How It Works

If you are accepted as an Underwood-Smith Teaching Scholar, you will receive up to $10,000 per year to pay for eligible college expenses, including tuition and fees, room and board, and textbooks.

Even better, we’ll pair you up with a practicing teacher in your chosen field who will be available from the beginning to help you navigate the college process and become one of West Virginia’s most talented new teachers.

You may apply to become an Underwood-Smith Teaching Scholar if you meet the following minimum requirements.

• High school senior or recent high school graduate with plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in an approved teacher preparation program in math, science, elementary education or special education at an eligible West Virginia institution;
• Has never been enrolled as a degree-seeking student at college or university;
• Achieved a cumulative high school grade point average of at least 3.25 on 4.0 scale, or an equivalent grade point average based on an individual school district’s grading policy;
• Earned minimum college readiness test scores
  • Students pursing a math or science teaching degree:
    • ACT Scores: 18 in English and 21 in Math
    • SAT scores: 480 in Evidenced-Based Reading and Writing and 530 in Math
  • Students pursing an elementary or special education teaching degree:
    • ACT Scores: 18 in English and 19 in Math
    • SAT scores: 480 in Evidenced-Based Reading and Writing and 510 in Math
  • Test scores and grades must be received by the December 31 preliminary application deadline
• Must be a United States citizen or hold a valid Employment Authorization Document (EAD), or work permit, issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office;
• Must be willing to teach full time under contract with a county board of education in a public education program in West Virginia for five years after college graduation in the fields of math, science, elementary education or special education. Applicants are NOT required to be residents of the state of West Virginia.

Round 1 : Preliminary Application
Any applicant who meets the minimum qualifications described above may submit a preliminary application online. The preliminary application collects basic information about the applicant and authorizes our Division of Financial Aid to access electronic high school transcripts and standardized test scores. Applicants who did not complete a traditional program of study at a West Virginia public high school may be asked to submit additional documentation.

Current grade information and qualifying test scores must be receive before the December 31 deadline.

Round 2 : Second Round Application (by Invitation)
Qualified applicants who submitted a preliminary application will be invited to submit a more extensive application designed to provide the review committee with a better sense of the applicant’s academic accomplishments, involvement in extracurricular activities, and passion for pursuing a career as a public-school teacher. The review committee will score the formal application and additional documentation based on the Second Round Rubric. Information collected from this round will be used to select a small group of finalists.

Round 3 : Final Round
Finalists will be asked to submit a short (3-5 minute) video highlighting why they want to be a great West Virginia teacher. Video submissions will be reviewed based on the Final Round Rubric by an award committee. Up to 25 students will be selected as Underwood-Smith Teaching Scholars. 

View the top-scoring videos submitted for the final round HERE.

Academic Requirements
In order to maintain the scholarship, Underwood-Smith Teaching Scholars must meet the following requirements while enrolled in college:

• Must be enrolled full-time in an approved teacher preparation program at an eligible West Virginia college or university;
• Must maintain satisfactory academic progress as determined by the institution of higher education the recipient is attending;
• Must maintain a cumulative college grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale;

Additional Requirements
Outside of the formal classroom environment, Underwood-Smith Scholars will be expected to communicate regularly with their assigned teacher mentor.

Scholarship Duration

The Underwood-Smith Teaching Scholars have up to six academic years to use the scholarship or until the scholar has met the requirements for a bachelor’s degree, whichever comes first.

Approved Leaves of Absence

Scholars may take a leave of absence for up to two years from college without losing eligibility if they take the necessary steps to place the scholarship into a deferment status. Underwood-Smith Scholars are expected to maintain continuous enrollment but may request a leave of absence for a medical, family bereavement, financial hardship or other extraordinary circumstances.

All deferment requests must be submitted in writing by the student to the Director of State Financial Aid Programs at underwoodsmith@wvhepc.edu.

After graduation, Underwood-Smith Teaching Scholars are required to teach at a West Virginia public school in the fields of math, science, elementary education or special education under contract with a county board of education for a period of five consecutive years. Timely submission of all required employment verification documents is required.

Recipients who do not meet the minimum service obligation will be required to make monetary repayment of the scholarship, plus any accrued interest and fees. Deferments may be granted for graduates who are still enrolled in a full-time course of study at an accredited institution of higher education, or are serving as a member of the armed forces of the United States (not to exceed four years).