TheRobert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Programprovides grants to STEM majors to become teachers in high-need school districts. PennWest
Edinboro was awarded $1.2 million towards this mission.
ENTS stands forEdinboro Noyce Teacher Scholar. The ENTS program is part of the National Science Foundation’sRobert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Programwith the mission to increase the number of STEM teachers in high-need educational
agencies (school districts).
A “high-need local educational agency” is one in which one or more of the following
conditions is met:
a high percentage of individuals from families with incomes below the poverty line
(search the national directory for schools of interest at theTCLI website);
a high percentage of secondary school teachers not teaching in the content area in
which the teachers were trained to teach; or
a high teacher turnover rate.
More specifically, a “high-need” school district has at least one of the following
criteria:
The district has at least one school in which 50 percent or more of the enrolled students
are eligible for participation in the free and reduced lunch program established by
the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42U.S.C.1751 et seq.)
The district has at least one school in which:
More than 34 percent of the academic classroom teachers at the secondary level (across
all academic subjects) do not have an undergraduate degree with a major or minor in,
or graduate degree in, the academic field in which they teach the largest percentage
of their classes.
More than 34 percent of the teachers in two academic departments do not have an undergraduate
degree with a major or minor or a graduate degree in, the academic field in which
they teach the largest percentage of their classes.
It has at least one school whose teacher attrition rate has been 15 percent or greater
over the last three school years.
According to the 2020-2021 data from the , the following public high schools in Erie
and Crawford Counties that qualify as “high-need” based on free/reduced lunch programs
are:
Cambridge Springs Jr/Sr HS
Cochranton Jr/Sr HS
Conneaut Area Senior High
Corry Area HS
Erie HS
Fort LeBoeuf HS
General McLane HS
Girard HS
Harborcreek Jr/Sr HS
Iroquois Jr/Sr HS
Maplewood Jr/Sr HS
McDowell HS
Meadville Area HS
North East HS
Northwest PA Collegiate Academy
Northwestern HS
Perseus House Charter School of Excellence
Saegertown Jr/Sr HS
Seneca HS
Union City HS
All Noyce scholars will benefit from:
Science and mathematics content knowledge to prepare teachers to become highly qualified
science and mathematics educators.
Training in teaching strategies to adapt curriculum to meet the diverse needs of integrated
classrooms.
A high-quality teacher preparation program focusing on preparing teachers to be culturally
responsive teachers.
Peer support within cohorts of Noyce Scholars as they progress through the program
together.
Mentorship from master teachers and education research scholars throughout the program.
Career development workshops to prepare for transitioning into the teaching profession.
Support for successful application for teaching license following graduation.
Continued support and mentoring throughout the first 2+ years in a high-need school
district.
For the purposes of the ENTS program, qualified STEM majors are biology, chemistry,
physics, and mathematics. Undergraduate degrees in health science or secondary education
with a concentration in a STEM field are not considered STEM degrees for the purposes
of this scholarship. Students must be majoring in a STEM degree from Edinboro’s College
of Science and Health Professions and be seeking certification through the School
of Education.
Please refer to Edinboro’s School of Educationwebpagefor information on how to become certified to teach in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Junior or seniors who demonstrate proficiency in a STEM content area (biology, chemistry,
physics or mathematics) with a cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher
Junior or senior STEM majors or a recent STEM graduate
Full-time enrollment as an undergraduate or post-baccalaureate student
U.S. Citizenship
Scholars are selected based on a competitive application process. This process addresses
the interest in teaching in middle or secondary education in a STEM area and within
high-needs schools. Applicants are asked to share information in an essay about their
educational experiences and what they hope to achieve from the ENTS program. Applicants
will be ranked based on their essay by the ENTS Leadership Team, letters of recommendation
and interviews.
Applications for the Noyce scholarship are accepted anytime throughout the school
year.
The scholarship is intended to cover costs for candidacy and certification. Here's
a link to Edinboro'stuition and fees.
Undergraduate scholars receive scholarships up to $17,150 per year for two years.
Post-baccalaureate scholars receive one $30,000 stipend to be used in one year.
The Noyce Award is a forgivable loan, so it's in between a loan and a scholarship.
The loan is 100% forgiven upon successful completion of the teaching obligation in
a high-needs school following graduation from the Noyce program. The teaching obligation
is two years in a high-need school for each year of scholarship funding provided through
the ENTS program.
Yes. The scholarship is considered part of the total financial aid package allocated
to each student through the Financial Aid Office. Once we notify the Financial Aid
Office that you are receiving a scholarship, they will send you a revised financial
aid package. Typically, the scholarship/stipend first goes to cover any unmet need
you have, and then will replace self-help (work-study & loans) that you have. You
will have an opportunity to decline the Noyce scholarship and revert to your original
financial aid package if you so desire.
If you are not already admitted to the 4+1 teacher certification program, you must
complete the application process and be admitted into the appropriate teacher education
program through Edinboro’sSchool of Education. While you are completing your STEM degree, you and other Noyce Scholars will participate
in professional development opportunities such as workshops and seminars aimed at
helping them develop the skills that they will need to be effective teachers in high-needs
schools.
Scholarship awards will be made primarily based on academic merit, with consideration
for financial need and diversity.
After graduation, you are expected to complete two years of teaching in a high-need
school district for each year that you received the scholarship. You are also expected
to participate in surveys and research interviews as part of project and program evaluation
efforts.
Students can work up to 15 hours per week during the semester at another job while
in the ENTS program. The expectation of receiving the scholarship/stipend is that
you can focus more on your studies and participate in required seminars and service
opportunities.
Noyce graduates continue to be supported through the Noyce program once they have
graduated and are in the classroom. Scholars will continue to stay in contact with
their faculty and local school mentors for the first year after graduation. Scholars
are also invited to an alumni panel at the end of every academic year to share experiences
in the classroom with each other and with current scholars. Scholars are always welcome
back for events on campus such as seminars.
No, you can teach at any high-needs school in the United States to meet the service
requirement.
The ENTS Program is specifically designed to prepare teachers for teaching in a high-need
environment. In addition to tailored coursework and field experiences, the program
includes components designed to foster a strong support network, such as:
Summer workshops
Trips to local conferences
Mentorship from specially trained teachers in high-need schools as well as PennWest
Edinboro faculty
At the end of the program you will have significant experience working in high-need
schools, which will enable you to understand and overcome the unique challenges posed
by such an environment.
If a Noyce Scholar fails to comply with the agreement, the funding becomes a loan
that must be repaid. All funds received will be repaid plus relevant interest until
the full amount is recovered.
Upon acceptance of the Noyce award, you will be required to sign an agreement committing
to teach in high-need school districts two years for every year of Noyce funding.
Scholarship recipients (i.e., undergraduates) have eight years to fulfill their commitment
and stipend recipients (i.e., post-baccalaureates) have four years. TheTEACH Grant agreementwill serve as a model for the Noyce award agreement to monitor employment and to collect
repayment of scholarship funds if necessary.
Thank you to the following universities for providing answers to frequently asked
Noyce Scholarship questions: