42 USC 1862 - Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program

View all text of Chapter 16 [§ 1861 - § 1887]

§ 1862n–1. Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program

(a) Scholarship program

(1) In general

(2) Merit review

(3) Use of grantsA grant provided under this section shall be used by the eligible entity—

(A) to develop and implement a program to recruit and prepare undergraduate students majoring in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics at the eligible entity (and participating institutions of higher education of the consortium, if applicable) to become qualified as mathematics and science teachers, through—

(i) administering scholarships in accordance with subsection (c);

(ii) offering academic courses and early clinical teaching experiences designed to prepare students participating in the program to teach in elementary schools and secondary schools, including such preparation as is necessary to meet requirements for teacher certification or licensing;

(iii) offering programs to students participating in the program, both before and after the students receive their baccalaureate degree, to enable the students to become better mathematics and science teachers, to fulfill the service requirements of this section, and to exchange ideas with others in the students’ fields; and

(iv) providing summer internships for freshman and sophomore students participating in the program, including research experiences at national laboratories and NASA centers; or

(B) to develop and implement a program to recruit and prepare science, technology, engineering, or mathematics professionals to become qualified as mathematics and science teachers, through—

(i) administering stipends in accordance with subsection (d);

(ii) offering academic courses and clinical teaching experiences designed to prepare stipend recipients to teach in elementary schools and secondary schools served by a high need local educational agency, including such preparation as is necessary to meet requirements for teacher certification or licensing; and

(iii) offering programs to stipend recipients, both during and after matriculation in the program for which the stipend is received, to enable recipients to become better mathematics and science teachers, to fulfill the service requirements of this section, and to exchange ideas with others in the students’ fields.

(4) Eligibility requirement

(A) In general

(B) Inclusion of master teachers

(5) AwardsIn awarding grants under this section, the Director shall ensure that the eligible entities (and participating institutions of higher education of the consortia, if applicable) represent a variety of types of institutions of higher education. In support of this goal, the Director shall broadly disseminate information about when and how to apply for grants under this section, including by conducting outreach to—

(A) historically Black colleges and universities that are part B institutions, as defined in section 322(2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061(2));

(B) minority institutions, as defined in section 365(3) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067k(3)); and

(6) Supplement not supplant

(b) Selection process

(1) ApplicationAn eligible entity seeking funding under this section shall submit an application to the Director at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Director may require. The application shall include, at a minimum—

(A) in the case of an applicant that is submitting an application on behalf of a consortium of institutions of higher education, a description of the participating institutions of higher education and the roles and responsibilities of each such institution;

(B) a description of the program that the applicant intends to operate, including the number of scholarships and summer internships or the size and number of stipends the applicant intends to award, the type of activities proposed for the recruitment of students to the program, and the selection process that will be used in awarding the scholarships or stipends;

(C) evidence that the applicant has the capability to administer the program in accordance with the provisions of this section, which may include a description of any existing programs at the applicant eligible entity (and participating institutions of higher education of the consortium, if applicable) that are targeted to the education of mathematics and science teachers and the number of teachers graduated annually from such programs;

(D) a description of the academic courses and clinical teaching experiences required under subparagraphs (A)(ii) and (B)(ii) of subsection (a)(3), as applicable, including—

(i) a description of the undergraduate program that will enable a student to graduate within 5 years with a major in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics and to obtain teacher certification or licensing;

(ii) a description of the clinical teaching experiences proposed; and

(iii) evidence of agreements between the applicant and the schools or local educational agencies that are identified as the locations at which clinical teaching experiences will occur;

(E) a description of the programs required under subparagraphs (A)(iii) and (B)(iii) of subsection (a)(3), including activities to assist new teachers in fulfilling the teachers’ service requirements under this section;

(F) an identification of the applicant eligible entity’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics faculty and its education faculty (and such faculty of participating institutions of higher education of the consortium, if applicable) who will carry out the development and implementation of the program as required under subsection (a)(4); and

(G) a description of the process the applicant will use to fulfill the requirements of subsection (f).

(2) Review of applicationsIn evaluating the applications submitted under paragraph (1), the Director shall consider, at a minimum—

(A) the ability of the applicant (and the participating institutions of higher education of the consortium, if applicable) to effectively carry out the program;

(B) the extent to which the applicant’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics faculty and its education faculty (and such faculty of participating institutions of higher education of the consortium, if applicable) have worked or will work collaboratively to design new or revised curricula that recognize the specialized pedagogy required to teach science, technology, engineering, and mathematics effectively in elementary schools and secondary schools;

(C) the extent to which the applicant (and the participating institutions of higher education of the consortium, if applicable) is committed to making the program a central organizational focus;

(D) the degree to which the proposed programming will enable scholarship or stipend recipients to become successful mathematics and science teachers;

(E) the number and academic qualifications of the students who will be served by the program; and

(F) the ability of the applicant (and the participating institutions of higher education of the consortium, if applicable) to recruit students who would otherwise not pursue a career in teaching in elementary schools or secondary schools, students who are individuals identified in section 1885a or 1885b of this title, and veterans.

