Eligibility criteria

1. Resident of Wisconsin, as determined by Higher Education Aids Board
2. A minority student, as defined by state statutes (African-American, Hispanic, Native American or Southeast Asian from Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, or identifies as Hmong)
3. Enrolled in a teacher education program
4. Have a junior or senior status in a teacher certification program or bachelor's degree with enrollment in a teacher certification program
5. Have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or greater
6. Agree to teach in a Wisconsin school district with a 29 percent minority population or that participates in the Wisconsin interdistrict pupil transfer program

Amounts and selection process

Awards range from $250 up to $2,500 per academic year with the total borrowed not to exceed $5,000. Marquette selects eligible students and determines each student's loan amount.

Terms

For the 2013-14 academic year, the interest rate will be a fixed rate of 5 percent. If the student teaches in an eligible school district, 25 percent of the loan may be forgiven for each year of teaching. Forgiveness may only be applied for teachers holding a bachelor's degree and licensed by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. The student must send verification of employment in an eligible district to HEAB.

Application process

1. File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
2. Eligible students who are offered the Wisconsin Minority Teacher Loan on CheckMarq will receive the Self-Certification Form by mail. The Self-Certification Form must be signed and returned by the student.
3. Students who have accepted the Wisconsin Minority Teacher Loan on CheckMarq will receive an email stating that an electronic Master Promissory Note (eMPN) is available to sign.

Renewal process

Award is renewed only if the student completes all necessary forms, continues to meet eligibility requirements, and funds are available at the time that the application is completed.