The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires the State to adopt standards designed to ensure an adequate supply of qualified special education personnel that are appropriately and adequately prepared and trained. In the field of speech-language pathology, the State’s standard is licensure based on a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology/Communication Disorders. The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE), to the extent funds are available, will provide financial assistance in the form of tuition reimbursement to eligible individuals pursuing the necessary coursework from an accredited program to qualify for licensure in the area of speech-language pathology. As a condition of acceptance into the tuition reimbursement program, each potential participant will file with the ADE an application with a signed Commitment Statement obligating the participant to obtain licensure and employment in an Arkansas local public education agency in the field for which tuition assistance was provided.
Employment must be for a period of time not less than the length of time reimbursement was awarded. Individuals holding a teaching license as a speech therapist or individuals employed by school districts and education service cooperatives as speech-language pathology assistants on the basis of a Bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology are eligible for financial assistance leading to licensure as a Speech-Language Pathologist.
Additionally, individuals pursuing the necessary coursework to earn a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology/Communication Disorders will be considered for financial assistance to obtain Arkansas Teacher Licensure in Speech-Language Pathology under the terms of this tuition reimbursement program.