Financial Opportunities for Aspiring and In-service Educators

High School Students Pursuing an Educator Pathway

High School Concurrent Enrollment 

Teacher Recruitment Education and Preparation (TREP)  

Accelerating Students through Concurrent Enrollment (ASCENT) 

Promise Programs 

Colorado Promise: Two Free Years of College Expanded

Students who attend Colorado public institutions of higher education with family incomes of $90,000 or less are eligible for complete reimbursement of any out-of-pocket tuition and fees they pay for postsecondary education.  The reimbursement comes from a tax credit which covers the amount paid in tuition and fees during the prior academic year, for students in their first two years of college.  This is the amount paid after scholarships and grants.  The tax credit covers up to the first 65 credits a student takes, not counting any concurrent enrollment, AP/IB, military credit, or credit for prior learning.  For an overview of the program and more eligibility requirements, access the fact sheet.

Educator Recruitment and Retention Program

Qualified program applicants can receive up to $10,000 in one-time financial assistance toward their educator preparation program costs in exchange for a 3-year commitment to teaching in a shortage area in a Colorado public school.  Qualified applicants must be enrolled in a Colorado-approved educator preparation program and be employed as a paraprofessional in a school district, charter school, or BOCES.  Applicants who are employed as an alternative teacher or temporary educator eligibility (TEE) educator in a shortage area are considered as a qualified program applicant.  The application window opens July 1 of each year.  Applications are awarded on a first come first serve basis until funds are depleted.

CDHE Teacher/School Counselor Student Educator Stipend & Test Stipend

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 16-week academic residency may receive a stipend of up to $11,000, and those in a 32-week academic residency may receive a stipend of up to $22,000.  To qualify for the stipends, candidates must be able to demonstrate financial need according to legislative guidelines (income within 250% of Pell eligibility). Funding for the stipends is available for the 2024-2025 academic year.  

Colorado Center for Rural Education Student Teaching Stipend

The Colorado Center for Rural Education and the Colorado Department of Higher Education encourage talented teacher candidates to student teach in Colorado rural school districts and eventually become a teacher in a Colorado rural school district.  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.  The Fall application timeline for this stipend is December 1 through March 31.  The Spring application timeline is July 1 through October 31.

Colorado Rural Teaching Fellowship

The Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) and the Colorado Center for Rural Education (CCRE) encourage talented teacher candidates to teach in Colorado rural school districts and eventually become teachers in Colorado rural schools.  The value of the Rural Teaching Fellowship is $10,000 given to selected candidates who complete a year-long clinical experience in a rural school during the final year of their teacher preparation program and commit to teaching for two years in a rural district after program completion.  Candidates who are selected for this program, Rural Teaching Fellows, receive $5,000 from their institute of higher education and $5,000 from the CDHE as a lump sum (taxable income) or as a scholarship during their final year of licensure preparation.  Year-long fellowships are created via partnerships between educator preparation programs and rural Colorado schools, districts, BOCES, and charter schools.

Special Services Provider Stipend (Rural)

The Colorado Center for Rural Education and the Colorado Center for Rural Education encourage talented individuals interested in Special Services Provider employment in rural or small rural schools in Colorado to apply for the Special Services Provider Stipend (SSPS).  The SSPS provides recipients up to $6,000 to pay for a variety of program-related costs during their final clinical experience.  Must commit to working full-time in one of Colorado's rural or small rural school districts for a period of three (3) years after receiving a Special Services Provider license from the Colorado Department of Education.  Special services providers are 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.

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Educators Completing an Alternative Pathway

Educator Recruitment and Retention Program

Qualified program applicants can receive up to $10,000 in one-time financial assistance toward their educator preparation program costs in exchange for a 3-year commitment to teaching in a shortage area in a Colorado public school.  Qualified applicants must be enrolled in a Colorado-approved educator preparation program and be employed as an alternative teacher or temporary educator eligibility (TEE) educator in a shortage area.  The application window opens July 1 of each year.  Applications are awarded on a first come first serve basis until funds are depleted.

