A bill that aims to address the teacher shortage in Indiana passed the Senate unanimously Tuesday.

House Bill 1637 would increase the amount of money the Indiana Commission for Higher Education can award a recipient of the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship from $7,500 each year to $10,000 if the individual agrees to teach at an eligible Indiana school for at least five years.

Applicants must be a current high school senior or college student in Indiana to qualify for the scholarship.

The program also requires an applicant to be ranked in the top 20% of their high school graduating class, have a top 20% SAT or ACT score or a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.