Maryland Education Section 18-703

      (a)      (1)      In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.

            (2)      "Area of critical shortage" means an academic field or educational service identified by the State Board of Education in accordance with the provisions of subsection (g) of this section as having projected employment vacancies which substantially exceed projected qualified graduates.

            (3)      "Area of geographic shortage" means a geographic area of the State identified by the State Board of Education as less able than others in the State to satisfy the need for public school teachers in an academic field identified for at least 3 years as an area of critical shortage.

            (4)      "Degreed recipient" means a recipient of a tuition assistance grant under this section who possesses an undergraduate or graduate degree.

            (5)      "Educational service" means speech language pathology or audiology services.

            (6)      "Eligible institution" means an accredited college or university that has a program of undergraduate or graduate studies that would certify the recipient to teach in this State in an area of critical shortage and which is:

                  (i)      Authorized by the Maryland Higher Education Commission; and

                  (ii)      Approved by the State Board of Education.

            (7)      "Nondegreed recipient" means a recipient of a tuition assistance grant awarded under this section who does not possess an undergraduate or graduate degree in an area of critical shortage.

            (8)      "Public school" means a school in the public elementary and secondary education system in this State.

            (9)      "Service obligation" means to teach in the State in an area of geographic or critical shortage in a public school.

            (10)      "Teach" includes providing an educational service.

            (11)      "Teacher" includes an individual who provides an educational service in a public school.

            (12)      "Teacher recipient" means a recipient of a tuition assistance grant awarded under this section employed or certified as a teacher in a field which is not an area of critical shortage.

            (13)      "Tuition assistance" means any funds provided for the cost of basic instructional charges, fees, room, board, or other related educational expenses.

      (b)      (1)      Economic Development Student Assistance Grants to be known as the Sharon Christa McAuliffe Memorial Teacher Education Award may be awarded as teacher education tuition assistance grants.

            (2)      The Office shall award annually to eligible applicants tuition assistance grants for the education of persons to teach in areas of critical or geographic shortage.

            (3)      The recipient of a teacher education tuition assistance grant shall use the award at an eligible institution.

            (4)      The State Board of Education may adopt rules and regulations to determine academic criteria for selection of tuition assistance recipients from eligible applicants.

      (c)      A recipient of a tuition assistance grant shall:

            (1)      Qualify as follows:

                  (i)      Have earned 60 credits of undergraduate collegiate education and be enrolled in or sign a letter of intent to enroll in a program leading to certification to teach in an area of critical or geographic shortage and be selected by the Office on a competitive basis among qualified applicants based on academic criteria, not limited to standardized tests, established by the State Board of Education;

                  (ii)      Have earned an undergraduate or graduate degree on or after January 1, 1986, and be enrolled in or sign a letter of intent to enroll in courses leading to certification to teach in an area of critical or geographic shortage and be selected among qualified applicants on a competitive basis based on academic criteria established by the State Board of Education;

                  (iii)      Have earned an undergraduate or graduate degree on or before December 31, 1985, and be enrolled in or sign a letter of intent to enroll in courses leading to certification to teach in an area of critical or geographic shortage and be selected among qualified applicants on a competitive basis based on criteria established by the State Board of Education that exclude consideration of the applicant's grade point average; or

                  (iv)      Persons who are already teachers shall:

                        1.      Be nominated by the superintendent of schools of the system in which the person teaches or intends to teach;

                        2.      Enroll as a student in courses required for teacher certification in an academic area in which there is a critical or geographic shortage of teachers; and

                        3.      Be selected by the Office on a competitive basis among qualified applicants based on criteria established by the State Board of Education;

            (2)      Sign a letter of intent as follows:

                  (i)      A nondegreed recipient who is not already a teacher shall be enrolled in or sign a letter of intent to enroll in an eligible institution as a student in an undergraduate program necessary for teacher education;

                  (ii)      A degreed recipient shall enroll in or sign a letter of intent to enroll in courses leading to certification to teach in an area of critical or geographic shortage; or

                  (iii)      A recipient who is already a teacher shall sign a letter of intent to enroll in an eligible institution as a student in a teacher certification program in an area in which there is a critical or geographic shortage of teachers;

            (3)      Perform the service obligation upon completion of required studies;

            (4)      Maintain a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and advance in academic standing at least 1 year in each year in which an award is renewed; and

            (5)      Satisfy whatever other criteria the Office and the State Board of Education establish.

      (d)      Grants to teacher recipients may not be used to supplant retraining efforts by local boards of education.

      (e)      (1)      For a full-time student, the annual amount of tuition assistance shall be equal to the cost of tuition, mandatory fees, and room and board, not to exceed the lesser of costs incurred for the program required for teacher certification in an area of critical or geographic shortage or the sum of these costs for a full-time undergraduate in-State resident student at the 4-year public institution of higher education within the University System of Maryland, other than the University of Maryland University College and University of Maryland, Baltimore, with the highest annual expenses for a full-time resident undergraduate.

            (2)      For a part-time student, the amount of an award may not exceed the applicable cost of tuition and mandatory fees for a comparable undergraduate in-State student at the 4-year public institution of higher education within the University System of Maryland, other than the University of Maryland University College and University of Maryland, Baltimore, with the highest annual expenses for a full-time resident undergraduate.

      (f)      (1)      A nondegreed recipient may renew an award for 1 year if the recipient:

                  (i)      Remains an undergraduate student in an area of critical or geographic shortage; and

                  (ii)      Maintains a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and advances in academic standing at least 1 year for each year for which an award is renewed.

            (2)      A degreed recipient and a teacher recipient may renew an award for 1 year if that recipient maintains a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

      (g)      (1)      The State Superintendent of Schools shall project annually the number of vacancies for employment expected in each of the subsequent 5 years in areas of critical or geographic shortage and the number of students expected to graduate from programs qualifying them to teach in these fields during the same period. The State Superintendent of Schools shall certify annually to the Office those programs that continue to be areas of critical or geographic shortage as evidenced by projected employment vacancies substantially exceeding projected qualified graduates.

            (2)      In any year in which an area is determined by the State Superintendent of Schools to no longer be an area of critical or geographic shortage, the Office shall discontinue making new awards in that area.

            (3)      Deletion of any academic field as an area of critical or geographic shortage does not:

                  (i)      Terminate the right of existing recipients to renew awards under § 18-704(d) of this subtitle; or

                  (ii)      If the recipient continues to teach in a public school in this State in that academic field, invoke the provisions of § 18-701(d)(1) of this subtitle or disqualify the recipient under the provisions of § 18-701(d)(2) of this subtitle.

      (h)      Funds for the Teacher Education Tuition Assistance Program shall be as provided in the annual budget of the Commission by the Governor.