Three Arkansas universities will share in $3.3 million from the Arkansas-based Walton Family Foundation to pay for scholarships for future African-American teachers, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports.

The scholarships are for teachers willing to work in the Delta and south Arkansas regions. The money will go to the Southern Arkansas University, University of Arkansas and University of Arkansas.

An historically African-American school, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff will get the bulk of the money -- more than $2 million -- while the University of Arkansas at Monticello is getting $692,316 and Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia will get $627,135.

Through the scholarships, students will get paid tuition, fees, room, board and books for up to four years, the newspaper reports. Freshmen also will get stipends.

For each year a student uses the scholarship, he or she must agree to one year of teaching in the Delta or south Arkansas region.

The program is expected to graduate 136 black teachers from the schools within four years. Scholarships will begin in Fall 2000. In the meantime, the universities will be working with high school guidance counselors to identify prospective students, the newspaper states.

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