(a)
From funds appropriated for the purposes of this article, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing shall award incentive grants to qualifying school districts or county offices of education. Each school district or county office of education that receives a grant shall provide matching funds from available sources in an amount equal to 50 percent of the cost of the alternative certification program. Grants shall be awarded by the commission for the remaining 50 percent of the cost of the alternative certification program, but in no event shall the grant amount awarded to a school district or county office of education exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) per intern per year, except that the commission may require a lesser local contribution, or provide a larger grant per intern per year, in hardship cases.
(b)
Participants in a district intern program conducted pursuant to Article 7.5 (commencing with Section 44325) or in an intern program conducted pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 44450) of Chapter 3, who have received a preliminary credential and who are receiving funding for participating in an induction program pursuant to Article 4.5 (commencing with Section 44279.1) are not eligible for funding under this section.