Dual Enrollment Educator Scholarship Program.

(1) The Dual Enrollment Educator Scholarship Program is established to assist teachers of grades 9-12 in public schools in this state in obtaining the graduate degree and credentials necessary to provide dual enrollment coursework directly to students on the campuses of such schools.

(2) The Department of Education shall:

(a) Administer the scholarship program in accordance with rules adopted by the State Board of Education.

(b) In consultation with the Board of Governors, identify graduate-level degree programs offered at state universities which meet accrediting agency requirements for teaching general education core courses, as identified in s. 1007.25. The department shall provide the list of approved degree programs to school districts and post it on its website.

(c) In consultation with the Board of Governors, identify qualified degree programs that are available entirely online.

(d) Identify and prioritize districts for participation in the scholarship program based on each district’s ratio of students from low-income and moderate-income households, the availability of dual enrollment courses in the district, and the geographic proximity of high schools in the district to participating postsecondary institutions.

(e) Prioritize scholarship program applicants who are currently enrolled in an approved graduate program at a state university.

(f) Identify school districts with the highest need for teachers, as described in subsection (1), in which participants completing the scholarship program may teach to satisfy the requirement imposed by subparagraph (4)(a)3.

(3) A scholarship applicant must satisfy the following eligibility criteria:

(a) Be a certified teacher of grades 9-12 in a public school in this state.

(b) Be accepted into, or currently enrolled in, an approved graduate program in a subject within his or her area of certification, as identified pursuant to paragraph (2)(b).

(4)(a) As a condition of receiving a scholarship, the recipient must agree to do all of the following:

1. Complete the graduate degree program and additional required credentials within 3 academic years of the initial award.

2. Upon completion of the degree, teach at least one general education core course, as identified in s. 1007.25, per semester at a public school mutually agreed upon by the school district and the postsecondary institution. The recipient may teach additional courses at the school upon the approval of the school district and the postsecondary institution.

3. Remain in his or her district, or an eligible district as identified by the Department of Education, as a certified classroom teacher for at least 3 school years after completion of his or her degree.

(b) A scholarship recipient who does not complete an identified degree, or who does not complete at least 3 school years of service after the completion of an identified degree, must repay the amount of the scholarship to the Department of Education on a schedule determined by the department. The department may provide the teacher additional time to meet his or her service requirement if the department finds that circumstances beyond the control of the teacher caused or contributed to his or her failure to complete the degree or meet the service requirement.

(5) The scholarship must cover the full cost of tuition and fees, including a book stipend each semester, required to complete the teacher’s program.

(6) Funding for the Dual Enrollment Educator Scholarship Program is contingent upon the appropriation of funds in the General Appropriations Act.

(7) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to implement this section.