(1) In generalScholarships under this section shall be available only to students who—

(A) are majoring in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics; and

(B) have attained at least junior status in a baccalaureate degree program.

(2) Selection

(3) Amount

(4) Service obligation

(d) Stipends

(1) In general

(2) Selection

(3) Amount and duration

(4) Service obligation

(e) Conditions of supportAs a condition of acceptance of a scholarship or stipend under this section, a recipient of a scholarship or stipend shall enter into an agreement with the eligible entity—

(1) accepting the terms of the scholarship or stipend pursuant to subsection (c) or subsection (d);

(2) agreeing to provide the eligible entity with annual certification of employment and up-to-date contact information and to participate in surveys conducted by the eligible entity as part of an ongoing assessment program; and

(3) establishing that if the service obligation required under this section is not completed, all or a portion of the scholarship or stipend received under this section shall be repaid in accordance with subsection (g).

(f) Collection for noncompliance

(1) Monitoring compliance

(2) Collection of repayment

(A) In generalIn the event that a scholarship or stipend recipient is required to repay the scholarship or stipend under subsection (g), the eligible entity shall—

(i) be responsible for determining the repayment amounts and for notifying the recipient and the Director of the amount owed; and

(ii) collect such repayment amount within a period of time as determined under the agreement described in paragraph (1), or the repayment amount shall be treated as a loan in accordance with subparagraph (C).

(B) Returned to Treasury

(g) Failure to complete service obligation

(1) General ruleIf an individual who has received a scholarship or stipend under this section—

(A) fails to maintain an acceptable level of academic standing in the educational institution in which the individual is enrolled, as determined by the Director;

(B) is dismissed from such educational institution for disciplinary reasons;

(D) declares that the individual does not intend to fulfill the service obligation under this section; or

(E) fails to fulfill the service obligation of the individual under this section,

such individual shall be liable to the United States as provided in paragraph (2).

(2) Amount of repayment

(A) Less than one year of service

(B) More than one year of serviceIf a circumstance described in subparagraph (D) or (E) of paragraph (1) occurs after the completion of 1 year of a service obligation under this section—

(i) for a scholarship recipient, the total amount of scholarship awards received by the individual under this section, reduced by the ratio of the number of years of service completed divided by the number of years of service required, shall be repaid or such amount shall be treated as a loan to be repaid in accordance with subparagraph (C); and

(ii) for a stipend recipient, one-half of the total amount of stipends received by the individual under this section shall be repaid or such amount shall be treated as a loan to be repaid in accordance with subparagraph (C).

(3) Exceptions

(h) Data collection

(i) DefinitionsIn this section—

(1) the term “cost of attendance” has the meaning given such term in section 472 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087ll);

(2) the term “eligible entity” means—

(A) an institution of higher education; or

(B) an institution of higher education that receives grant funds on behalf of a consortium of institutions of higher education;

(3) the term “fellowship” means an award to an individual under section 1862n–1a of this title;

(4) the term “high need local educational agency” has the meaning given such term in section 201 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1021);

(5) the term “mathematics and science teacher” means a science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or computer science and artificial intelligence, including cybersecurity, teacher at the elementary school or secondary school level;

(6) the term “scholarship” means an award under subsection (c);

(7) the term “science, technology, engineering, or mathematics professional” means an individual who holds a baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral degree in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or computer science, including cybersecurity, and is working in or had a career in such field or a related area; and

(8) the term “stipend” means an award under subsection (d).

(j) Mathematics and science scholarship gift fund

(k) Assessment of teacher service and retentionNot later than 4 years after August 9, 2007, the Director shall transmit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Science and Technology of the House of Representatives a report on the effectiveness of the programs carried out under this section and section 1862n–1a of this title. The report shall include the proportion of individuals receiving scholarships, stipends, or fellowships under the program who—

(1) fulfill the individuals’ service obligation required under this section or section 1862n–1a of this title;

(2) remain in the teaching profession beyond the individuals’ service obligation; and

(3) remain in the teaching profession in a high need local educational agency beyond the individuals’ service obligation.

(l) Evaluation

(Pub. L. 107–368, § 10, Dec. 19, 2002, 116 Stat. 3049; Pub. L. 110–69, title VII, § 7030, Aug. 9, 2007, 121 Stat. 698; Pub. L. 114–59, § 4(b), Oct. 7, 2015, 129 Stat. 541; Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title XVI, § 1649C, Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1756; Pub. L. 115–303, § 2(a)(1), Dec. 11, 2018, 132 Stat. 4399; Pub. L. 116–115, § 3(d), Feb. 11, 2020, 134 Stat. 107; Pub. L. 116–283, div. E, title LIV, § 5401(e)(2)(C), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4543.)