Applications Available For 2010-11 N.C. Prospective Teacher Scholarship Loan (PTSL) Program

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Feb 18, 2010, 11:10 ET

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Feb. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The N.C. Prospective Teacher Scholarship Loan (PTSL) is a competitive, merit-based scholarship-loan program available to high school seniors and current undergraduate students who have chosen to enter the teaching profession. The application deadline for 2010-11 is April 15, 2010. Information and a link to the application are available at CFNC.org/PTSL.

The annual PTSL award is $2,500 per year for freshmen and sophomores, and $4,000 per year for juniors and seniors. Funding for the program is contingent upon appropriations made available to the N.C. State Education Assistance Authority by the General Assembly.

To be considered, students must have earned a minimum unweighted cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or better. Applicants currently in high school must have a 900 or better SAT or 19 or better ACT and be recommended by their principal or school counselor. Only students who will enroll in a teacher preparation program at an eligible North Carolina college or university (a list of qualifying institutions is available at CFNC.org/PTSL) and plan to pursue degrees that lead to teacher licensure are eligible to apply.

The PTSL recipient enters into a contract with the State of North Carolina agreeing to work one year as a teacher in the state's public schools for each year of funding received. Service repayment must be completed within seven years from college graduation. Students who do not fulfill the service requirement, must repay the loan with interest within ten years of graduation.

A student can receive only one (1) state funded scholarship/loan award in a given academic year. Examples of other state funded programs are the Teaching Fellows Program and the Millennium Teachers Scholarship Loan Program.

About CFNC

College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC) is a free service of the State of North Carolina that helps students plan, apply, and pay for college. CFNC is a partnership of Pathways, the N.C. State Education Assistance Authority, and College Foundation, Inc.

Pathways, created by the N.C. General Assembly in 1999, is a state-wide initiative to increase the college-going rate of North Carolinians by providing: comprehensive college and career planning resources; electronic applications and transcripts accepted by all 110 North Carolina colleges and universities; and, information on student financial aid and college affordability. Pathways is administered by The University of North Carolina General Administration in collaboration with the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, the N.C. Community College System, and the N.C. Independent Colleges and Universities.
The North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA), established in 1965, is the State agency that promotes access to higher education by administering financial aid and savings programs, informing students and families about paying for college, teaching educators about financial aid administration, and advocating for resources to support students.
College Foundation, Inc. (CFI), a nonprofit corporation serving North Carolina students and families since 1955, administers a portfolio of more than $4 billion, including low-interest federal education loans, the State's college grant programs, and the tax-free "529" college savings program on behalf of the N.C. State Education Assistance Authority. CFI also delivers information to North Carolina students and families about paying for college and provides technology services for CFNC.org.