(1) "Agreement" means a teaching fellowship program agreement as described in section 23-3.9-205.

(2) "Approved educator preparation program" has the same meaning as provided in section 23-1-121.

(3) "Eligible student" means an in-state student, as defined in section 23-7-102, who is enrolled in the final year of an approved educator preparation program at an institution of higher education.

(4) "Institution of higher education" or "institution" means:

(a) A state institution of higher education, as defined in section 23-18-102;

(b) A local district college that offers an approved educator preparation program; or

(c) A private college or university, as defined in section 23-2-102, that is authorized pursuant to article 2 of this title 23 and offers an approved educator preparation program.

(5) "Rural charter school" means a charter school that is authorized by a rural school district pursuant to part 1 of article 30.5 of title 22 or an institute charter school that is authorized by the state charter school institute pursuant to part 5 of article 30.5 of title 22 and is located within a rural school district.

(6) "Rural local education provider" means a rural school district, a rural charter school, or a board of cooperative services that operates a public school that is located within a rural school district.

(7) "Rural school district" means a school district in Colorado that the department of education determines is rural, based on the geographic size of the school district and the distance of the school district from the nearest large, urbanized area.

(8) "Stipend" means a teaching fellowship stipend distributed to a teaching fellow as state-based financial aid as provided in section 23-3.9-206.

(9) "Teaching fellow" means an eligible student who participates in a teaching fellowship program.

(10) "Teaching fellowship program" or "program" means a teaching fellowship program created by a rural local education provider and an institution of higher education pursuant to an agreement as described in section 23-3.9-205.