A bill that would waive tuition for a portion of an aspiring teacher's education gets its first hearing at the State Capitol Thursday.
It would allow them to do their mandatory student teaching hours without having to pay tuition.
Caitlin Efta is a student teacher at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. She says teachers-in-training are often placed in schools miles away.
"With increased costs of gas, food, and not being able to work a job unless we opt-in for late nights and weekends, we're struggling to take care of ourselves," says Efta.
The bill's authors say teaching is a core vocation in Minnesota and the state should help in any way it can.
Efta says it's basically like having a job but not getting paid for it, while not having the time to pick up outside work.
"With the student debt that I'm facing, even though I've had scholarships and grants, and I work a full-time job, I'm still in position where I'm struggling to make ends meet, putting off medical care, saving for retirement, buying a home, or starting a family," Efta explained.
The plan would apply to students at the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State colleges.