‘Grow Your Own’ Teacher Scholarship Program accepting applications in 2024

12/4/2023

The Ohio Grow Your Own Teacher Scholarship Program will be accepting applications in early 2024. The Ohio General Assembly established the Ohio Grow Your Own (GYO) Teacher Scholarship Program to encourage school employees and low-income students to become licensed teachers and to work for their home districts after graduation from a teacher training program. 

The Ohio Department of Higher Education will grant scholarships to qualifying individuals who are accepted into the GYO program and who enroll in a teacher training program. In exchange for receiving scholarship funds (up to $7,500/year for four years), awardees will commit to teaching for four years in their home districts within six years of graduation.

Leadership staff at qualifying schools are expected to proactively recruit their own students and employees to participate in this program. Each school district interested in participating in the Ohio GYO Teacher Scholarship Program must attest that it has difficulty recruiting and retaining qualified classroom teachers. 

The district in which GYO Scholarship applicants are employed or enrolled must attest an intent to hire the GYO Scholarship recipient as a teacher after his or her graduation. The scholarship application will be open to the following:

• Individuals employed at a qualifying school who hold an educational aide permit, educational paraprofessional license or substitute license (this includes educational service center employees who are assigned to the qualifying school); and
• Low-income high school seniors attending a qualifying school.

Ohio’s Grow Your Own Teacher Scholarship Program is authorized by Ohio Revised Code sections 3333.393 and 3333.394.

Please visit the Grow Your Own webpage for more information and direct any questions about this program to GYO@highered.ohio.gov.