Indiana Commission for Higher Education awards 300 scholarships to address teacher shortage

INDIANAPOLIS — This week, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (CHE) awarded roughly 300 high school students the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship — a special scholarship designed to address the state’s teacher shortage.

”This is a really strong example of a program that is working right,” Greg Harrell, the director of legislation and programs with the CHE, said.

According to Harrell, Indiana has 2,000 teaching job openings. However, the scholarship, which launched in 2016, is starting to show early signs of success when it comes to changing the status quo.

”Looking at our first two cohorts … 90% of those two cohorts are either teaching in Hoosier classrooms or actively working beyond a BA to earn a master’s level credential,” Harrell said.

Through this scholarship program, students can receive up to $40,000 as they work toward an undergraduate degree in education. Students won’t have to pay the money back as long as they agree to teach for five years at an approved Indiana school.

”It is designed to make the experience more affordable, expand opportunity for future educators and then also hopefully keep them here in Indiana classrooms afterwards,” Harrell said.

Harrell said, this year, the number of scholarship applicants increased by roughly 60%. While it’s unclear if the program will receive additional funding next budget session, Harrell said the General Assembly’s decision to double the amount of funding for the program in 2023 is a promising sign.

“We are excited to continue to grow this award,” Harrell said. ”We are really encouraged by the overwhelming bipartisan support that this program has enjoyed since its inception.”

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