The University of Oklahoma will give future teachers up to $9,500 in scholarships over four years through a new program funded by a $5 million gift.

The Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education Scholars Program, announced by OU, aims to put more teachers with standard certification in Oklahoma classrooms. The program will welcome its first students in fall 2027, with about 20 scholars in the initial group.

The scholarship breaks down by year: $2,000 as a freshman, $2,000 as a sophomore, $2,500 as a junior and $3,000 as a senior, provided students continue to meet eligibility requirements.

Who qualifies

The program targets a gap in existing aid. It is open to incoming OU freshmen who are Oklahoma residents and enroll full time in an eligible education major. Families must have an adjusted gross income of $135,000 or less on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students eligible for Oklahoma's Promise or OU Onward cannot participate. National Merit Scholars, National Award Scholars and Oklahoma Rising Scholars are also excluded, according to the program's website.

No separate application is required. Students who apply to OU and complete the FAFSA will be considered automatically.

To keep the scholarship, students must maintain a minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA, make satisfactory academic progress and stay enrolled in the college.

Why it matters locally

Oklahoma's pipeline of traditionally trained teachers has shrunk. The number of students completing university teacher-preparation programs in the state has fallen nearly 40 percent since 2013, according to OU. Since 2018, fewer than half of Oklahoma's first-year teachers have entered the classroom with a standard certification. In 2025, the state issued nearly 4,000 emergency teaching certificates, OU said.

"If we want talented young people to choose teaching and remain in the profession, we must find new and meaningful ways to support them along the way," Stacy Reeder, dean of the college, said in a statement.

OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. said preparing future teachers is "one of the most important investments we can make in Oklahoma's future."

More than tuition help

Scholars will also have access to a study-abroad experience at OU's campus in Puebla, Mexico, offered every other year. The Cathey A. Simmons Humphreys Endowed Study Abroad Scholarship will cover the trip's cost every other year, with each scholar eligible to participate once.

The college plans to build a peer mentoring structure in which upper-level scholars support incoming students. Regular gatherings with faculty, staff and education professionals are also part of the program.

Juanita Ortiz, senior college operations specialist, will work directly with students as the program develops. Ortiz said about 37 percent of the college's students apply for scholarships through OU's Centralized Academic Scholarship Hub, known as CASH. "We want to increase that participation," Ortiz said.

The scholarship can be combined with other financial aid. The program's website notes that students who also participate in Oklahoma's Inspired to Teach program could receive up to $15,000 in combined support over four years.

A Norman legacy

The $5 million gift came from Gene and Jeannine Rainbolt. Gene Rainbolt, born in Norman, earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from OU and went on to found BancFirst Corp., according to a OU tribute page. He died Jan. 2, 2025, at 95. Jeannine Rainbolt was an educator, and the college bears her name.

The college has already been increasing scholarship support. Annual scholarship awards grew from about $320,000 in 2022 to $822,000 in 2026, according to OU.

OU's final scholarship admissions deadline for fall 2027 is Dec. 15.