ICYMI: UNI President Joins Hinson to Highlight Bipartisan Bill Supporting Future Teachers

Image July 15, 2026 Press Release Washington, D.C. — During her weekly press call, Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (IA-02) was joined by University of Northern Iowa President Mark Nook to discuss bipartisan legislation she introduced to modernize the TEACH Grant Program, making it easier for future teachers to afford college while ensuring proper guardrails for grant dollars. Rep. Hinson has met with President Nook to talk about the challenges facing the TEACH Grant program and ideas for commonsense reforms and solutions. UNI’s teacher preparation program has become a model for success, and President Nook shared his experience with Iowa media alongside Rep. Hinson. President Nook highlighted UNI's unique role in preparing Iowa's educator workforce: "Approximately 25% of all educators in the state come from UNI, and many of our students take advantage of the TEACH Grant that's out there. “...One of the problems that students face is that if they teach for one year, two years, or three years out of the required four but don't complete the fourth year, all of the grant converts into a loan." On the solution to protecting future teachers: "So what we've done with this new proposal, the new bill that Representative Hinson has introduced, is prorate that so that a student who graduates and teaches in a high-needs field for two or three years would essentially be working off that grant a year at a time… “One of the things that is also important in here is bringing accountability to the institutions. If an institution has a large percentage of its students who are converting these into loans instead of keeping them as grants, then we want to hold that institution accountable. "I think this is probably the most important part of what we've done in this legislation—to bring accountability to the university and say, let's make sure people are helping students understand what these grants really are, how they work, what their obligations are, and then help them find the jobs they need so they can meet those obligations. "Nothing is more important to us than helping people manage their student loan debt and come out of college with a really high-quality degree that prepares them for the profession they want to choose." Rep. Hinson said the bill has a simple goal: making it easier for future teachers to pursue their calling while holding colleges accountable. "Our kids deserve great teachers, and the students who want to answer that call shouldn't have unnecessary barriers standing in their way. As President Nook talked about, we also need to make sure institutions are fulfilling their end of the deal." Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Jack Reed (D-RI). For more information on the bipartisan bill, click here . ###