Q: If I am selected as a Teaching Fellow, what are my obligations?
A: Accept the scholarship offer and secure a co-signer for the promissory note. (Co-signer must be a parent if you are under 18)
and
Enroll as a full-time student at an institution designated by the Teaching Fellows Commission for the academic year after receiving the award. There are 18 colleges designated as Teaching Fellows schools.
Pursue studies as a full-time student leading to licensure at graduation to teach in North Carolina’s public schools.
Maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average on work attempted by the end of the first semester of the freshman year and a 2.25 by the end of the freshman year. By the end of the sophomore year, Teaching Fellows will be required to have a 2.50 cumulative grade point average on work attempted, and meet the requirements for admission to the teacher education program. Campuses may have different GPA requirements for admission into Teacher Education.
Participate in special summer programs each summer, and other special activities as established by the Teaching Fellows Commission and campus programs. Summer programs may vary in length from seven days to employment/internship in summer schools or with other state agencies or businesses. Up to $400 per year of the Teaching Fellows award is held in escrow to defray the costs of the summer programs.
If male, show evidence of registration with the military selective service.
Q: How many years do I have to repay the scholarship/loan? Can I do graduate work or begin a family and still fulfill my obligations for repayment?
A: You will have seven years after graduation from college to repay your obligation to the state of North Carolina by teaching as a licensed full-time teacher in a NC public school. If you teach for four of the seven years your debt is repaid. If you do not teach, you will begin repayment of the loan, with a 10% interest charge, payable in equal installments over a period of seven years. You do not have to begin teaching or repaying the loan immediately after graduation if you are enrolled as a full-time graduate student at an institution of higher education. If you begin teaching and leave for graduate work or to begin a family, you are not obligated to begin repayment until such time as you no longer have enough years remaining to fulfill your teaching obligation. The Commission can, on request, make an exception in cases of emergency. If you withdraw from the program, or if you are removed from the program because you do not meet the required GPA/credit hours or are not attending required activities, your scholarship loan repayment begins 180 days from notification, even if you are still attending college.
Q: Will I be guaranteed a job when I graduate?
A: No, but with the additional teacher allotments and the increased student enrollment in North Carolina, there will be a strong demand for new teachers. Also, the status and quality of Teaching Fellows are such that school districts are eager to employ those who have completed the program. Due to supply and demand, Fellows are encouraged to consider all job opportunities regardless of locale in North Carolina.
Q: What are some of the features of the Teaching Fellows Program that make it different from other scholarships or teacher education programs?
A: Teaching Fellows will be recognized on each campus as outstanding students and future teachers. Every effort will be made, through a variety of training experiences, to expose Teaching Fellows to the worlds of education and business. Classes, seminars, field trips, internships, conferences, and social and cultural events will be integrated into your program during the academic year, and during the summer months. Many campuses will have faculty mentors or teachers from elementary and secondary schools working with Teaching Fellows on a one-to-one basis as a coach and advisor. Some campus programs include travel and study abroad.
Q: Do I have to live on campus?
A: Teaching Fellows must live on campus during their freshman year, and reside on site for all summer experiences. No exceptions will be made for any reason for freshman residency. Several institutions make arrangements for you to live in the same dorm with other Teaching Fellows. Several institutions have additional on-campus residency requirements beyond the freshman year. Please see page 2 in Document A of the application materials for further information.
Q: Does this scholarship automatically guarantee my acceptance as a student at one of the schools listed?
A: No. You must apply to and be accepted by the institution you wish to attend. This includes requests for housing, and all other requirements of application by that particular institution. We encourage applicants to apply to at least their first, second, and third choice institutions.
Since the Commission has set a limit of 45 Teaching Fellows per campus, you may not be able to attend your first choice institution if you accept a Teaching Fellows award. Institution choices must be made carefully. Teaching Fellows identified as regional finalists will have an opportunity to make a final selection for their first, second, third, fourth and fifth choice institutions on the day of their regional interview.
These choices are final.
Q: What would happen if I decided to transfer to another college?
A: You may remain in the Teaching Fellows Program as long as you transfer to another institution participating in the program, provided space is available in your class in the Teaching Fellows Program on that campus. There are 18 institutions where the Teaching Fellows Program is currently being offered – Appalachian State University, Campbell University, East Carolina University, Elizabeth City State University, Elon College, Lenoir-Rhyne College, Meredith College, NC A & T State University, NC Central University, NC State University, Queens University of Charlotte, UNC-Asheville, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC-Charlotte, UNC-Greensboro, UNC-Pembroke, UNC-Wilmington, and Western Carolina University. If you decide to transfer to an institution not offering the Teaching Fellows Program, you will be required to repay any amount of the scholarship, with 10% interest, which you had received to that date. Payment would begin 180 days after notification. Teaching Fellows freshmen may NOT transfer until the sophomore year.
