shortage area by the Arkansas Department of Education.

Eligibility Requirements
The applicant must:
be an African-American, Asian-American, Native-American, or Hispanic;
be an Arkansas resident, for at least six months prior to the application deadline;
be a citizen of the United States or permanent resident alien;
be enrolled full-time (minimum of 12 semester credit hours or its equivalent) in a public or independent 4-year institution located in Arkansas;
have a minimum 2.50 cumulative grade point average on a 4.00 scale (or its equivalent);
be at least a junior (completed 60 semester credit hours)
have been admitted to an approved program resulting in teacher licensure and/or passed the Praxis 1 examination.
Continued Eligibility Requirements
For continued eligibility, the recipient must complete a new MTSP application and:
meet the above eligibility requirements
complete 24 semester credit hours (or the equivalent) during the previous academic year.

MTSP Scholar's Teaching Obligations
MTSP scholars must teach full time in an Arkansas public school for five (5) full years after completing licensure requirements. The teaching requirement will be reduced to three (3) years for the following:
Teaching in one of the 42 counties in Arkansas designated as the Delta Region (Arkansas, Ashley, Baxter, Bradley, Calhoun, Chicot, Clay, Cleveland, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Dallas, Desha, Drew, Fulton, Grant, Greene, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lee, Lincoln, Lonoke, Marion, Mississippi, Monroe, Ouachita, Phillips, Poinsett, Prairie, Pulaski, Randolph, St. Francis, Searcy, Sharp, Stone, Union, Van Buren, White, and Woodruff).
Teaching a subject declared to be a critical subject shortage area by the Arkansas Department of Education. The 2008-2009 shortage list includes: Art (K-12); Foreign Language (French, German, Spanish): Mathematics (secondary); Middle Childhood (4-8 mathematics/science, 4-8 English/language arts/social studies); Science (secondary life/Earth, secondary physical/Earth); Special Education (deaf education/visually impaired/special education instructional specialist).

Minority males teaching at the elementary level.
The MTSP forgivable loan must be repaid if the recipient does not enroll as a full time college student, fails to complete an approved teacher licensure program, or does not fulfill the required teaching obligation. MTSP does not guarantee recipient’s employment.

Applications available beginning February 8, 2008, and are due June 1, 2008.