Ch. 561

LAWS OF MARYLAND

(a)  The Administration annually shall award to eligible
applicants tuition assistance for the education of persons to
teach in areas of critical shortage.

(b)  A recipient of a tuition assistance award shall:

(1)  Be a resident of this State;

(2)  Qualify as follows:

(i) Have earned 60 credits of undergraduate
collegiate education and be enrolled in or sign a letter of
intent to enroll in a program leading to certification to teach
in an area of critical shortage and be selected by the
Administration on a competitive basis among qualified applicants
based on academic criteria, not limited to standardized tests,
established by the State Board of Education; or

(ii) Have an undergraduate or graduate degree
and be enrolled in or sign a letter of intent to enroll in
courses leading to certification to teach in an area of critical
shortage and be selected among qualified applicants on a
competitive basis based on academic criteria established by the
State Board of Education; or

(iii) Persons who are already teachers shall:

1.  Have a nomination from the
superintendent of schools of the system in which the person
teaches or intends to teach; and

2.  Enroll as a [full-time] student in
courses required for teacher certification in an academic area in
which there is a critical shortage of teachers; and

3.  Be selected by the Administration on a
competitive basis among qualified applicants based on criteria
established by the State Board of Education;

(3)  Sign a letter of intent as follows:

(i) A nondegreed recipient who is not already a
teacher shall be enrolled in or sign a letter of intent to enroll
at an eligible institution as a [full-time] student in an
undergraduate program necessary for teacher education; or

(ii) A degreed recipient shall enroll in or
sign a letter of intent to enroll in courses leading to
certification to teach in a field of critical shortage; or

(iii) A recipient who is already a teacher
shall sign a letter of intent to enroll at an eligible
institution as a [full-time] student in a teacher certification

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