UT Code § 53F-5-218 (2021)
2021 Utah Code|Title 53F - Public Education System -- Funding|Chapter 5 - State Funding -- Initiative Grant Programs|Part 2 - Miscellaneous Grant Programs|Section 218 - Grow Your Own Teacher and School Counselor Pipeline Program.

 Effective 5/5/2021  53F-5-218. Grow Your Own Teacher and School Counselor Pipeline Program.    (1) As used in this section:   (a) "Paraprofessional" means an individual who:   (i) works with students in an LEA as a paraprofessional or in a similar teaching assistant position; and     (ii) is not licensed to teach.       (b) "Program" means the Grow Your Own Teacher and School Counselor Pipeline Program that this section creates.     (c) "School counselor" means an educator who is:   (i) licensed as a school counselor in accordance with state board rule; and     (ii) assigned to provide direct and indirect services to students in accordance with a school counseling program model that the state board provides.       (d) "School counselor assistant" means a student who is:   (i) enrolled in an accredited bachelor's degree program in a related field; and     (ii) completing the student's practicum experience in a school counseling department under the supervision of a licensed school counselor.       (e) "School counselor intern" means a student who is:   (i) enrolled in an accredited school counselor master's degree program; and     (ii) completing the student's hours of a supervised counseling internship by applying appropriate school counseling techniques under the supervision of a licensed school counselor.         (2) The Grow Your Own Teacher and School Counselor Pipeline Program is a competitive grant program created to provide funding to LEAs to award scholarships to paraprofessionals, school counselor assistants, and school counselor interns within the LEA for education and training to become licensed teachers or licensed school counselors.     (3) The state board shall use money appropriated for the program to provide funding to LEAs that are awarded grants under the program to award scholarships to eligible candidates whom principals within the LEA nominate, in an amount that the state board determines.     (4) An LEA that participates in the program may select a candidate for a scholarship award if:   (a) the candidate is a resident of the state; and     (b)   (i) for a paraprofessional:   (A) a school district or charter school has employed the candidate as a paraprofessional for at least one year before entering the program; or     (B) subject to Subsection (5), the candidate has experience outside the school district, charter school, or state that is equivalent to the experience described in Subsection (4)(b)(ii);       (ii) for a school counselor assistant, the candidate:   (A) is enrolled in a bachelor's degree program in a related field; and     (B) demonstrates a commitment to continue the school counselor assistant's education after graduation in school counseling; or       (iii) for a school counselor intern, the candidate is enrolled in an accredited school counselor master's degree program accredited by:   (A) the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs; or     (B) another regionally recognized accrediting body that meets the state board's standards for school counselor education programs.           (5) The percentage of an LEA's paraprofessional scholarship recipients who are eligible for a scholarship using equivalent experience under Subsection (4)(b)(i)(B) may not exceed 20%.     (6) A scholarship award under the program may only be used for:   (a) tuition, books, fees, and certification tests for required coursework and licensure;     (b) stipends for mentors; and     (c) if the LEA pays 0.15 of a full-time equivalent and all employee benefits, payment of a 0.35 full-time equivalent for:   (i) a paraprofessional, up to one semester of student teaching; or     (ii) a school counselor assistant or school counselor intern, up to two semesters of practicum or internship hours.         (7) A paraprofessional scholarship recipient must be continuously employed as a paraprofessional by the paraprofessional's LEA while pursuing a degree using scholarship money under the program.     (8) The state board shall make rules in accordance with this section and Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, to administer the program, including rules regarding:   (a) grant and scholarship application procedures;     (b) procedures for distributing scholarship money;     (c) assignment and eligibility of qualified mentors;     (d) stipends for mentors;     (e) administrative costs for regional education service agencies, as that term is defined in Section 53G-4-410; and     (f) eligibility requirements for potential candidates for scholarships regarding the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and the acceptance of other grants, tuition or fee waivers, and scholarships offered to the candidate.      Enacted by Chapter 298, 2021 General Session