Virginia Teaching Scholarship Loan Program (VTSLP)

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Virginia Teaching Scholarship Loan Program (VTSLP) is to provide financial support to students who are interested in pursuing a teaching career in one of the top ten critical shortage teaching areas.  The critical shortage teaching areas are determined annually through the Supply and Demand Survey for School Personnel, based on data received by school divisions in Virginia.  Refer to  Educator Workforce Data & Reports for current critical shortage area reports.

Eligibility Criteria

Subject to available funding, these scholarship loans are for teacher candidates, including graduate students and paraprofessionals from Virginia school divisions enrolled in an approved teacher education program at an accredited Virginia public or private four-year institution of higher education in the Commonwealth.  Candidates must (i) be enrolled full-time or part-time in an approved undergraduate or graduate teacher education program or are participants in another approved teacher education program; (ii) have maintained a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.7 on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent; and (iii) be nominated for such scholarship by the institution where they are enrolled and meet the criteria and qualifications, pursuant to § 22.1-290.01, Code of Virginia, except as provided herein.  Awards shall be made to candidates who are enrolled full-time or part-time in an approved undergraduate or graduate teacher education programs in one of the top ten critical teacher shortage disciplines; however, a minority teacher candidates may be enrolled in any content area for teacher preparation.  Teacher candidates who previously received funding through the Virginia Teaching Scholarship Loan Program are not eligible.

Application and Award Procedure

Eligible candidates must be nominated by the institution.  Nominees must submit a complete application for a Virginia Teaching Scholarship Loan directly to the regionally accredited public or private four-year Virginia college or university with a state-approved teacher education program. Only the dean/chair, director or other authorized designee of teacher education in accordance with the procedures established by the student’s home institution may submit completed applications to the Virginia Department of Education.  Those students selected for the scholarship loan will be notified by the Virginia Department of Education.  The students will be required to submit a signed, notarized Promissory Note to the Virginia Department of Education.  Through the VTSLP, eligible students may receive a scholarship loan for as much as $10,000 per academic year for full-time students and will be prorated for part-time students based on the number of credit hours.

Obligation Fulfillment

Upon program completion, the recipients of the Virginia Teaching Scholarship Loan are expected to teach in the public schools of the Commonwealth in the first full academic year after becoming eligible for a renewable teaching license and shall fulfill the teaching obligation in accordance with the Promissory Note by teaching full-time under contract continuously in Virginia for at least two years in a school division (i) in one of the critical teacher shortage disciplines as established by the Board of Education; or (ii) in a Virginia public school with 50 percent or more of the students eligible for free or reduced price lunch; or (iii) in a school division designated critical shortage subject area, as defined in the Board of Education's Regulations Governing the Determination of Critical Teacher Shortage Areas.  Scholarship recipients who only complete one year of the teaching obligation shall be forgiven for one-half of the scholarship loan amount.

If the recipient fails to honor the obligation, the scholarship loan must be paid back to the Commonwealth of Virginia.