TITLE 5               POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION

CHAPTER 7       TUITION AND FINANCIAL AID

PART 35              GROW YOUR OWN TEACHERS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

 

5.7.35.1                 ISSUING AGENCY:  New Mexico Higher Education Department.

[5.7.35.1 NMAC - N, 8/13/2019]

 

5.7.35.2                 SCOPE:  Provisions of 5.7.35 NMAC apply to all public schools, public post-secondary institutions and tribal colleges in the state of New Mexico.

[5.7.35.2 NMAC - N, 8/13/2019]

 

5.7.35.3                 STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Section 9-25-1 et seq. NMSA 1978 and Chapter 230, Laws of 2019.

[5.7.35.3 NMAC - N, 8/13/2019]

 

5.7.35.4                 DURATION:  Permanent.

[5.7.35.4 NMAC - N, 8/13/2019]

 

5.7.35.5                 EFFECTIVE DATE:  August 13, 2019, unless a later date is cited at the end of a section.

[5.7.35.5 NMAC - N, 8/13/2019]

 

5.7.35.6                 OBJECTIVE:  The objective of 5.7.35 NMAC is to provide a guideline for implementing the grow your own teachers program created by the Grow Your Own Teachers Act (the Act).  The purpose of the program is to encourage school employees at public schools in New Mexico to complete a public education department approved teacher preparation program at a New Mexico public post-secondary educational institution or a tribal college.  The program provides for professional leave and scholarship awards to qualified school employees.  The scholarship is intended to help defray the educational expenses charged by the institution including tuition, fees, books and course supplies.

[5.7.35.6 NMAC - N, 8/13/2019; A, 8/10/2021]

 

5.7.35.7                 DEFINITIONS:

                A.            “Academic year” means any consecutive period of two semesters, three quarters or other comparable units commencing with the fall term each year.

                B.            “Award recipient” means a school employee awarded a scholarship.

                C.            “Department” means the New Mexico higher education department.

                D.            “FAFSA” means the free application for federal student aid.

                E.            “Half-time” means a student is meeting the institution’s criteria of half-time enrollment in its teacher preparation program. The institution’s determination may take into account the student’s average enrollment for the academic year and the completion of the public education department’s licensure requirements.

                F.            “Institution” means a regionally accredited New Mexico public post-secondary institution or regionally accredited tribal college.

                G.            “Public post-secondary educational institution” means a research or comprehensive institution, as defined in Article XII, Section 11 of the Constitution of the State of New Mexico, and branch community colleges or community college or technical and vocational institute as defined by Section 21-13, 14 and 16 NMSA 1978.

                H.            “Public school” means a school operating under Article XII of the Constitution of the State of New Mexico and includes constitutional special schools, state institutions and state, federal, or tribal agencies that educate children.

                I.             “Satisfactory academic progress” means maintaining the required academic progress toward program completion as determined by the institution.

                J.             “Scholarship” means a grow your own teachers program award.

                K.            “School employee” means a resident of New Mexico who is authorized to work in the United States and who has been employed by a public school in a position that works directly with students for at least two years and is in good standing with the school district and who is enrolled in or accepted by an undergraduate teacher preparation program at a regionally accredited public post-secondary educational institution in New Mexico.

                L.            “Teacher preparation program” means a program that has been formally approved as meeting the requirements of the public education department and that leads to level one teacher licensure, including a program in a two-year post-secondary educational institution that meets the requirements for a teacher education transfer module established pursuant to Subsection C of Section 21-1B-4 NMSA 1978.

                M.           “Tribal college” means a tribally, federally or congressionally chartered post-secondary educational institution with a physical campus in New Mexico that is accredited by the higher learning commission.

[5.7.35.7 NMAC - N, 8/13/2019; A, 8/10/2021]

 

5.7.35.8                 STUDENT ELIGIBILITY AND AWARD PROCESS:

                A.            A scholarship may be granted to a school employee who:

                                (1)           is authorized to work in the United States and resident of New Mexico as defined in 5.7.18.9 NMAC;

                                (2)           is accepted into an accredited public education department approved teacher preparation program at an eligible institution;

                                (3)           has not earned appropriate educational credentials to be licensed as a teacher by the public education department;

                                (4)           has demonstrated financial need as determined by the institution or the student’s FAFSA; and

                                (5)           is in good standing with the public school.

