Minority Teaching Fellows Program

Application found within the TSAC Student Portal | Rules

 The Minority Teaching Fellows Program is intended to encourage talented minority Tennesseans to enter the teaching field in Tennessee. The award is $5,000 per year for students who pursue a teacher certification at an eligible Tennessee college or university.

Those who accept the award must sign a promissory note and in doing so incur an obligation to teach PreK-12 in a Tennessee public school one year for each year the award is received. Recipients must be employed as a full-time teacher to be considered for forgiveness.

If recipients do not meet this obligation the award must be repaid to TSAC. Repayment will begin if the recipient does not complete the plan of study or is not employed at an eligible Pre-K through 12 eligible school. When a repayment schedule is reached, the interest accrues at 9% from the date of graduation or withdrawal date from the program.

Awards are made in equal installments each term throughout the academic year. The award may be renewed three times for a total of four years. The recipient must maintain at least a 2.5 cumulative grade point average and attend full-time to remain eligible.

To be eligible, the applicant must:

  • be a minority Tennessee resident and a U.S. citizen, and
  • be classified as a college junior, senior, or graduate student, and
  • be a full-time undergraduate student enrolled in courses creditable to teacher certification or
  • be at least a half-time graduate student enrolled in courses creditable to teacher certification, and
  • possess a 2.50 cumulative grade point average or higher if required if required by the teacher education program at the student’s institution of higher education
  • not be a licensed teacher
  •  a 250 word essay on “Why I Chose Teaching as a Profession”, and
  • letters of recommendation (from a school official and from a person in the applicant’s community) attesting to the student’s commitment to teaching , and
  • a list of extracurricular and leadership activities, and
  • all official college transcripts

Applications are available by clicking on the link above (TSAC Student Portal). Awards are very competitive and based on funding. Renewal applicants are given first priority. TSAC must receive the completed application and required attachments by April 15.