A new program handed down from Governor Doug Ducey is fighting the teacher shortage crisis here in Arizona.
The program is called the Arizona Teacher's Academy and it gives tutition waivers to students earning their teaching credentials at Arizona's three State Universities.
In return for free tuition, the students must teach for one year in local schools.
The hope is that these teachers will stay in the area for years to come.
UA professors say this is a great start to attracting teachers and they're hoping it'll help retain talented educators as well.
The problem, teachers say, is the lack of funding for this program from the state. The universities are expected to completely fund the scholarships.
At the UA, professors say they had many more applicants than scholarships available, so they're hoping to expand the program in the future.