                B.            The teacher preparation program at the institution shall make awards to students who meet the provisions of Subsection A of 5.7.35.8 NMAC, based on the recommendations of a committee appointed for that purpose.  The committee shall prioritize awards to school employees that:

                                (1)           are closest to overall completion of the teacher preparation program;

                                (2)           serve in a bilingual education setting;

                                (3)           serve in an early childhood education setting;

                                (4)           serve in a special education setting; or

                                (5)           serve in a high-need teacher position as defined by the public education department.

                C.            Award recipients shall petition the public school in which they are employed to grant paid professional leave for college classes, examinations and practice teaching as needed.  The form to petition paid professional leave shall be promulgated by the department and made available at the institution.  It is the award recipient’s responsibility to ensure the petition form is submitted and approved by the public school.

[5.7.35.8 NMAC - N, 8/13/2019; A, 8/10/2021]

 

5.7.35.9                 AMOUNT OF SCHOLARSHIP AND DURATION:

                A.            Institutions shall make awards to qualifying school employees based on financial need.  The following provisions shall also apply to the scholarship:

                                (1)           each scholarship award is for a period of one semester;

                                (2)           the scholarship may apply to educational expenses including tuition, fees, books and course supplies; and

                                (3)           awards shall not exceed six thousand dollars ($6,000) per academic year.

                B.            An award recipient may not receive more than five academic years of the scholarship.  A scholarship may be renewed as long as the student continues to meet the conditions of eligibility in Subsection A of 5.7.35.8 NMAC and maintains satisfactory academic progress or until the student graduates from an eligible institution.

[5.7.35.9 NMAC - N, 8/13/2019; A, 8/10/2021]

 

5.7.35.10               ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROGRAM:

                A.            Institutions shall:

                                (1)           determine initial and continuing student eligibility for the scholarship based on the provisions in Section 8 and Section 9 of 5.7.35 NMAC;

                                (2)           distribute awards to qualifying eligible students; and

                                (3)           provide information to the department on an annual basis to be used by the department for calculation of the allocation to the institution. Required information shall include:

                                                (a)           income reported on the FAFSA; and

                                                (b)           the number of students enrolled in a public education department approved teacher preparation program at the public post-secondary institution or tribal college.

                                (4)           annually report the number of students awarded a scholarship who meet the provisions of Subsection B of 5.7.35.8 NMAC.

                B.            The department shall allocate money to public post-secondary educational institutions or tribal colleges based on a student need formula calculated according to:

                                (1)           income reported on the FAFSA; and

                                (2)           the number of students enrolled in a public education department approved teacher preparation program at the institution.

                C.            The public school shall:

                                (1)           grant paid professional leave if the school employee is a recipient of a scholarship pursuant to the Act and the professional leave minimizes disruption to the school day. The public school may require school employees to make up hours in exchange for hours missed during the school day; and

                                (2)           allow the school employee to use the distance education resources of the school district to take classes if an educational assistant who is accepted into or enrolled in a teacher preparation program offered by an eligible institution does not live within a reasonable distance of the institution's campus.

[5.7.35.10 NMAC - N, 8/13/2019; A, 8/10/2021]

 

5.7.35.11               TERMINATION OF SCHOLARSHIP:  A scholarship is terminated upon occurrence of one or more of the following by the award recipient:

                A.            withdrawal from the institution or from the teacher preparation program;

                B.            failure to maintain at least half-time enrollment;

                C.            failure to achieve satisfactory academic progress; or

                D.            substantial noncompliance with the Act or the provisions of 5.7.35 NMAC.

[5.7.35.11 NMAC - N, 8/13/2019]

 

HISTORY OF 5.7.35 NMAC:  [RESERVED]