Grow Your Own Teacher Scholarship Program
The Grow Your Own Teacher Scholarship Program is designed to help school districts across Ohio recruit their own students and staff to become teachers within the district. Recipients of the Grow Your Own Scholarship agree to teach for a minimum of four years at their home school district in exchange for a scholarship of up to $7,500/year for four years.
Application periods will be set by the Ohio Department of Higher Education as funding is available. Leadership staff at qualifying schools are expected to pro-actively recruit their own students and employees to participate in this program. Each school district interested in participating in the Ohio GYO Teacher Scholarship Program must attest that it has difficulty recruiting and retaining qualified classroom teachers.
The scholarship application will be open to the following:
- individuals employed (full-time or part-time) at a qualifying school district and
- qualifying high school seniors meaning students who are currently enrolled in the 12th grade at a qualifying school district and for whom either of the following is true:
- The student has a Student Aid Index (SAI) of 25,000 or less. Please note, the only way to get this number is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and we suggest all applicants do this as soon as possible.
- The student will graduate from a secondary school in a qualifying school distrct, where at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the students are eligible for a free or reduced-price lunch.
For additional information, please visit https://highered.ohio.gov/educators/financial-aid/sgs/gyo/gyo-faq.
As part of the application, the district in which GYO Scholarship applicants are employed or enrolled must attest to an intent to hire the GYO Scholarship recipient as a teacher after his or her graduation and licensure.
Ohio’s Grow Your Own Teacher Scholarship Program is authorized by Ohio Revised Code sections 3333.393 and 3333.394.
