STATEWIDE, (WOWO) — Indiana awards students for teacher scholarships, hoping it curbs the states teacher shortage.
As Indiana continues to seek solutions for its teacher shortage, nearly 300 students have been named Next Generation Hoosier Educators, receiving a scholarship of up to $40,000 to pursue a career in the classroom. However, the good news is tempered by recent state budget cuts that could impact the future of the popular program.
The Indiana Commission for Higher Education (CHE) announced this week that 295 students will receive the renewable scholarship for the 2025-26 academic year. The award provides up to $10,000 per year for four years. In exchange for the financial support, recipients must commit to teaching for five consecutive years in an eligible Indiana school upon graduation or repay a prorated amount of the scholarship.
The program, now in its ninth year, is a key state strategy to attract talented individuals to the teaching profession. This year, it drew a record 1,091 applicants—a 15% increase over last year—from 89 of Indiana’s 92 counties.
Despite the program’s clear popularity and growth, its funding was reduced in the state’s new biennial budget. Annual appropriations for the scholarship dropped from $12 million to $11.4 million. While this year’s 295 awards were celebrated, the funding reduction raises questions about how many scholarships will be available to support the growing number of aspiring educators in the coming years.
The focus now shifts to how the state will support the next wave of students who have shown record-breaking interest in answering the call to teach.
