FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lance Gideon, Press Secretary
Lance.Gideon@iga.in.gov
317-234-9221
STATEHOUSE (April 18, 2023) — A bill sponsored by State Sen. Brian Buchanan (R-Lebanon) that aims to address the teacher shortage in Indiana passed the Senate unanimously today.
House Bill 1637 would increase the amount of money the Indiana Commission for Higher Education can award a recipient of the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship from $7,500 each year to $10,000 if the individual agrees to teach at an eligible Indiana school for at least five years.
Applicants must be a current high school senior or college student in Indiana to qualify for the scholarship.
The program also requires an applicant to be ranked in the top 20% of their high school graduating class, have a top 20% SAT or ACT score or a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
"The goal of this legislation is to attract talented young people into the teaching profession," Buchanan said. "HB 1637 is an investment in Indiana's future and I am happy to see it pass the Senate."
The bill would also establish the Next Generation Hoosier Minority Educators scholarship, which would award $10,000 each year to an applicant who is member of a minority group and increase the Earline S. Rogers Student Teaching Scholarship for Minorities from $4,000 to $5,000.
Because the bill was amended in the Senate, it will now return to the House of Representatives for further consideration.
Legislative calendars, agendas, vote tallies, live streams and proposed legislation can be viewed online by visiting iga.in.gov.
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State Sen. Brian Buchanan (R-Lebanon) represents Senate District 7,
which includes Clinton County and portions of Boone, Hendricks and Montgomery counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
