NKSP Application Requirements & Criteria

Application Requirements and Criteria

1. To be eligible for Noyce scholarship/stipend, applicants must be a US Citizen, or US National, or US Permanent Resident.
   
   
2. For Graduate Certification Pathways - Submit the MAT application form no later the Spring semester of Junior Year for the Early Entry MAT Graduate Certification option or no later the Spring semester of Senior Year for the Traditional MAT Graduate Certification option, via the Application Management page. Click on the “Graduate or Second Degree” option and select “Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)”.
   
   For questions about the MAT application form, please contact:
   Office of Graduate Admission
   502.272.7200
   gradadmissions@bellarmine.edu.
   
   
3. Fill out and submit the NKSP Application form,
   
   
4. Submit your resume, a biographical and background statement (one page max.), and an essay about professional goals and rationale for pursuing a career as a STEM teacher (two-pages max.). NOTE: Applicants for the Early Entry MAT and Traditional MAT Graduate Certification pathways can submit the same essay required for the MAT application form. You can upload these documents on the NKSP Application Form link.
   
   
5. Meet minimum cumulative GPA requirements:
   
   
   Undergraduate Students (Mathematics Undergraduate Certification pathway) must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 and a GPA of 2.75 in the required Mathematics courses at the time of application. Upon acceptance, NKSP scholars must graduate with a Mathematics degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 and a GPA of 2.75 in Mathematics. 
   

    

   Graduate Students (Early Entry MAT Graduate Certification pathway) must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 and a GPA of 3.00 in the STEM major (that includes all STEM courses required for the major) at the time of application. Upon acceptance, NKSP scholars must graduate with a STEM degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 and a GPA of 3.25 in the major (that includes all STEM courses required for the major). Students who do not meet the 3.25 GPA requirement in the STEM major can submit a waiver and will be considered on a case by case basis. NKSP scholars must graduate with a MAT degree with a minimum GPA of 3.00.

   Graduate Students (Traditional MAT Graduate Certification pathway) must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 or a GPA of 3.00 on the last thirty (30) hours of credit completed, including undergraduate and graduate coursework. Official transcripts must be sent directly to BU. Upon acceptance, NKSP scholars must graduate with a MAT degree with a minimum GPA of 3.00.
   
   
6. Early Entry MAT or Mathematics Undergraduate Certification pathways must complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). The FAFSA can be submitted online at www.fafsa.gov.
   
   
7. Commit to teach at a JCPS (or another high-need school district) or at a high-need private school for at least two years for each year of scholarship/stipend award by signing the NKSP Compliance Form.
   
   
8. Have a successful interview with the selection committee. 
   
   
9. Additional requirements: Noyce Scholars must:
   • (i) pass the Praxis Subject Area (Praxis II) Exam in their content area (minimum score for each content area is determined by the state) prior to Transition Point 1 in the MAT graduate program by end of the second semester (Spring semester of Year 1) in the traditional MAT program or prior to the end of the second semester (Spring semester of Senior Year) in the Early Entry MAT program; 
   • (ii) complete an exit interview upon graduation; and
   • (iii) pass a background check prior to 6-12 teaching employment in Kentucky.
     
     

Mandatory Compliance Requirement: All NKSP Scholars must sign a contract with BU stating their understanding that they must teach (based on the teaching certification) at a JCPS (or another high-need school district) middle/high school for at a middle/high school at least two years for each year of scholarship/stipend received within 6 years after graduation. A Noyce scholar will need to repay the scholarship amount if they do not satisfy the teaching commitment (except for a deferment for a qualifying event). The Financial Aid Director and Dr. Akhtar Mahmood (NKSP Co-Director) will jointly oversee the compliance requirement.

An individual awarded a scholarship must serve as a full-time STEM teacher in a high-need LEA for a total of two years for each full-year in which a scholarship was received, to be fulfilled within eight years after completing the STEM baccalaureate program or post-baccalaureate program (if the institution requires a post-baccalaureate year to obtain teacher certification or licensure).

A post-baccalaureate individual awarded a stipend must serve as a full-time STEM teacher in a high-need local educational agency for a total of two years, to be fulfilled within four years after completing teacher certification or obtaining licensure

The requirement for MAT students receiving the stipend is to teach at least 2 years at JCPS or another high-need school district within 4 years of graduation (not 6 years as is stated below). The undergrads need to teach at least 4 years within 6 years of graduation but it is a shorter timeframe for stipend grad students.

An individual awarded a scholarship must serve as a full-time STEM teacher in a high-need LEA for a total of two years for each full-year in which a scholarship was received, to be fulfilled within eight years after completing the STEM baccalaureate program or post-baccalaureate program (if the institution requires a post-baccalaureate year to obtain teacher certification or licensure).

A post-baccalaureate individual awarded a stipend must serve as a full-time STEM teacher in a high-need local educational agency for a total of two years, to be fulfilled within four years after completing teacher certification or obtaining licensure

Scholarships/stipends will revert to a loan if a Noyce scholar:

1. withdraws from the program prior to completion, or
2. fails to maintain good standing level in the teacher certification program and graduate with the minimum GPA requirement, or
3. is dismissed from the teacher certification program or institution for disciplinary reasons, or
4. fails to complete all the Noyce Knights Scholars Program (NKSP) requirements, or
5. fails to graduate with a teaching certification, or
6. fails to complete the mandatory teaching obligation or do not intend to fulfill the mandatory teaching obligation. If a circumstance occurs during the mandatory teaching obligation period, the scholarship/stipend amount must be repaid as a proportion of the total scholarship/stipend received, prorated to reflect partial teaching completion.