Tennessee Senate Bill SB0682

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/31/25
• Chaptered: 5/27/25
• Passed: 5/27/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 4, Part 7, relative to future teacher scholarships.

Summary

SB0682 revises Tennessee’s Future Teacher Scholarship program, which supports students preparing to become teachers through approved educator preparation programs (EPPs). The bill narrows and clarifies who qualifies as an “eligible candidate,” requiring enrollment in an approved EPP, junior/senior standing as an undergraduate or post-baccalaureate status for initial licensure, and U.S. citizenship plus at least one year of Tennessee residency before admission to the eligible institution. It also removes a prior definition provision and restructures the scholarship eligibility section. The bill sets a fixed scholarship amount of $3,500 per academic year, subject to appropriations, and allows recipients to continue receiving the award until they earn a degree, lose program eligibility, or reach three years from first receiving the scholarship. It also permits transfers between eligible postsecondary institutions without losing the scholarship, so long as eligibility continues. In exchange, recipients must sign a promissory note agreeing to teach for at least two consecutive years in a targeted setting within a local education agency (LEA) or public charter school in Tennessee. The bill strengthens the repayment obligation if a recipient does not fulfill the teaching commitment. A recipient who fails to teach in a targeted setting for the required two consecutive years must reimburse TSAC for the portion of scholarship support attributable to each year not served, calculated as one-half of the total scholarship amount received, without interest. The act takes effect July 1, 2025. The overall sentiment appears supportive, with the bill advancing through the Senate Education Committee and the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee by strong margins, including a unanimous vote in the latter committee. The available voting history suggests broad agreement on the need to support teacher preparation and incentivize service in hard-to-staff settings. No committee transcript is available, so specific debate points are not recorded in the provided materials. The main points of potential contention are the service obligation, the repayment requirement, and the tightened eligibility rules, especially the residency and citizenship requirements. These provisions may be viewed as ensuring the scholarship benefits Tennessee residents who are most likely to enter the state’s teaching workforce, but they could also be seen as limiting access for some prospective teachers. The bill’s focus on targeted settings indicates an effort to address teacher shortages in particular schools or subject areas.

Impact

The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated Title 49, Chapter 4, Part 7 to revise the Tennessee Future Teacher Scholarship program administered through TSAC. It changes eligibility definitions, scholarship duration, transferability, award amount, and repayment terms, thereby affecting students in approved educator preparation programs, eligible postsecondary institutions, and recipients who do not complete the required teaching service in Tennessee public schools or public charter schools.

Sentiment

The legislative sentiment appears generally favorable and policy-driven, with the bill moving through committee with strong support and no recorded opposition in the Finance, Ways and Means Committee. The available votes suggest lawmakers broadly endorsed using scholarship aid to recruit and retain future teachers, particularly for targeted staffing needs. Because no committee transcript is provided, there is no detailed record of floor or committee debate beyond the vote outcomes.

Contention

Likely areas of contention include the requirement that candidates be U.S. citizens and Tennessee residents for at least one year before admission, the mandatory two-year teaching commitment in a targeted setting, and the repayment formula if service is not completed. Supporters would likely view these provisions as necessary to direct limited scholarship funds toward Tennessee’s teacher workforce needs, while critics might argue they restrict access or impose burdensome repayment consequences. The bill’s focus on targeted settings also implies a policy choice to prioritize hard-to-staff schools or positions, which can be controversial depending on how those settings are defined and implemented.