Minnesota schools face a critical shortage of teachers, especially teachers of color, in nearly all subjects. The shortage is more pervasive in Greater Minnesota than the seven-county metro area.

  • 1,400 teachers retire without enough new teachers gaining licenses to replace them.
  • 1,200 shortfall of new teachers graduating from Minnesota teacher preparation institutions and receiving licenses in 2013 to replace those who left the profession.
  • One-quarter of new teachers leave the profession within three years.

A new Minnesota Promising Teachers financial aid program could shift this trend and help attract teachers to schools with the greatest needs in Minnesota.

How It Works

  • Provide need-based grants and forgivable loans to students pursuing teaching
  • Eligible while enrolled in the last year of a bachelor’s program or teacher prep program and loan forgiveness after employment in a participating rural school district
  • Cover tuition, fees, supplies and books as well as provide a living-wage stipend for student teaching. They also would supplement expected student earnings for housing and food when not student teaching

Minnesota Promising Teachers would commit to teaching in a shortage subject and region for a minimum of five years following graduation and initial licensing. For the first five years that they teach in a rural district, they would receive an annual amount for loan forgiveness and after five years would reach the full loan forgiveness amount.