Rural Alternative Licensure Stipend

The Colorado Center for Rural Education and the Colorado Department of Higher Education encourage talented individuals interested in teaching to enroll in an alternative licensure program and work in a rural or small rural school district in Colorado.  Provides recipients with up to $4,500 to pay for a variety of program-related costs (e.g., Alternative Licensure program, Praxis-, Alternative license-, Initial license-, technology-, and travel-related costs).  Must be employed in one of Colorado's 146 rural or small rural school districts, enrolled in a Colorado approved alternative teacher preparation program, commit to teaching in a rural school district for a period of three (3) years after receiving a teaching license from CDE.

Become an AmeriCorps or Youth Mental Health Corps Member

Become an AmeriCorps member to serve as a reading or math tutor in Colorado or serve in the Youth Mental Health Corps.  A variable living stipend is provided by the AmeriCorps organization.  Tutoring can often lead to being prepared as a licensed educator.  Members can learn more about using their service to become a licensed educator.

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Current Educators

Colorado Educator Loan Forgiveness

Applicants may be awarded up to $5,000 in student loan forgiveness each year of the five-year program which is in its fourth year.  Due to limited funds, not every educator who applies will receive loan forgiveness.  Applicants must be working as a teacher, principal, or special service provider in a Colorado public school.  Priority will go to applicants working in a rural or small rural district and then to those working in a content shortage area in a non-rural school/district.  Applicants must also hold a current teaching or special service provider license valid in the State of Colorado.  The application window opens each Spring.

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 necessary qualifications to: (a) teach concurrent enrollment courses, (b) add an additional endorsement; or (c) fulfill a local faculty need.  Provides recipients up to $6,000 to offset costs associated with a qualifying program provided by one of Colorado's institutions of higher education.  Must commit to teaching in a Colorado rural school district for three (3) years after receiving the award.  Applications are accepted from May 1 through August 31.

National Board Certified Teacher Stipend

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 will receive support and mentorship from NBCT facilitators in a Colorado Rural National Board cohort.  The total value of the stipend is $4,250.  CCRE will provide the recipient a $2,250 stipend to assist with the completion of the National Board Teacher Certification which should cover the cost of all four components and registration costs for two years.  The remaining $2,000 provided by the CDHE will be distributed to facilitators from the Colorado Education Association through CCRE.

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Scholarships and Supports for Aspiring Educators

TEACH Colorado $100 Fee Reimbursement

TEACH offers up to $100 in expense reimbursement for aspiring teachers who apply to an approved Colorado teacher preparation program.  Costs can include fees related to testing, transcript requests, and applications or test prep materials, or program deposits.  To qualify for reimbursement, you will need to sign up for a TEACH Colorado account, apply to any of the teaching programs featured on their site, and complete the fee reimbursement form with proof of your program application and fees.  

TEACH Colorado $1000 Scholarships

Once you have a TEACH Colorado account and have access to their amazing website resources, keep monitoring their site for scholarship opportunities.  Every year, TEACH Colorado offers and awards scholarships to future teachers all over Colorado.  You could be the next recipient! 

Painter Service for Others Scholarship (UA2)

For full-time undergraduate students in their junior or senior years pursuing college degrees in teaching or social work at a 4-year Colorado-accredited postsecondary educational institution.  Eligible candidates will be working toward a K-12 teaching certificate or following a course of student in social work with an emphasis on assisting children and young adults.  Candidates must demonstrate financial need through the FAFSA or CASFA.  Scholarship awards vary and will be paid directly to a recipient's college or university and can only be applied toward tuition and fees. Students may reapply for this opportunity. Application window is February 3 to April 30.

Winifred R. Reynold Educational Scholarship (UA2)

For graduate students focused on Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or an equivalent field with coursework focused specifically on ECE.  Candidates must be enrolled or planning to enroll in a master's or doctorate level program in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Educational Psychology, or an equivalent program with coursework primarily focusing on early childhood education.  Must demonstrate financial need and be a current resident of Colorado.  Award amounts vary and can be used for tuition, fees, and/or required books.  Previous recipients are encouraged to re-apply for consideration and can be a recipient for a maximum of three years.

Bright Futures for Weld County High School Graduates

Offers up to $14,000 to help earn a degree for students who resided in Weld County while they were in high school.  The scholarship offers $1,750 per semester if the school or program is in Weld County and $1,000 per semester if the program is outside of Weld County but located in Colorado or one of Colorad's seven bordering states.  It is renewable up to eight semesters based on meeting ongoing eligibility requirements.

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