(a) (1) (A) A classroom teacher employed by a school district in the state may receive a reimbursement from the Dual Licensure Incentive Program if the classroom teacher returns to an approved institution of higher education to obtain licensure in an additional subject area:

(i) Declared to be a shortage area by the Department of Education;

(ii) That the classroom teacher is currently teaching but for which he or she does not have a licensure; or

(iii) And grade level in which the school district has requested a waiver under § 6-17-309.

(B)

(i) A reimbursement from the Dual Licensure Incentive Program shall include funding for the cost of tuition, books, and fees not to exceed three thousand dollars ($3,000) each college year.

(ii) The amount of the reimbursement and the number of reimbursement recipients selected by the Department of Higher Education is contingent on the appropriation and availability of funding for such a purpose.

(2) To be eligible for a reimbursement under the program, the person shall be:

(A) Employed as a classroom teacher for no less than three (3) years of teaching immediately preceding the application; and

(B) Accepted for enrollment in a classroom teacher education program that will lead to a licensure to teach in a subject area that:

(i) Is different from the classroom teacher's current area of licensure; and

(ii) Either:

(a) Has been identified as a subject area with a shortage of classroom teachers as declared by the Department of Education; or

(b) Is in the grade level and subject matter area for which the school district has requested a waiver under § 6-17-309.

(b)

(1) The Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall promulgate rules as necessary to implement the program.

(2) The number of classroom teacher participants each year shall be determined by the amount of funding available for the program and the limitations set under this section.