Tennessee Code Title 49. Education § 49-4-701

(a) This section is known and may be cited as the “Tennessee Future Teacher Scholarship Act of 2023.”

(b) As used in this section:

(c) Subject to available funding, TSAC shall administer a five-year pilot program to award a Tennessee Future Teacher scholarship to future educators.  The pilot program begins with the 2023-2024 academic year and terminates on July 1, 2028.

(d) To be eligible for a Tennessee Future Teacher scholarship, an eligible candidate must:

(e) If an eligible candidate ceases to be eligible for the Tennessee Future Teacher scholarship at any time for any reason, then the eligible candidate is not eligible to regain the scholarship.

(f) If an eligible candidate is awarded a Tennessee Future Teacher scholarship, then the eligible candidate may continue to receive a Tennessee Future Teacher scholarship under this section until the occurrence of the first of the following events:

(g) An eligible candidate who receives a Tennessee Future Teacher scholarship may transfer from one (1) eligible postsecondary institution to another eligible postsecondary institution without loss of the scholarship so long as the eligible candidate continues to meet all eligibility requirements for the scholarship

(h) Subject to the amounts appropriated by the general assembly, the amount of the Tennessee Future Teacher scholarship is three thousand five hundred dollars ($3,500).  A Tennessee Future Teacher scholarship may be awarded to an eligible candidate each academic year the eligible candidate is enrolled in an approved EPP.

(i) If an eligible candidate receives a Tennessee Future Teacher scholarship, but does not teach in a targeted setting for two (2) consecutive years, then the eligible candidate must reimburse TSAC for each year the eligible candidate did not teach in a targeted setting in an amount equal to the total scholarship amount the eligible candidate received pursuant to this section divided by two (2), without interest.

(j) TSAC may promulgate rules to effectuate the purposes of this section, including establishing reimbursement requirements pursuant to subsection (i).  The rules must be promulgated in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5.

(k) The office of research and education accountability (OREA), in the office of the comptroller of treasury, shall review and study the pilot program created in this section and the Tennessee Future Teacher scholarships awarded through the pilot program to determine the effectiveness of the scholarships in increasing the number of licensed educators in this state.  The study must be conducted in the third and fifth year of the pilot program and four (4) years after the program terminates on July 1, 2028.  The OREA shall report its findings and conclusions of each study to the speakers of the senate and house of representatives and to the education committees of the senate and house of representatives by December 31 each year a study is conducted.