Bill > HB792

This bill establishes and modifies the Teacher Recruitment and Retention State Scholarship Program, which will provide scholarships to eligible students pursuing teacher education in Missouri. The program will incrementally increase the number of available scholarships from 200 to 600 annually between 2025 and 2030, with maximum award amounts ranging from $1.2 million to $3.4 million. To be eligible, students must be U.S. citizens and Missouri residents, pursue a state-approved teacher education program, maintain at least a 2.5 GPA, and commit to teaching for two years in a hard-to-staff school or teaching a hard-to-staff subject area for each year of scholarship received. Students who do not fulfill their teaching commitment will have their scholarship converted to a loan with interest. The bill also creates a dedicated scholarship fund in the state treasury, and allows for scholarship deferment under certain circumstances like graduate school enrollment or military service. Additionally, the program will prioritize students who have completed community college credits, have an associate degree, or have significant progress toward a bachelor's degree, and requires students to first seek federal grant funding before receiving these scholarships.

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB792&year=2025&code=R