FERRUM, VA, November 10, 2023 – Two Ferrum College juniors, Amber Gillen and Megan Scott recently received the Virginia Teaching Scholarship Loan (VTSLP).
Scott is studying Elementary Education and Gillen is double majoring in Secondary Education and Agricultural Sciences with an emphasis in Animal Science and minors in Agribusiness, Biology and One Health. Ferrum College is the only private college in Virginia that offers a four-year degree in Agricultural Sciences and teacher licensure in vocational agriculture.
The Virginia General Assembly funds the VTSLP to incentivize students interested in pursuing a teaching career in one of the top ten critical shortage teaching endorsement areas. Candidates must be enrolled full-time or part-time in an approved undergraduate or graduate teacher education program; have maintained a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.7 on a 4.0 scale; and be nominated by the institution where they are enrolled and meet the criteria and qualifications.
Upon graduation, students must teach full-time under contract continuously in Virginia for at least two years in a school division in one of the critical teacher shortage disciplines as established by the Board of Education. Eligible students may receive a scholarship loan for as much as $10,000 per academic year for full-time students and will be prorated for part-time students based on the number of credit hours. More information about the program can be found here.
“I applied for the VTSL scholarship to help cover some of my educational expenses and to help me start planning for my future. Teaching is something that I have always wanted to do and this scholarship gives me a jumpstart financially to start my career by teaching agriculture to students in communities who need it,” Gillen said.
Scott heard about the VTSL scholarship from the Director of the Teacher Education Program Dr. Aimee Brenner. “I decided to apply for the scholarship because I found it to be a great opportunity to learn more about who I am as a future teacher and to provide proof of my academic success here at Ferrum College,” Scott said.
