• About
• News
• Application
• Contact

Licensure Majors in Chemistry, Physics, Biology, and Mathematics:
The National Science Foundation has awarded USM a $500,000 grant for scholarships to majors in the licensure programs for future teachers of science and mathematics. This program is in honor of the late Dr. Robert M. Noyce, inventor of the integrated chip. The Noyce Scholarship program at USM seeks to increase the quantity and quality of secondary science and mathematics teachers in "high needs schools" that were affected by Hurricane Katrina. Scholarships of $10,000/year will be divided in the following manner.

Every effort will be made to distribute the scholarships equitably among the licensure programs; however, extra attention will be paid to candidates who meet the criteria of underrepresented groups and to licensure areas of low enrollment.

Eligibility:

• U.S. Citizen or permanent resident
• USM junior or senior enrolled full time in one of the licensure programs in science or mathematics.
• Minimum Grade Point Average of 3.0 with no grades below a C in Math and Science
• Admission to the Professional Education Program at USM which includes
  • Completion of the 44 hour general core
  • Score of 21 or high on ACT with no sub scale score below 18 (SAT 860 verbal and quantitative)
  • Obtain acceptable Praxis I scores (Reading 170, Writing 172, Mathematics 169)
  • Demonstrate basic technology literacy by taking the Basic Technology Literacy Test
  • Maintain good academic standing in their licensure program
• Additional Criteria are
  • Financial need,
  • Part of an underrepresented group
  • Evidence of prior community service activities.

• As Noyce scholarship recipient you will be required to:
  • Be a full time student enrolled in one of the licensure programs for chemistry, biology, physics, or mathematics.
  • Participate in a community service activity. This activity is of your choice such as volunteering as a tutor/mentor on campus or in a school district.
  • Participate in the New Teacher Support Network. This program will begin as a series of social gatherings with guest speakers. Speakers will include current teachers and administrators addressing topics of interest to beginning teachers.
  • Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 and remain in good standing in your licensure program.

After Graduation

• Teach for 2 years for each year of scholarship received in a "high needs school"
• Service must be performed within 6 years after graduation from the program for which the scholarship was received.
• A "High Needs School" is defined by the National Science Foundation as a district that meet one or more of the following criteria:
  • A school in which 50% or more of the enrolled students are eligible for participation in the free and reduced price lunch program established by the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq).
  • A district has at least one school in which:
    • More than 34 percent of the academic classroom teachers at the secondary level (across all academic subjects) do not have an undergraduate degree with a major or minor in, or a graduate degree in, the academic field in which they teach the largest percentage of their classes; or
    • More than 34 percent of the teachers in two of the academic departments do not have an undergraduate degree with a major or minor in, or a graduate degree in, the academic field in which they teach the largest percentage of their classes.
  • At least one school whose teacher attrition rate has been 15 percent or more over the last three school years.