CHAPTER 2. MINORITY TEACHER SCHOLARSHIPS; SPECIAL EDUCATION, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, AND PHYSICAL THERAPY SCHOLARSHIPS
IC 21-13-2
Chapter 2. Minority Teacher Scholarships; Special Education,
Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy Scholarships
IC 21-13-2-1
Minority teacher or special education services scholarship fund;
establishment
Sec. 1. The minority teacher or special education services
scholarship fund is established:
(1) to encourage and promote qualified minority individuals to
pursue a career in teaching in accredited schools in Indiana;
(2) to enhance the number of individuals who may serve as role
models for the minority students in Indiana; and
(3) to rectify the shortage of minority teachers teaching in
accredited schools in Indiana;
(4) to encourage and promote qualified individuals to pursue a
career in:
(A) teaching special education in accredited schools in
Indiana; or
(B) practicing occupational or physical therapy in accredited
schools in Indiana, in vocational rehabilitation centers under
IC 12-12-1-4.1(a)(1), or in community mental retardation or
other developmental disabilities centers under IC 12-29
(except IC 12-29-3-6) as part of the special education
program; and
(5) to rectify the shortage of individuals who:
(A) teach special education; or
(B) provide certain other special education services in
accredited schools in Indiana.
As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.254.
IC 21-13-2-2
Administration of fund
Sec. 2. (a) The commission shall administer the fund.
(b) The expenses of administering the fund shall be paid from
money in the fund.
(c) The treasurer of state shall invest the money in the fund not
currently needed to meet the obligations of the fund in the same
manner as other public funds may be invested.
As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.254.
IC 21-13-2-3
Money in fund; use
Sec. 3. Money in the fund shall be used to provide annual
scholarships to individuals who qualify for a scholarship under:
(1) section 4 of this chapter; or
(2) section 5 of this chapter.
As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.254.
IC 21-13-2-4
Initial scholarship qualifications
Sec. 4. An individual qualifies for an initial scholarship from the
fund if the individual:
(1) is a minority student;
(2) is admitted to an eligible institution as a full-time student or
already attends an eligible institution as a full-time student;
(3) either:
(A) intends to pursue; or
(B) in the case of a student who is already attending an
eligible institution, pursues;
a course of study that would enable the student, upon
graduation, to teach in an accredited school in Indiana;
(4) agrees, in writing, to teach in an accredited school in Indiana
for at least three (3) years of the first five (5) years following
that student's certification as a teacher; and
(5) meets any other minimum criteria established by the
commission.
As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.254.
IC 21-13-2-5
Scholarship qualifications; special education teachers and physical
and occupational therapy practitioners
Sec. 5. An individual qualifies for an initial scholarship from the
fund if the individual:
(1) is admitted to an eligible institution as a full-time student or
is attending an eligible institution as a full-time student;
(2) either intends to pursue or, in the case of a student who is
attending an eligible institution, pursues a course of study that
would enable the student, upon graduation, to be:
(A) licensed to teach special education in an accredited
school under rules adopted by the Indiana state board of
education;
(B) licensed to practice occupational therapy:
(i) in an accredited school;
(ii) in a vocational rehabilitation center under
IC 12-12-1-4.1(a)(1); or
(iii) in a community mental retardation or other
developmental disabilities center under IC 12-29 except
IC 12-29-3-6; or
(C) licensed to practice physical therapy:
(i) in an accredited school;
(ii) in a vocational rehabilitation center under
IC 12-12-1-4.1(a)(1); or
(iii) in a community mental retardation or other
developmental disabilities center under IC 12-29 except
IC 12-29-3-6;
(3) agrees in writing to:
(A) teach in an accredited school; or
(B) practice occupational therapy or physical therapy,
whichever applies:
(i) in an accredited school in Indiana;
(ii) in a vocational rehabilitation center under
IC 12-12-1-4.1(a)(1); or
(iii) in a community mental retardation or other
developmental disabilities center under IC 12-29 except
IC 12-29-3-6;
for at least three (3) of the first five (5) years following the
student's licensure as a teacher, licensure as an occupational
therapist, or licensure as a physical therapist; and
(4) meets any other minimum criteria established by the
commission.
As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.254. Amended by P.L.197-2007,
SEC.15.
IC 21-13-2-6
Renewal of scholarships; term
Sec. 6. Subject to section 12 of this chapter, a scholarship may be
renewed under this chapter for a total scholarship award that does not
exceed eight (8) semesters (or its equivalent). However, an eligible
institution may not grant a scholarship renewal to a student for an
academic year that ends later than six (6) years after the date the
student received the initial scholarship under this chapter.
