{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-70-70-698.1","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 70, § 70-698.1","heading":"Inspired to Teach Program","body":"A. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education shall\n\nestablish and maintain an incentive scholarship program and teacher\n\nemployment incentive program, as funding is available, to encourage\n\nthe preparation of public school teachers for prekindergarten\n\nthrough twelfth grade, including minority teachers, at all state\n\npublic higher education institutions or private higher education\n\ninstitutions accredited pursuant to Section 4103 of this title and\n\nincentivize employment as public teachers for prekindergarten\n\nthrough twelfth grade in the state for at least five (5) years, to\n\nbe known as the Inspired to Teach Program. Prospective teachers\n\nplanning to pursue an undergraduate teacher education program at an\n\naccredited Oklahoma teacher preparation program shall be considered\n\nif they graduated from high school, completed high-school level\n\ninstruction at home, or completed General Educational Development\n\n(GED) test requirements; meet the higher education admission\n\nstandards; and declare a pre-education major or major in an approved\n\nOklahoma teacher preparation degree program leading to a standard\n\nteaching certificate.\n\nB. To the extent that funds are available, scholarships,\n\nrenewable for up to three (3) additional years for qualified\n\nstudents meeting satisfactory academic progress standards in\n\ncompleting a teacher preparation degree program leading to a\n\nstandard teaching certificate, shall be awarded to cover costs of\n\ntuition, general enrollment fees, other fees, books, materials, and\n\nservices provided by the institution, including room and board, in\n\nthe following manner:\n\n1. One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) per academic year for up to\n\nthree (3) academic years for full-time students who have earned less\n\nthan ninety (90) credit hours; and\n\n2. Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) for the final\n\nacademic year for full-time students who have earned ninety (90) or\n\nmore credit hours.\n\nThe maximum amount of scholarship funds awarded as provided in this\n\nsubsection to any qualified student shall not exceed Five Thousand\n\nFive Hundred Dollars ($5,500.00).\n\nC. As used in this section, \"full-time student\" means:\n\n1. An undergraduate student enrolled in twelve (12) or more\n\nsemester credits toward teacher education degree requirements;\n\n2. An undergraduate student who is a teacher education major\n\nwho is enrolled in or has completed an internship or student\n\nteaching credit hours in order to complete the degree program prior\n\nto certification and who has been approved to take less than twelve\n\n(12) credit hours; or\n\n3. An undergraduate student who is a teacher education major\n\nwith an approved reasonable accommodation from Student Accessibility\n\nServices at the institution due to a documented disability and who\n\nhas been approved to take less than twelve (12) credit hours.\n\nD. It is the intent of the Oklahoma Legislature that the\n\nOklahoma State Regents for Higher Education create a committee\n\ncomposed of educators, teacher educators from the participating\n\ninstitutions, and representatives of the public schools and the\n\nState Department of Education to provide recommendations to the\n\nState Regents to improve effectiveness of the Inspired to Teach\n\nProgram. The committee shall prepare and deliver a report on the\n\nprogram to the Legislature on or before July 1 of each year.\n\nE. Each scholarship participant, prior to entry into the\n\nInspired to Teach Program, shall have agreed to teach in an Oklahoma\n\npublic prekindergarten through twelfth grade school for a minimum of\n\nfive (5) consecutive years upon graduation and licensure as a\n\nteacher. Any scholarship participant failing to maintain a 2.5\n\ngrade point average throughout matriculation, changing to an\n\nineligible area of study, failing to meet satisfactory academic\n\nprogress standards, withdrawing or otherwise leaving school, or\nan Oklahoma\n\npublic prekindergarten through twelfth grade school for a minimum of\n\nfive (5) consecutive years upon graduation and licensure as a\n\nteacher. Any scholarship participant failing to maintain a 2.5\n\ngrade point average throughout matriculation, changing to an\n\nineligible area of study, failing to meet satisfactory academic\n\nprogress standards, withdrawing or otherwise leaving school, or\n\nfailing to meet requirements for licensure and certification to\n\nteach as established by law shall be subject to disqualification\n\nfrom the program.\n\nF. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education are\n\nauthorized to make employment incentive payments pursuant to the\n\nprovisions of this section to Inspired to Teach Program participants\n\nwho are employed as traditionally certified teachers in Oklahoma\n\npublic prekindergarten through twelfth grade schools following\n\ngraduation. Incentive payments may be awarded following each\n\nconsecutive year of satisfactory service as documented by the\n\nemploying school district, up to five (5) years of service for\n\nscholarship recipients as provided in subsection A of this section,\n\nupon graduation from an accredited Oklahoma teacher preparation\n\ndegree program. The maximum amount of employment incentive payments\n\nfor any qualified participant shall be Four Thousand Dollars\n\n($4,000.00) per year for up to five (5) years, not to exceed a total\n\nof Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00) per participant.\n\nG. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education shall\n\nrequire the execution of appropriate contracts with eligible\n\nInspired to Teach Program participants. Participants failing to\n\ncomply with the requirements of this section or failing to provide\n\ncurrent contact information shall not be eligible for the employment\n\nincentive payments provided for in this section. The Chancellor of\n\nthe Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, with the approval\n\nof the State Regents, may contract with any other appropriate\n\norganization or unit of government for the administration of the\n\nprovisions of this section.\n\nH. If sufficient funds are not available for employment\n\nincentive payments to qualified participants during any fiscal year,\n\nthe Chancellor may make reductions in the payments made to qualified\n\nparticipants.\n\nI. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education may, at the\n\ntime an award is made on behalf of the Inspired to Teach Program,\n\nset aside funds for the full commitment made to an eligible student.\n\nJ. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education may utilize\n\nInspired to Teach Program designated funds for administration of the\n\nprogram.","path":["OK Code","Title 70"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os70.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"07eef1296e19a8c0d8c8972973dfe4637aa87867fbcd6946790b46c1884a3877","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-70-70-698","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-70-70-698.3"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}