Ed. Code, § 44400.01

(a) The Student Teacher Stipend Program is hereby established to support prospective educators during their completion of 500 or more hours of student teaching as part of their credential program’s clinical practice and to provide additional support, through enhanced stipend awards authorized pursuant to this article, to prospective educators who commit to serve in a high-need field.

(b) (1) To improve both teacher retention and recruitment in California’s public school system, it is the intent of the Legislature to create a grant program to compensate student teachers, support credential attainment via clinically rich credential pathways, and support the prospective educator’s successful transition into local educational agency employment.

(2) It is further the intent of the Legislature to authorize the Student Teacher Stipend Program as an ongoing, annual program to support the recruitment and retention of prospective educators.

(3) It is further the intent of the Legislature to increase stipend amounts available, pursuant to this article, for prospective educators who commit to teaching in a priority school or high need field, in future years, subject to an appropriation for this purpose.

(c) Funding shall be provided under this article to the extent that funds have been appropriated for this purpose in the annual Budget Act or another statute.