The bill proposes the establishment of the Shortage Teaching Fields Tuition Assistance Fund within the office of the postsecondary commissioner (OPC) in Rhode Island. This fund is designed to provide financial assistance to eligible individuals attending a Rhode Island postsecondary institution, covering a portion of their tuition and other necessary costs associated with obtaining a degree in education for teaching in shortage fields. The shortage teaching fields are defined as subject areas or teacher certifications with a critical lack of educators in the state, specifically sciences and mathematics for grades seven through twelve. The bill includes new insertions that define terms such as "costs of attending," "service requirement," and "tuition assistance recipients," and outlines the eligibility criteria for individuals to receive tuition assistance.

To be eligible for this assistance, individuals must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a program to become a teacher in a shortage field, complete a service requirement of at least three years of full-time teaching in a shortage teaching field within the state, and meet any other conditions required by the OPC. The bill also specifies that tuition assistance recipients are not required to provide SAT or AP test scores for admission to teaching programs, nor do they need to be Rhode Island residents. If recipients leave their teaching program early or fail to meet the service requirement, the assistance becomes a loan to be repaid. The OPC is tasked with administering the fund and establishing necessary rules and regulations. The bill mandates annual reporting on the fund's effectiveness while maintaining the privacy of individuals receiving assistance. The act would take effect upon passage.