The Arizona Teachers Academy is getting $15 million in funding from the state. Gov. Doug Ducey allocated the money to help the program keep up with an increase in demand.

The academy helps cover tuition for Arizona residents studying to become teachers, as long as they commit to teaching one year in the state for every year they receive funding.

Fred DuVal is with the Arizona Board of Regents, which oversees the state’s public universities.

“[The Arizona Teachers Academy] gets students who are motivated to teach, but who are just afraid of the salary point and can’t figure out a rational way to decide to teach," DuVal said. "This is a way of enticing them into the profession.”

More students are showing interest in the program and some of them have been on waitlists.

“We have more demand than we have room and so we’re seeking to meet that with new dollars," DuVal said. "We will be going to the Legislature again this upcoming year to help us continue to grow this so that every classroom in Arizona has a certified good quality teacher for our students.”

This year, the academy saw its highest enrollment yet at 3,310 students.