FAQ [Frequently Asked Questions]

Who can apply for a NOYCE Scholarship?

The Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship is available only to full-time juniors and seniors and can be obtained for up to two years. Students receiving the scholarship must have or be working towards a degree in Science.

What must I do in return for this funding?

This scholarship requires a teaching commitment at a high needs school district equal to two years for every year that a scholar receives financial support. The teaching obligation must be completed within eight years of graduating from UNC Charlotte or the scholarship must be repaid. Many schools in North Carolina qualify as “high need local educational agencies”. However, it is your responsibility to verify that your school qualifies.

What is a high needs district?

The National Science Foundation defines a high need district as one that meets at least one of the following criteria:

  1. It has at least one school in which 50 percent or more of the enrolled students are eligible for participation in the free and reduced price lunch program.
  2. It has at least one school in which: (i) more than 34 percent of the academic classroom teachers at the secondary level (across all academic subjects) do not have an undergraduate degree with a major or minor in, or a graduate degree in, the academic field in which they teach the largest percentage of their classes; or (ii) more than 34 percent of the teachers in two of the academic departments do not have an undergraduate degree with a major or minor in, or a graduate degree in, the academic field in which they teach the largest percentage of their classes.
  3. It has at least one school whose teacher attrition rate has been 15 percent or more over the last three school years.

What is a Learning Coach?

The Learning Coach concept is based on an established program at the University of Colorado at Boulder, the STEM Colorado Learning Assistant Program, and the Workshop Model at the University of Rochester. The Learning Coach Program instituted here at UNC Charlotte is designed to recruit and hire successful undergraduate science majors to facilitate small group interaction in large enrollment science courses. Noyce Scholars will serve as a lead Learning Coach (LC) in the specified course (CHEM 1251 or PHYS 2101) for three semesters, and will be paid for their work. The Noyce Scholar will lead small-group collaborative discussion sessions in CHEM 1251 or PHYS 2101 and mentor new Learning Coaches.

Are there any opportunities for summer funding?

There will be multiple enrichment possibilities available during the summer. 49er Teach Noyce Scholars will be invited to participate (for pay) in at least one of these summer experiences between their junior and senior years: Summer Internships in the Department of Chemistry, Summer Internships in Physics and Assistantships at Discovery Place.

When is the application deadline?

The deadline for applications is March 1, 2013. You can complete the application process online at http://education.uncc.edu/cstem/stemundergraduateprograms/noyce

What kind of support is there besides financial?

Each Noyce Scholar will be assigned three mentors during the course of their program. One mentor will be a science professor, science education professor and a secondary science teacher from the Charlotte-Mecklenberg school district. These mentors will collaborate to guide the Noyce Scholar through the program and into his/her first years as a teacher.

What happens if I decide to pursue another profession before I have fulfilled my teaching commitment?

The UNC Charlotte 49er Teach Noyce Program seeks students committed to teaching. However, if you are unable to fulfill your teaching commitment within 8 years of graduation you are responsible for repaying a portion of the scholarship equal to the portion of the service obligation that remains unfulfilled. Scholars agree to teach for 2 years in exchange each year of scholarship support, so if a student received 2 years of scholarship, and taught in a high needs district for 2 years, he would be responsible to repay 1 year of his scholarship, plus applicable interest.