Education majors can get a jump on their lesson plans by applying for the 1989-90 Scholars in Education Award Program and the Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarship.

Both programs are part of an effort by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) to alleviate a growing need for qualified teachers, said Dan Grow, coordinator in the Office of Certification and Education Services.

Applications are available from the College of Education's Office of Certification and Education Services in 181 Chambers Building, Grow said, noting that they are due no later than April 15.

"Current recipients don't need to send in an application because verification forms of their academic progress is requested from the Dean's Office," he said.

The SEA program was established in 1983-84 to combat the shortage of math and science teachers and is financed by PHEAA, said Sam Sobczak, coordinator for Teacher Training Programs at PHEAA. The program provides half of the annual tuition cost for prospective math and science teachers who agree to teach one year of mathematics or science in a Pennsylvania secondary school for each year they receive the SEA grant, Grow said.

Applicants must also meet several other requirements, including at least a year's residency in Pennsylvania; a score of 1,000 or above on the SAT and documented ranking in the top fifth of their high school class (required only for applying high school seniors and college freshmen); at least a 3.0 grade-point average in all college coursework; and enrollment in a math or science teacher preparation program.

Since the beginning of the program, SEA has received $3 million for funding, Sobczak said.

Thirty-four University students now receive SEA grants totaling $58,800, Grow said. "The teacher incentive programs have been instrumental in increasing the number and quality of teacher candidates at Penn State," he said.

The Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarship (PDTS) was established in 1986-87 to encourage students to enter early childhood, elementary and secondary teaching in any field, Sobczak said. It is a federally-funded program.

Recipients of the $5,000 annual awards must agree to teach any subject for two years in any state, Grow said. "The (time) commitment is reduced by one-half if the teacher is employed in an area which federal regulations define as having a teacher shortage," he said.

Requirements for the PDTS are similar to those of the SEA, with the added stipulation of documented ranking in the top 10 percent of the high school graduating class, said Grow.

Forty University students receive the PDTS this year, Grow noted.

"We have people out there teaching,"said Sobczak. "We had some inquiries about people not being able to get jobs, so we conducted a survey of people who just graduated.

"The bottom line is that the programs are doing what they're intended to do. Seven out of ten alumni are teaching."