SB7 Summary

• Creates the Oklahoma Teacher Recruitment Academy administered by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to provide tuition and mandatory fee assistance to students pursuing bachelor's degrees in teacher preparation programs in critical shortage subject areas.

• State Department of Education must identify and publish the top five critical shortage subject areas by July 30, 2025, and every three years thereafter, based on educator supply-and-demand studies.

• Eligible participants must enroll in Oklahoma State System of Higher Education institutions, execute an agreement to teach in a critical shortage subject area in public schools for one year per academic year of assistance received, and exhaust federal and state education benefits first.

• Assistance is capped at $10,000,000 per academic year, provided on a first-come, first-served basis, and recipients who fail to meet agreement requirements must repay assistance calculated on a pro-rata monthly basis, though hardship waivers are available.

• Creates the Oklahoma Teacher Recruitment Academy Revolving Fund in the State Treasury funded by legislative appropriations, with participating institutions required to develop public awareness programs; State Regents must submit annual reports by July 30 beginning in 2026.