Noyce WISE Scholarship Program

To become a Noyce WISE Scholar, you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident.
• Have junior or senior standing at WSC by beginning of scholar program. Transfer students will be considered if proper documentation has been submitted.
• Maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA.
• Pursue a teaching endorsement in a STEM-related field.
• Meet all benchmarks for advancement in educator preparation, including an increased GPA to 2.75 for clinical practice.
• Prospective scholars must complete an interview process.

To become a WISE intern, you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident.
• Be a current WSC student or have applied to WSC.
• Maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA.
• Indicate an interest in pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, or any science endorsement within WSC’s educator preparation program.
• Prospective interns must complete an interview process.

How long must I teach?
For each semester of scholarship assistance you receive as a WISE Scholar, you must teach one year to fulfill your obligation outlined in the promissory note. For example, if you receive the scholarship for two years, then that would require four years of teaching.

Where do I teach?
To fulfill your obligations outlined in the Promissory Note, you must teach in a High-Needs Local Education Agency (LEA). This can be defined as a school district where two conditions must be met:

1. At least one of the following is true in this district:
   • At least 20% of the children served come from low-income familes, or
   • At least 10,000 children served come from low-income families, or
   • Meets the eligibility requirements for funding under the Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) Program, or
   • Meets the eligibility requirements for funding under the Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS) Program
2. At least one of the following is true in this district:
   • There is a high percentage of teachers in this district that are not teaching in the academic subject area or grade levels in which the teachers were trained to teach, or
   • There is a high teacher turnover rate, or
   • There is a high percentage of teachers with emergency, provisional, or temporary certification or licensure

To apply for the Noyce WISE Scholars Program, you must:

1. Submit a cover letter.
2. Complete the Noyce WISE program application with a signed promissory note.
3. Submit a resume of accomplishments and activities related to pursuing a STEM teaching major
4. Submit a personal essay that describes your goals and motivations for becoming a teacher.
5. Complete a formal interview.
6. Complete all teacher education program requirements including the requirements for formal admission to the teacher education program, continuation in the program, and admission to student teaching.
7. Complete the FAFSA form. Special consideration will be given to applicants who are veterans or are from talent pools that have not yet been fully tapped, including students who are Black or African American, Alaska Native, American Indian, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian, or Native Pacific Islander, as well as persons with disabilities.
8. Send the completed application form, promissory note, cover letter with resume, and personal essay to [email protected] by April 1.

To apply for the Noyce WISE Interns Program, you must:

1. Complete the Noyce WISE program application with a signed promissory note.
2. Submit a personal essay that describes your goals and motivations for becoming a teacher.
3. Complete a formal interview.
4. Send the completed application form, promissory note, and personal essay to [email protected] by April 1 of each year.

Freshman and sophomore STEM Education majors are encouraged to participate in Noyce activities as WISE interns. This opportunity offers early exposure to the Noyce program. As WISE interns enter their junior year, they become eligible to apply to become Noyce WISE Scholars. WISE interns may be paid for participation in grant activities as part of this program.