Althea Reader
Often dubbed a labor of love, there are many challenges associated with the teaching profession. Chief among these challenges is the cost teachers face when continuing their studies or pursuing career development opportunities. This list of six top continuing education scholarships for teachers is most useful for those who are committed to making a lifelong career of educating the nation’s children and powerfully impacting lives.
The Renshaw Fellowship
Administered by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI), the Renshaw Fellowship has three grants available to its fellows – 5 awards of $15,000 each, 3 awards of $10,000 each, 7 awards of $5,000 each. Applicants must be members of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, and currently pursuing their doctoral studies or have applied to doctoral programs in education. Awardees can use the funds at their discretion to cover either living or tuition expenses. Students attending pre-professional programs such as in medicine, law, divinity or business are ineligible.
AFCEA Educational Foundation STEM Scholarships
The Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) Educational Foundation Stem Scholarships benefits at least 50 students working towards a degree or license that will allow them to teach a STEM subject (science, technology, engineering or math) at the grade K-12 level at a US school. The scholarships value between $2500 and $5000. Applicants must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 and be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at an accredited college or university. Those working towards their license must have received at least a bachelor’s degree in a STEM major. The expected date of graduation or completion of studies cannot be in the same year the scholarship is to be awarded. Undergraduate students are ineligible.
E.A.C.H. Early Childhood MINNESOTA
The aim of the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood MINNESOTA scholarship program is to improve commitment and stem high staff turnover in the field by encouraging early childhood and school-age care professionals who want to further their education and improve their compensation. T.E.A.C.H (Teacher Education And Compensation Helps) offer varying types of scholarships, with most awarding recipients with benefits that cover majority costs of tuition and textbooks, along with travel stipend and paid release time. To be eligible, applicants should already be working as child-care professionals or early childhood educators, and gained acceptance into a Childhood Development or Early Childhood Education degree program at an accredited two or four-year college in Minnesota. Center directors, approved trainers and professional development specialists, family child care providers, and staff at early childhood and school-age care programs are eligible.
Paul R. Wolf Memorial Scholarship
Paul R. Wolf Memorial Scholarship program, administered by the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, is meant to encourage college students who display keen interest in entering the teaching profession with specific focus on teaching Surveying, Mapping, or Photogrammetry. A scholarship of $3,500 is awarded to the selected student who must be a member of ASPRS and enrolled in a graduate program that will allow them to pursue a career in teaching one of the three subjects mentioned.
Prospective 7-12 Secondary Teacher Course Work Scholarships
The Prospective 7-12 Secondary Teacher Course Work Scholarships is administered by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and supported by the Texas Instruments Demana-Waits Fund. A scholarship valued up to $10,000 is awarded to a college student to help finance their studies as they pursue a career as a secondary math teacher. To be eligible, applicants must presently be completing their sophomore year of college, and scheduling for full-time study at a four or five-year college or university. Applicants need to be studying toward a diploma that will allow them to become certified teachers of secondary school math.
TEACH Grant
The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant is a federal grant program aimed at giving students financial assistance as they pursue their teaching and education degrees. The grant, valued up to $4,000 per year, is awarded to students completing or planning to complete prerequisite course work for pursuing a career in teaching. A condition of the grant is that the recipient sign an agreement, committing to work in a high-need field, at an elementary school, secondary school, or educational service agency that serves students from low-income families for at least four complete academic years within eight years after completing their course of study or otherwise no longer enrolled in the program for which the TEACH Grant fund was received. Eligible students must be enrolled in a TEACH Grant eligible program, and be scoring above the 75th percentile on one or more portions of a college admissions test or maintaining a cumulative GPA no lower than 3.25.
