Robert Noyce Scholarship Program

There are many schools across Virginia (and other states) that qualify as high-need. For the CNU Noyce Program, a school district is classified as high-need if any of the following apply:

1. There is at least one school in that district where the percentage of students eligible for free or reduced lunch exceeds 50 percent
2. There is a high teacher attrition rate (greater than 15 percent over the past three years) or
3. There is a a high out-of-field teaching rate (greater than 34 percent)

A list of eligible schools for the 2017-18 school year (based only on free and reduced lunch statistics) by district is available at the link below.

The Noyce Program at CNU 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 CNU 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.

Noyce Scholars receive $15,000 per year toward their tuition. Undergraduates who apply may receive two years of funding during their senior and graduate years for a total of $30,000.

All participants will also take part in a four-week paid internship during the summer after their junior year.

Scholarship recipients must teach for two years in a school within a high-need school district within six years of graduating with a certification to teach science or math.

If a scholarship recipient does not meet this requirement, the scholarship must be repaid in part or in full, in proportion to the fulfillment of the teaching commitment met. It is possible for the repayment requirement to be waived under certain hardship conditions.

In addition, scholarship recipients must agree to enroll in certain courses and participate in certain activities such as attending summer workshops, conferences or teaching organization meetings.

To be eligible for the scholarship, you must be certified to teach in one of the following fields:

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Mathematics
• Physics

The Office of Teacher Preparation at CNU offers three program options:

• Combined bachelor’s to master of arts in teaching (MAT) five-year degree
  Current Christopher Newport students can apply during their junior year and earn a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree and a recommendation for a license to teach in Virginia in one additional year.

• MAT with initial licensure
  Christopher Newport seniors and those who already hold a bachelor’s degree can apply to the MAT program. You’ll earn a master’s degree and a recommendation for a license to teach in Virginia in one-and-a-half to two years.

• Initial licensure
  Students who already hold a bachelor’s degree can apply to the program as a non-degree student and complete a series of graduate classes. You’ll earn a recommendation for a license to teach in Virginia in one to one-and-a-half years.

Admission to the MAT and initial licensure programs is available in the spring or summer.

Generally speaking, you must apply for the Noyce Scholarship in early to mid-February.

You agree to repay to CNU the amount of the scholarship if you do not complete the following:

1. Meet the service obligation or reporting requirements
2. Receive a waiver or suspension of this obligation

If you leave CNU prior to completing the program, you become obligated to repay the scholarship six months after you withdraw from CNU.

If, after graduation, you teach in a high-need local educational agency for a period that is less than your service obligation, you become responsible for repayment of the percentage of the period for which the service obligation was not fulfilled. For instance, suppose you receive a total of $30,000, then graduate from CNU and work in a high-need school district for two full school years. You then either leave the teaching profession, or leave teaching in a high-need school. In this case, six years after graduation, having only fulfilled one-half of the teaching obligation, you must immediately repay one-half of the scholarship funds.