The “Strong Scholars” Program for Initial Licensure Teacher Candidates

Starting in 1928, the Hattie M. Strong Foundation (HMSF) has run what we believe to be one of the earliest and most successful student loan programs in the country. We have supported “young people of promise” in their pursuit of higher education across all fields of study in all regions of the country. Our loans always charged zero interest and offered flexible repayment schedules tied to the economic realities of a student’s career choice.

In 2009, the HMSF Board of Directors decided to confront a different kind of economic reality; the astonishingly high levels of debt that today’s college graduates must incur to complete their studies. Rather than make available yet another layer of debt, we decided to stop lending money and to simply give it away.

In alignment with our traditional focus on education, we have replaced our student loan program with a scholarship program aimed at college students enrolled in teacher-training programs. Specifically, the HMSF hopes to reduce financial pressure during the student-teaching semester, when a student’s ability to offset expenses with outside employment is curtailed by the rigor of full-time work in the classroom.

Program Operation, Application, and Selection Process

Funds for the $5,000 scholarships are distributed via partnership with twenty-four institutions, all located near Washington, D.C., that have demonstrated leadership in preparing outstanding classroom teachers. Application requirement and student selection will be determined by each institution’s scholarship committee in line with the following criteria in descending order of importance:

• Undergraduate students who have exhibited outstanding success and enthusiasm in field experience prior to the final year of the program or graduate students whose life experiences prior to enrollment reveal the same traits
• Students with demonstrated financial need
• Students who have achieved a minimum 3.0 GPA in the two semesters prior to their final year

Inquiries

For students interested in learning more about applying for a Hattie M. Strong Foundation Strong Scholars Scholarship, please contact the following institutions: