Sen. Mark Peake, a Republican member of the Virginia Senate, announced that his effort to significantly increase funding for the Virginia Teaching Scholarship Loan Program was included in Virginia’s final biennial budget. It provides an additional $1.5 million per year to help recruit and prepare the next generation of teachers across the commonwealth.
The issue was brought to Peake’s attention by Dr. Mac Duis, an assistant professor of education at the University of Lynchburg. Duis highlighted the need for Virginia to strengthen its investment in aspiring educators as school divisions continue to face teacher shortages.
Following those conversations, Peake introduced a budget amendment requesting an additional $1.5 million in each year for the Virginia Teaching Scholarship Loan Program. The program previously received $708,000 annually, assisting approximately 75 future educators each year. Peake’s amendment sought to increase the program to $2.208 million annually.
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That funding was ultimately included in the final budget, which provides $2.208 million in FY2027 and $2.208 million in FY2028 for teaching scholarship loans. This represents an additional $3 million investment over the biennium in recruiting future Virginia teachers.
“Dr. Duis brought this issue to our attention and made a compelling case for why Virginia needed to do more to encourage talented students to enter the teaching profession,” Peake said.
“I was proud to carry the budget amendment to increase this funding, and I am grateful that we were able to secure an additional $3 million over the biennium for future educators across the Commonwealth.”
Dr. Sally Selden, president of the University of Lynchburg, said the university has a “long history of preparing outstanding teachers for our region and beyond. Today, the need for more high-quality educators is greater than ever.”
She added, “We are grateful to Sen. Mark Peake and the General Assembly for investing in the Virginia Teaching Scholarship Loan Program, helping remove financial barriers and encouraging talented students to pursue careers in education.
“I’m also proud of Dr. Mac Duis for advancing this opportunity. Our education faculty remain committed to supporting our students and strengthening schools across Central Virginia and the Commonwealth.”
Under the program, eligible students enrolled in approved undergraduate or graduate teacher education programs may receive scholarships of up to $10,000 per year for full-time students, with awards prorated for part-time students.
The final budget also allows scholarship funding to assist with expenses incurred during the supervised clinical practice required for teacher licensure.
“Teacher shortages affect communities across Virginia, and recruiting the next generation of educators has to be a priority,” Peake said. “By reducing some of the financial barriers facing students who want to become teachers, we can help get more qualified educators into Virginia classrooms.”
Peake also thanked the University for its partnership and commitment to preparing future educators.
“The University of Lynchburg is doing important work recruiting and preparing students to serve in our schools,” he said. “I appreciate Dr. Duis and the University for bringing this opportunity to us and working with our office on a solution.
“This is exactly the kind of partnership we want to have with our colleges and universities in Central Virginia.”
