Bill advances to modify scholarship for teachers

The proposal aims to address teacher shortages by adjusting scholarship eligibility and setting aside funding for high-need subject areas and rural districts.

Anna Olson, Politics Reporter

February 10, 2026

Samantha DeFily

The House of Representatives floor is seen after a session ends during the first day of the 2026 Iowa legislative session at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (Samantha DeFily/The Daily Iowan)

The Iowa House of Representatives advanced a bill Tuesday to change eligibility requirements and establish funding allocations for the Teach Iowa Scholar Program, which benefits teachers working in hard-to-staff schools and subject areas across the state.

The bill, House Study Bill 648, would revise the scholarship program by allowing more teachers to qualify for scholarships by removing the top 25 percent academic ranking requirement while still requiring them to teach in shortage areas and clarifying how program funds are distributed.

Shortage areas are geographic areas or population groups with critical shortages of primary care, dental, or mental health providers.

The bill is intended to better address teacher shortages across the state by aligning financial incentives with areas and populations experiencing the greatest need, while providing clearer guidance on program administration and funding use.

According to the Iowa Department of Education, the Teach Iowa Scholar Program provides qualified Iowa teachers with awards of up to $4,000 a year, for a maximum of five years, for teaching in Iowa schools in designated shortage areas.

Margaret Buckton, a lobbyist from the Urban Education Network of Iowa and Rural School Advocates of Iowa, represented the advocate group at the meeting and said the organization is registered in support of the bill.

She said the bill raises technical questions about how funding allocations would work in practice, particularly the proposed 20 percent set aside for special education positions and the 30 percent to 50 percent allocation for rural schools.

Buckton said determining need based solely on district size may not fully reflect where teacher shortages are most severe, noting that some small or near-suburban districts have strong applicant pools while other similarly sized, more isolated districts struggle to fill positions.

Dave Daughton, a lobbyist from School Administrators of Iowa, said the organization is registered in support of the bill, saying it will help solve the teacher shortage in Iowa, and allow for the positions to be filled by the most qualified individuals.