PIERRE - South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard has signed a measure that creates a college scholarship program aimed at recruiting new teachers into critically needed fields.

College students who agree to teach in critical areas for five years after graduation could compete for scholarships. Those scholarships would help cover tuition and fees for up to two years of college.

A new state board would decide which teaching fields are critically needed. The board also would decide which students get scholarships.

The program will be started by putting $1.5 million into a trust fund. Interest earnings from the trust fund will be used to finance the scholarships.

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