Hoosier children deserve to have the best teachers leading their classroom as they learn important subjects in school.
That is why I supported House Bill 1637, which would increase the amount of money that can be awarded by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education to a recipient of the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship, which was created by the Indiana General Assembly in 2016.
Currently, an individual who receives this award is eligible for up to $7,500 if they teach at an eligible Indiana school for at least five years.
House Bill 1637 would increase that amount to $10,000.
In order to be eligible, an applicant must be a current high school senior or college student in Indiana.
The program requires an applicant to be ranked in the top 20% of their high school graduating class, or have a top 20% ACT or SAT score or a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
The bill would also establish the Next Generation Hoosier Minority Education Scholarship, which would award $10,000 each year to an applicant who is a member of a minority group and increase the Earline S. Rogers Student Teaching Scholarship for Minorities from $4,000 to $5,000.
The goal of House Bill 1637, and its scholarship funds, is to ensure that all Hoosier students have the best and brightest teachers in their classrooms.
The bill now heads to the governor's desk for his consideration.
As always, feel free to contact my office directly with your questions and concerns by email at Senator.Messmer@iga.in.gov or by phone at 800-382-9467.
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State Sen. Mark Messmer (R-Jasper) represents Senate District 48, which
includes Crawford, Dubois, Gibson, Perry, Pike and Spencer counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
