Prospective 7-12 Secondary Teacher Course Work Scholarships

"I've had the dream of being a teacher since I was four years old. While leaving college is full of mixed emotions, I can definitely say that I'm excited to see what comes as this dream is finally unfolding. Thank you for your generosity, support and the continued work you do to strengthen the field of mathematics education." 

      ~ Grace Wiesner, 2015-16 Awardee

The purpose of this scholarship is to provide financial support to college students preparing for teaching secondary school mathematics. For 2019-2020, one scholarship, with a maximum value of $10,000, will be awarded to a person currently completing their sophomore year of college, scheduling for full-time study at a four- or five-year college or university in the next academic year, and pursuing a career goal of becoming a certified teacher of secondary school mathematics. These scholarships are named in recognition of the outstanding contributions to mathematics education made by professors Frank Demana and Bert K. Waits of the Ohio State University.
 
To apply for the scholarship, a written proposal must be submitted that includes evidence of the applicant's past academic achievement in a college or university and the applicant's commitment to pursue a teaching career in secondary school mathematics. This scholarship can be applied to tuition, fees, course materials, and other expenses directly related to the recipient's academic program of study. Any acquisition of equipment must support the applicant's plan of study but not require more than 10 percent, or $1,000, of the entire scholarship. The scholarship will be awarded in two phases, with $5,000 for the recipient's third year of full-time study, and $5,000 for the recipient's fourth year of full-time study.
 
Applicants must submit a written proposal that identifies the remaining two or three years of collegiate coursework in mathematics or mathematics education required to earn certification; a detailed outline of the full-time study required to meet these requirements within three years of study, and the course titles and credits for mathematics and mathematics education courses already completed; and a budget to fund the plan. Applicants must be student members of NCTM.
 
Coursework and graduation is to be completed between April 1, 2019, and August 31, 2021.
 
No person(s) may receive more than one award administered by the Mathematics Education Trust in the same academic year. Past recipients of the Texas Instruments Demana-Waits Scholarship and employees or immediate family members of employees of either the Educational and Productivity Solutions business segment of Texas Instruments or the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics are not eligible to apply for this scholarship.
 
Interested applicants are invited to submit a proposal.  The online application will be open on November 15th, 2019.   Prior year cover form, scoring rubric and grant information are included on this web page to assist in planning for your application.

Note:  This scholarship is awarded to an individual student.   The Internal Revenue Service classifies scholarship payments in two ways: a non-taxable scholarship and a taxable scholarship.  Awardees are responsible for reporting taxable scholarships and remitting any tax due with their personal income tax return.  Additional information is available in IRS Publication 970, "Tax Benefits for Education" or from your tax professional.  

View the scoring rubric. This rubric is used by reviewers to rate proposals and determine which proposals will be selected for funding.

Proposal Requirements  

 I. Proposal Cover Form (Microsoft Word)
❏  Complete all requested information.
❏  Must include NCTM student member number.
❏  Must be signed.

II. Proposal (Three pages maximum)
Plan
❏ Provide a two-page, double-spaced essay on why you have chosen to pursue a teaching career in secondary school mathematics.
❏ Identify the remaining two to three years of coursework in mathematics or mathematics education needed for the certification program.
❏ Include timeline for remaining coursework.

III. Budget (Two pages maximum; table format)
❏ No Indirect Costs.
❏ Include itemized budget, presented in line-item table format.
❏ Be specific and indicate how you would allocate $10,000 from this award for the next academic year of full-time study upon completing the first two years of study at a four- or five- year college or university by allocating $5,000 towards the third year of study and $5,000 towards the fourth year of study.
❏ Scholarship can be applied to tuition, fees, course materials, and other expenses directly related to the academic program of study.  
❏ Acquisition of equipment must support the applicant's plan of study but not require more than 10% of the entire scholarship.
❏ List any other scholarship support currently being received

IV. Background and Experience (One page maximum plus pages for other information as needed)
❏ Provide transcripts of completed coursework from an accredited college or university offering credits that are applicable to a four-or-more-year degree in mathematics or mathematics education.  The applicant's college grade point average (GPA) must be at least 3.0 (out of 4.0) or equivalent to be considered for the scholarship.
❏ Provide verification from the certifying institution that you have been accepted if you are transferring to another institution to complete your degree program.
❏ Provide the list of courses that the applicant is required to complete as a full-time student at a four-year college or university in order to complete teacher certification within a two-year period, including full course titles and a catalog description for each course.
❏ Provide verification that the college or university offers a formal program in mathematics or mathematics education, and the program leads to full teacher certification.
❏ Provide any background, extracurricular activities, or professional activities that the applicant feels demonstrate his/her commitment to becoming a secondary school mathematics teacher.

V. Three Letters of Recommendation
❏ One-page maximum each.
❏ A signed letter of recommendation on college or university letterhead from an academic advisor indicating the advisor's assessment of both the viability of the plan and the applicant's commitment to pursue a career as a secondary school mathematics teacher.
❏ A signed letter of recommendation from a professional contact indicating the applicant's suitability for the scholarship and citing evidence of his'/her commitment to pursue a career as a teacher.
❏ A signed letter of recommendation from a personal contact indicating the relationship to the applicant and the applicant's suitability for the scholarship and citing evidence of his/her commitment to pursue a career as a teacher.

Interim and Final Report Requirements
❏  Recipients will be required to submit an update college transcript and a brief report (not to exceed three double-spaced pages) at the end of their third year of full-time study indicating progress that has been made in their career pursuits. This should include not only classes completed, in progress, and planned but also extracurricular activities and new pursuits reflecting their continued growth and commitment to this career.
❏  Recipients will be required to submit an updated college transcript and a brief report (no more than three pages) at the end of their fourth year of full-time study indicating progress that has been made in their career pursuits.

The Mathematics Education Trust was established by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.