SB225 - Alabama Teacher Initiative

• Establishes the Alabama Teacher Initiative to provide scholarships for teacher preparation program students enrolled in Alabama public two-year or four-year colleges who commit to teach in rural areas for five years after certification.

• Phases in 200 total scholarships per year beginning with 50 scholarships in academic year 2021-2022, with ACHE and participating colleges jointly selecting up to 50 incoming first-year students annually.

• Targets scholarships for students pursuing certification in STEM-related fields or special education for grades 7-12, defined by current state and national data identifying rural areas with greatest teacher need.

• Requires students to execute a service contract with ACHE committing to complete their degree and certification within four years and teach in designated rural areas for five years after certification.

• Funds the scholarship program through legislative appropriation to ACHE, which administers the program and makes annual funding requests; students who fail to comply with service contract terms must repay all scholarship funds received plus interest.