
If you want to become a teacher, unlike in the past, you don’t need to go into severe debts. There are several scholarships for teachers which you can avail of, and these scholarships are designed to encourage teachers to further study and gain expertise in a particular field. Continue reading this EduZenith article for more details.
If you want more information about scholarships for teachers, you can get in touch with the Departmental Academic Advisor and Financial Aid Office of your school.
Whether you are already teaching or you aspire to be a teacher, and are interested in studying in a particular field further, you don’t need to worry about the day-to-day expenses which you will have to incur. There are several scholarships for teachers which give you the opportunity to continue your education while still teaching. Besides, there are federal scholarship programs which you can look for. In case you are close to graduation, then you can look for easy scholarships and grants which can pay your daily expenses during your teaching assignment.
Scholarships for Future Teachers
There are some national scholarships provided to students who pursue education majors and want to teach in that particular subject later on. Moreover there are some which are targeted towards teachers teaching in a particular field and planning to study further. They include the Phi Delta Kappa International Education Foundation Scholarship and Bright Horizons Family Solutions. The Phi Delta Kappa International Education Foundation Scholarship is given to students who want to pursue a career in elementary or secondary schools. The Bright Horizons Family Solutions Scholarship is given to students who are going through a degree program in early childhood education. It is an employer-provided scholarship program, and is offered to four students, and the maximum limit is US $2,500. For this scholarship, you need to submit a resume, an essay, letters of recommendation, and transcripts, besides the completed application form. You can also consider the Science Research Competition arranged by the Siemens Foundation. You can participate as an individual or as a member of a small team (two/three high school students). Scholarships for winning projects range from $1,000 to $100,000.
. . . For Teachers Going Back to School
If you are already teaching in a particular field and want to study further, then there are scholarships for that too. The StraightForward Media’s Teacher Scholarship Program is one of them, which offers four scholarships every year. For availing this scholarship, you need to be a teacher, or you should be pursuing a course or degree, and should have the intention of becoming a teacher. The scholarship amount is US $500, and is granted for every three months. Usually, other scholarship programs write checks to your school, but if you go for this, the checks are written in your name, so that you can use the money not only for tuition but also for other expenses.
You can also apply for scholarships through the National Board Scholarship Program. Under this program several organizations provide money to teachers who want to study further, but these scholarships are provided on a first-come-first-serve basis. This is one of those easy scholarships to get. Some of the major organizations which provide funds for this scholarship include GlaxoSmithKline Endowed Scholarship Fund, State Farm Companies Foundation, Edward B. Rust Jr. Scholarship Fund, The UPS Foundation, Boeing, Judy Wolpe Endowed Scholarship Fund, National Board Scholarship Fund, Northrop Grumman, Georgia-Pacific, The Pittsburgh Initiative II, Pfizer, Chase, American Association of Teachers of French and Stuart Foundation, etc.
. . . For Teachers in Graduate School
If you are a teacher, and want to go back to graduation so as to study another subject, then you can do that, and there are scholarships for that too. The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) is one such organization which offers such scholarship. You need to be a high school senior or a teacher, and should enroll in physics program to be eligible for this scholarship. The scholarship amount of US $2,000 is given for each year for the next four years. Following is a list of scholarships worth looking into:
List of Teaching Scholarships
➺ The Mikkelson Mathematics and Science Teacher Scholarship Fund
➺ MƒA (Math for America) Master Teacher Fellowship
➺ ACS-Hach Second Career Teacher Scholarship (strong preference is given to chemistry teaching majors)
➺ Society of Physics Students (SPS) Leadership Scholarship
➺ Scholarships awarded by the American Montessori Society.
➺ Minority Teacher Education Scholarship Program by the Florida Fund for Minority Teachers, Inc.
➺ MathMovesU Grants for Teachers and Schools
➺ Voya Unsung Heroes Program
➺ Knowles Science Teaching Foundation Fellowship
➺ National Spanish Examination (NSE) Scholarships
➺ Fulbright Scholarships
➺ University of Louisville Minority Teacher Scholarship
➺ Rockefeller Brothers Fund Fellowships for Aspiring Teachers of Color
➺ Hispanic Scholarship Fund and State Farm Scholarships
➺ Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarship Program
➺ Milwaukee Area Teachers Scholarship
➺ Teachers of Tomorrow, a New York City Department of Education program
➺ Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant (TEACH)
➺ Scholarships by AFCEA (Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association) Educational Foundation.
➺ State of Arkansas Minority Teacher Scholars Program
➺ NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Lillian and Samuel Sutton Education Scholarship
➺ Dorothy B. Lucas Special Education Scholarship
➺ Applegate/Jackson/Parks Future Teacher Scholarship
➺ National Board for Professional Teaching Standards offers its own scholarships for teachers.
➺ David R. Layman Endowed Scholarship in Biology at NIU (Northern Illinois University) to support outstanding students in the Biology Teacher Certification Program.
➺ The American Association of Teachers of Japanese – Bridging Project Scholarship is offered to undergraduate students majoring in any field of study. Japanese language study is not a prerequisite.
➺ Vermont Language Teacher Scholarship for a Vermont secondary school language teacher and for a Middlebury College Education Studies student.
➺ School for International Training (SIT) IATEFL (International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language) Scholarship Fund
➺ AATA (American Association of Teachers of Arabic) and Aldeen Foundation: Scholarships for Arabic Language Teachers
➺ Bill and Diane Stoneman Physical Education Scholarship is open to undergraduate students at the University of Idaho, majoring in physical education.
➺ The National Federation of the Blind Educator of Tomorrow Scholarship is worth $3,000. It is awarded to a blind student planning a career in elementary, secondary, or post-secondary teaching.
➺ Common Knowledge Scholarship Foundation (CKSF) offers a wide variety of scholarship quizzes throughout the year for U.S. high school, college, and graduate students. Even parents can win scholarships for their children.
➺ Rudolph Dillman Memorial Scholarship is awarded by the American Foundation for the Blind Scholarship Committee. Undergraduate or graduate students who are blind or visually impaired can apply for this scholarship. They should be preparing for careers in the education or rehabilitation of visually impaired or blind people. The scholarship is meant for U.S. citizens only.
➺ Sigma Alpha Iota (SAI) Music Education Scholarship: There exist a number of scholarships. For example, Musicians with Special Needs Scholarship is offered to a member of Sigma Alpha Iota enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program in music who has a qualifying disability, or to someone pursuing studies to become a teacher or therapist in this field.
➺ For students majoring in Special Education, there exist various Federal grants and State programs. They can get scholarships through their colleges too. Another great advantage is that The Federal Perkins Loan Teacher Cancellation Program will eliminate up to 100 percent of the Federal Perkins Loan amount you borrowed (step-by-step each year) if you teach special education.
➺ Alpha Kappa Alpha Educational Advancement Foundation (AKAEAF) Scholarships. Students from the states VA and NC who are pursuing a degree in education and planning to teach in Prince William County, Virginia, can apply for the scholarship awarded by the Mary F. Williams Teacher Education Scholarship Fund. Wilma Holmes Tootle Teacher Education Scholarship is awarded to undergraduate students in North Atlantic region ( states covered: MA, eastern NY, eastern PA, NJ, DE, CT, MD, DC, RI, ME, NH, VT) majoring in education.
So, all in all there are several scholarships for teachers which you can avail of. The list of names of programs mentioned above is not an exhaustive, and there are several other scholarships which are specifically designed towards meritorious students, minorities, and people with disabilities. You need to get in touch with the financial aid officer of the school for more information.