Financial Opportunities for Aspiring and In-service Educators

Multiple opportunities to recruit educators via stipends, scholarships, and other awards are currently available. Below is a list of these opportunities with links to more detailed information. A downloadable version of this page can be accessed here. This page was last updated on September 27, 2024.

Support For	Strategy	Partner	Initiative Explanation	Funding	CDE or Resource Link
Aspiring educators	TEACH Colorado		Free information on teacher preparation programs; 1:1 licensure coaching from current educators; application fee reimbursements; scholarships; and testing, resume, and cover letter guides	Variable scholarships and application fee reimbursements for subscribers	TEACH Colorado
Alternative teachers, educators on a TEE, aspiring CTE teachers, paraprofessionals in an educator preparation program	Tuition financial assistance		Educator candidates committing to teach in a shortage area for 3 years can receive up to $10,000 in one-time financial assistance toward their educator preparation program tuition.	Up to $10,000 to pay for the educator preparation program fees	Educator Recruitment and Retention Program
Rural student teachers (those completing student teaching/clinical residency at a Colorado educator preparation program)	Colorado Rural Teaching Stipend		The value of the stipend is up to $4,000 for the semester of student teaching. Stipend recipients are expected to complete student teaching in a Colorado rural school district and then apply to and work in a rural school district for two years.	Up to $4,000	Colorado Center for Rural Education
Rural student teachers in a year-long clinical residency	Colorado Rural Teaching Fellowship		The $10,000 Colorado Rural Teaching Fellowship is available to selected candidates who complete a year-long clinical experience (student teaching residency) in a rural school district during the final year of their teacher preparation programs. Candidates who are selected for this fellowship, Rural Teaching Fellows, receive $5000 from their institute of higher education and $5000 from the Colorado Department of Higher Education and $5,000 in matching funds from their institute of higher education (IHE). School districts can partner with the IHE to help cover the $5,000 match to include ESSER funds.	$10,000	Colorado Department of Higher Education
Rural in-service teachers	Rural In-service Educator Stipend		The Colorado Center for Rural Education and the Colorado Department of Higher Education encourage talented in-service PK-12 educators working in a rural Colorado school district to pursue the coursework necessary to: (a) qualify to teach concurrent enrollment courses, (b) add an additional endorsement; or (c) fulfill a local need. The Rural Inservice Educator Stipend provides recipients who commit to teach in a rural district for 3 years with up to $6,000 to offset costs associated with a qualifying program provided by one of Colorado’s institutions of higher education.	Up to $6,000	Colorado Center for Rural Education
Rural in-service teachers	National Board Certified Teacher – Application		The Colorado Center for Rural Education and the Colorado Department of Higher Education encourage talented K-12 educators in rural Colorado school districts to pursue National Board Teacher Certification (NBCT). All NBCT stipend recipients who commit to teach in a rural district for three years will receive support and mentorship from NBCT facilitators in a Colorado Rural National Board cohort.	$4,250	Colorado Center for Rural Education
Special Services Providers (Rural)	Special Services Provider Stipends		The Special Services Provider Stipend (SSPS) provides recipients who commit to serve in a rural district for three years with up to $6,000 to pay for a variety of program-related costs (e.g., application fees, official transcripts, evaluation, tuition and fees, exams, fingerprinting, licensing, technology and travel costs). The Colorado Department of Education recognizes these special services providers: school audiologists, school counselors, school nurses, school occupational therapists, school orientation and mobility specialists, school physical therapists, school psychologists, school social workers and school speech-language pathologists.	Up to $6,000	Colorado Center for Rural Education
K-12 Educators & Special Service Providers - mainly for those who serve in rural and hard-to-fill positions in Colorado early in their career	Colorado Educator Loan Forgiveness		Those who qualify are eligible to receive up to $5,000 in loan forgiveness for a given cycle of the program. Program qualifications can be found at the link to the right. The application is currently closed and will reopen Spring 2025.	Up to $5,000 annually for up to 5 years	Colorado Educator Loan Forgiveness
Tutors	AmeriCorps, TutorCorps Reading Tutors, Math Tutors		Become an AmeriCorps member to serve as a reading or math tutor in Colorado or serve in the Youth Mental Health Corps. *Tutoring often can lead to being prepared as a licensed educator. If you become a member, you can learn more about using your tutoring service to help become a licensed educator.	Variable living stipend	Serve Colorado
High School Aspiring Educators	Teacher Recruitment Education and Preparation (TREP)		High school students interested in becoming an educator can enroll in TREP, a concurrent enrollment program that allows them to take an articulated pathway of courses tuition-free for up to two years after their 12^th-grade year.		TREP
Educator Preparation Candidates	Student Educator Stipends		The student educator stipend program awards money to an eligible student to compensate them for their clinical experience in an academic residency position.	Candidates placed in a semester-long academic residency may receive a stipend of up to $11,000, and those in a year-long academic residency may receive a stipend of up to $22,000.	CDHE
Educator Preparation Candidates	Student Educator Test Stipend Program		The educator test stipend program awards stipend money to approved preparation programs to reduce financial barriers for eligible students preparing for or taking the Praxis exam(s) required for licensure. Stipends are paid by the preparation program to eligible students to pay the fees and costs associated with the assessment of professional competencies, which may include preparation materials or courses, and travel and lodging costs for getting to a testing site.		CDHE
Aspiring educators enrolled in Education or Early Childhood Education programs at Colorado community colleges	Career Advance Colorado		Starting in August of 2023, students enrolled in qualifying programs will have their tuition, fees, course materials, and other costs covered while funding is available.	Varies	Career Advance Colorado
Aspiring educators enrolled in Colorado public institutions of higher education	Colorado Promise		Beginning in Fall 2024, students who attend Colorado public institutions of higher education with family incomes of $90,000 or less are eligible for complete reimbursement of out-of-pocket costs for tuition and fees for the first two years of postsecondary education in the form of a tax credit.		Colorado Promise

Additional Information for Job Postings and Positions

Colorado Association of School Executives Career Center

Colorado Rural Education Collaborative job board

Colorado Department of Education Career Page