Revise NC Teaching Fellows Program.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 1197

Short Title: Revise NC Teaching Fellows Program. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Ball, von Haefen, Prather, and Johnson-Hostler (Primary
Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
May 5, 2026
*H1197-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO REVISE THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHING FELLOWS PROGRAM AND 2
TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR A STUDY OF PARTICIPATION IN THE TEACHING 3
FELLOWS PROGRAM BY THE NORTH CAROLINA COLLABORATORY. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
6
PART I. INCREASE TEACHING FELLOWS AWARDS 7
SECTION 1.(a) G.S. 116-209.62(g) reads as rewritten: 8
"(g) Awards of Forgivable Loans. – The Program shall provide forgivable loans to selected 9
students to be used at up to 10 selected institutions for completion of a program leading to initial 10
teacher licensure as follows: 11
(1) North Carolina high school seniors. – Forgivable loans of up to five thousand 12
dollars ($5,000) per semester for up to eight semesters. 13
(2) Students applying for transfer to a selected educator preparation program at 14
an institution of higher education. – Forgivable loans of up to five thousan d 15
dollars ($5,000) per semester for up to six semesters. 16
(3) Individuals currently holding a bachelor's degree seeking preparation for 17
teacher licensure. – Forgivable loans of up to five thousand dollars ($5,000) 18
per semester for up to four semesters. 19
(4) Students matriculating at institutions of higher education who are changing to 20
an approved program of study at a selected educator preparation program. – 21
Forgivable loans of up to five thousand dollars ($5,000) per semester for up 22
to four semesters. 23
licensure. For individuals curre ntly holding a bachelor 's degree seeking preparation for 24
teacher licensure, the Program shall provide forgivable loans of up to ten thousand dollars 25
($10,000) per academic year for up to two academic years. For all other students, the Program 26
shall provide forgivable loans of up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000) per academic year for up 27
to four academic years. Forgivable loans may be used for tuition, fees, the cost of books, and 28
expenses related to obtaining licensure.all expenses related to enrollment in an approved educator 29
preparation program and obtaining licensure, including tuition, fees, and the cost of books." 30
SECTION 1.(b) This section becomes effective July 1, 2026, and applies beginning 31
in the 2026 -2027 acad emic year to all students enrolled in an educator preparation program 32
participating in the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program. 33
34
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 1197-First Edition
PART II. PRIOR TEACH ING FELLOWS PROGRAM REVISIONS APPLY 1
RETROACTIVELY TO ALL TEACHING FELLOWS 2
SECTION 2.(a) Subsection (c) of Section 8A.4 of S.L. 2023-134 reads as rewritten: 3
"SECTION 8A.4.(c) This section applies to applications for the award of funds beginning 4
in the 2024 -2025 academic year.year for all persons participating in the Program , including 5
teachers who are continuing or entering service repayment beginning in the 2024-2025 academic 6
year." 7
SECTION 2.(b) Section 2.14(b) of S.L. 2024-1 reads as rewritten: 8
"SECTION 2.14.(b) This section is effective July 1, 2023, and applies to applications for 9
the award of funds beginning in the 2024-2025 academic year.year for all persons participating 10
in the Program, including teachers who are continuing or entering service repayment beginning 11
in the 2024-2025 academic year." 12
13
PART III. REVISE PROCESS FOR SELECTING INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS 14
SECTION 3. G.S. 116-209.62 reads as rewritten: 15
"§ 116-209.62. North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program established; administration. 16
… 17
(f) Program Selection Criteria. – The Authority shall administer the Program in 18
cooperation with up to 10 institutions of higher education with approved educator preparation 19
programs selected by the Commission that represent a diverse selection of both postsecondary 20
constituent institutions of The University of North Carolina and private postsecondary 21
institutions operating in the State. The Commission shall adopt stringent standards for selection 22
of the most effective educator preparation programs, including the following: 23
(1) Demonstrates high rates of educator effectiveness on value-added models and 24
teacher evaluations, including using performance -based, subject -specific 25
assessment and support systems, such as edTPA or other metrics of evaluating 26
candidate effectiveness that have predictive validity. 27
(2) Demonstrates measurable impact of prior gradua tes on student learning, 28
including impact of graduates teaching in qualifying licensure areas. 29
(3) Demonstrates high rates of graduates passing exams required for teacher 30
licensure. 31
(4) Provides curricular and co -curricular enhancements in leadership, faci litates 32
learning for diverse learners, and promotes community engagement, 33
classroom management, and reflection and assessment. 34
(5) Requires at least a minor concentration of study in the subject area that the 35
candidate may teach. 36
(6) Provides early and frequent internship or practical experiences, including the 37
opportunity for participants to perform practicums in diverse school 38
environments. 39
(7) Is approved by the State Board of Education as an educator preparation 40
program. 41
(8) For an educator preparation program enrolling loan recipients in a program of 42
study leading to licensure in elementary education (K -6), provides training 43
that is aligned with the Science of Reading in accordance with 44
G.S. 115C-269.20. The Commission shall contract with a third-party entity to 45
biennially evaluate whether a program identified in this subdivision is 46
providing training that is aligned with the Science of Reading. 47
(f1) Optional Program Evaluation and Term Renewal. – The Commission may establish 48
a process to regularly evalu ate institutions of higher education selected to participate in the 49
Program to ensure that they continue to meet the require ments of subsection (f) of this section. 50
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
House Bill 1197-First Edition Page 3
The Commission may, in its discretion, establish term limits for institutions of higher education 1
selected to participate in the Program and requirements for renewal of those terms. 2
… 3
(j) Annual Report. – The Commission, in coordination with the Authority, the 4
Department of Public Instruction, and the selected educator education programs participating in 5
the Program shall report no later than January 1, 2019, and annually thereafter, to the Joint 6
Legislative Education Oversight Committee regarding the following: 7
… 8
(4) Outcomes from any evaluation process establi shed by the Commission 9
pursuant to subsection (f1) of this section, including any term limits set by the 10
Commission, any renewal process established by the Commission and the 11
parameters of that process, and any institutions that are no longer participating 12
in the Program as a result." 13
14
PART IV. FRIDAY INST ITUTE TO STUDY TEACH ING FELLOWS PROGRAM 15
PARTICIPATION 16
SECTION 4. There is appropriated from the General Fund to Board of Governors 17
of The University of North Carolina the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) in nonrecurring 18
funds for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to be allocated to the North Carolina State University for the 19
Friday Institute to study student participation in the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program, 20
including the reasons some students opt to repay their loans in c ash instead of through service. 21
The Friday Institute shall report this information to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight 22
Committee no later than February 15, 2027. 23
24
PART V. EFFECTIVE DATE 25
SECTION 5. This act becomes effective July 1, 2026. Except as otherwise provided, 26
this act applies beginning with the 2026-2027 academic year. 27