As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.254.
IC 21-13-2-7
Renewal of scholarships; conditions
Sec. 7. (a) To qualify for a scholarship renewal from the fund, a
minority student that qualified for the initial scholarship under
section 4 of this chapter must:
(1) comply with the criteria in section 4 of this chapter; and
(2) maintain at least the cumulative grade point average:
(A) that is required by an eligible institution for admission
to the eligible institution's school of education; or
(B) of 2.0 on a 4.0 grading scale or its equivalent as
established by the eligible institution if the eligible
institution's school of education does not require a certain
minimum cumulative grade point average.
(b) To qualify for a scholarship renewal from the fund, an
individual that qualified for the initial scholarship under section 5 of
this chapter must:
(1) comply with the criteria set forth in section 5 of this chapter;
and
(2) maintain at least the cumulative grade point average:
(A) that is required by an eligible institution for admission
to the eligible institution's school of education; or
(B) of 2.0 on a 4.0 grading scale or its equivalent as
established by the eligible institution if the eligible
institution's school of education does not require a certain
minimum cumulative grade point average.
As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.254.
IC 21-13-2-8
Amount of scholarship
Sec. 8. Except as provided in this chapter, a scholarship is equal
to the lesser of the following amounts:
(1) The balance of the student's total cost in attending the
eligible institution for the academic year.
(2) One thousand dollars ($1,000).
As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.254.
IC 21-13-2-9
Minority student qualifications
Sec. 9. (a) This section applies if a minority student:
(1) initially qualifies for a scholarship under section 4 of this
chapter; and
(2) demonstrates to the commission financial need in an amount
greater than described in section 8 of this chapter.
(b) The annual scholarship that the minority student may receive
is equal to the lesser of the following amounts:
(1) The balance of the student's total cost in attending the
eligible institution for the academic year.
(2) Four thousand dollars ($4,000).
As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.254.
IC 21-13-2-10
Eligibility information
Sec. 10. The commission for higher education shall provide the
commission with the most recent information concerning:
(1) the number of minority students enrolled at each eligible
institution; and
(2) the number of individuals who are:
(A) enrolled at each eligible institution; and
(B) pursuing a course of study that would enable the student,
upon graduation, to be:
(i) licensed to teach special education in an accredited
school; or
(ii) licensed to practice occupational therapy or licensed to
practice physical therapy in an accredited school, in a
vocational rehabilitation center under
IC 12-12-1-4.1(a)(1), or in a community mental retardation
or other developmental disabilities center under IC 12-29
as part of the special education program.
As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.254. Amended by P.L.197-2007,
SEC.16.
IC 21-13-2-11
Allocation of money
Sec. 11. The commission shall allocate the available money from
the fund to each eligible institution in proportion to the number of
minority students enrolled at each eligible institution based upon the
information received from the commission for higher education.
As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.254.
IC 21-13-2-12
Determination of scholarship recipients
Sec. 12. Each eligible institution shall determine the scholarship
recipients under this chapter:
(1) based upon:
(A) the criteria set forth in section 4 or 5 of this chapter; and
(B) the rules adopted by the commission; and
(2) with a priority on granting scholarships in the following
order:
(A) Minority students seeking a renewal scholarship.
(B) Newly enrolling minority students.
(C) Special education services students seeking a renewal
scholarship.
(D) Newly enrolling special education services students.
As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.254.
IC 21-13-2-13
Reallocation of funds
Sec. 13. Any funds that:
(1) are allocated to an eligible institution; and
(2) are not used for scholarships under this chapter;
shall be returned to the commission for reallocation by the
commission to any other eligible institution in need of additional
funds.
As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.254.
IC 21-13-2-14
Amount of scholarship; conditions
Sec. 14. (a) The amount of a scholarship awarded under this
chapter may not be reduced because the student receives other
scholarships or forms of financial aid.
(b) Except as otherwise permitted by law, the amount of any other
state financial aid received by a student may not be reduced because
the student receives a scholarship under this chapter.
As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.254.
IC 21-13-2-15
Maintenance of records
Sec. 15. (a) The commission shall maintain complete and accurate
records in implementing the program, including the following:
(1) The number of scholarships awarded under this chapter.
(2) The number of individuals who fulfilled the agreement
described under section 5 of this chapter.
(3) The number of individuals who did not fulfill the agreement
described under section 5 of this chapter.
(b) Each eligible institution shall provide the commission with
information concerning the following:
(1) The awarding of scholarships under this chapter.
(2) The academic progress made by each recipient of a
scholarship under this chapter.
(3) Other pertinent information requested by the commission.
As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.254.