The bad news is that there are teacher shortages all over the country. The good news is that if you are in or are pursuing a teaching or related career, there are many financial awards available, for tuition, study abroad, research and work. We’ve put together this list of some of the top dollar-value awards in the form of scholarships, grants and fellowships for teacher/ educators or related careers.

Notes:

  • Only active scholarships, grants and fellowships having to do with an education career and with readily available award value info are included.
  • Only loans that have a scholarship option are included.
  • Most awards are non-school specific, although we have included a few that are at the top end of award value and may thus be worthy of note.
  • Award periods are usually noted.
  • Some awards are renewable.
  • Some awards require nomination.
  • Most awards require U.S. citizenship or landed immigrant/ legal resident status.
  • See individual sites for details of eligibility, deadlines and other information.

This is not a comprehensive list. There are numerous other awards not listed here, especially additional school-specific awards and general scholarships not specifically intended for teaching-related careers. For more options, search the Web site for the college or university where you are planning to complete your teaching degree. If you have already graduated and are actively teaching, also consult Fund for Teachers, who have an interactive state map which provides a list of funding opportunities for each state for active teachers (graduated). As a final note, keep in mind that the funds that support various scholarships can be in flux from year to year, and as a result, many teacher/ educator scholarships that were available 2-3 years ago or longer are currently unavailable or inactive. We’ve made a best effort to check on the status of the awards listed here, though that is no guarantee that they will stay active.

ECE and Special Education Scholarships These awards cover ECE (Early Childhood Education) and Special Education scholarships.

  • AMS American Montessori Society Teacher Education Scholarships — The American Montessori Society has at least three awards of $1000 or more, taken from three different funds, and given to qualified applicants (accepted or in an AMS-affiliated teacher education program) aspiring to be a Montessori teacher. Next deadline is May 1, 2015. See site for future deadlines.
  • Bright Futures National ECE Scholarship Program — Bright Horizons offers scholarship awards of $250-1000 for qualified full-time students working towards a degree in ECE (Early Childhood Education) or related field. Deadline for 2014 was Jun 11; see site for future deadlines.
  • AASA Educational Administration Scholarship — AASA (American Association of School Administrators) offers a $2500 award for qualified grad students of school administration who intend a career in school superintendency. Recipients get a $500 travel allowance to receive the award at the AASA National Conference on Education. See site for next application availability and deadline.

General Scholarships These awards cover scholarships in a number of categories, including nursing, music, educational leadership, physical education and more.

  • AfterCollege/ AACN Nursing Scholarship Fund — AfterCollege and AACN (American Association of Colleges of Nursing) offer a $2,500 qauarterly scholarship to qualified students in a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree in nursing, with special preference going to candidates who intend to be nurse educators. Deadline dates are Mar 31, Jun 30, Sep 30 and Dec 31. See AfterCollege site for details. Also see the AACN site for details on the Johnson & Johnson/ AACN Nurse Faculty Scholarship (no dollar value given).
  • DAR Edward G. and Helen A. Borgens Elementary and Secondary Teacher Education Scholarships — DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) and the Edward G. and Helen A. Borgens fund offers two scholarships of $2,500 each for qualified students — one studying towards teaching elementary education and the other towards secondary education. DAR society membership (or relation to a member) may be required. Next deadline is Feb 15, 2015. See site for details and future deadlines.
  • Sigma Alpha Iota Music Education Scholarship — SAI (Sigma Alpha Iota) offers a scholarship of $1,500 to a qualified member who has both completed a undergrad music degree and is pursuing a grad or doctoral degree in music education, and preferably has at least a year of teaching experience. The deadline for 2014 was Mar 15; see site for details and future deadlines.
  • Phi Delta Kappa Prospective Educator Scholarships — PDK Phi Delta Kappa International offers awards of $500-1500 from over 30 endowed scholarships for teachers or aspiring teachers, and who are either PDK members or have a related family who is a PDK member. Next deadline is Apr 1, 2015; see site for future deadlines.
  • AFT Robert G. Porter Scholars Program — AFT (American Federation of Teachers) offers 10 one-time awards of $1,000 to AFT members for continuing education and/or for implementing ideas of about the role of union members in furthering the cause of a “just society for all.” AFT also offers awards of $8,000 (paid out over 4-6 years) for post-secondary education to dependents of AFT members. See site for next deadline.
  • Nancy Larson Foundation Scholarship Program — The Nancy Larson Foundation offers yearly scholarships of $1,000 to at least five qualified candidates who are students of elementary education. Application period is Oct 1 through Nov 15th. See site for details and future deadlines.
  • PDK/ Pi Lambda Theta Bushaw-Redumis Leadership Scholarship — PDK (Phi Delta Kappa Intl) and Pi Lambda Theta offer a scholarship of $1,000 to qualified part- or full-time undergrad students (Pi Lambda Theta members) who are pursuing a career in education and who show leadership qualities. Deadline is Apr 1. See site for details and future deadlines.
  • PDK/ Pi Lambda Theta Nadeen Burkeholder Williams Music Scholarship — PDK (Phi Delta Kappa Intl) and Pi Lambda Theta offer a scholarship of $1,000 to qualified teachers of grades K-12 pursuing a grad degree (accredited college/ university) who use music in teaching or is a music education teacher. Deadline is Apr 1. See site for details and future deadlines.
  • PDK/ Pi Lambda Theta Tobin Sorenson Physical Education Scholarship — PDK (Phi Delta Kappa Intl) and Pi Lambda Theta offer a scholarship of $1,000 to qualified students preparing for a career in grades K-12 level physical education, including teaching, coaching, recreational therapy, dancy therapy and similar areas of interest. Deadline is Apr 1. See site for details and future deadlines.
  • SHAPE Bill Kane Undergraduate Scholarship — SHAPE (Society of Health and Physical Educators) and the Bill Kane fund offer a scholarship of $1,000 to qualified undergrads (sophomore, junior or senior) at an accredited American college or university and who are studying as a health education major. Next deadline is Nov 14, 2014. See site for details and future deadlines.
  • Zeta Phi Beta Isabel M. Herson Scholarship in Education — Zeta-NEF (National Educational Foundation) and the Isabel M. Herson fund offers a scholarship of $500-1000 to qualified grad or undergrad students in a degree program studying elementary or secondary education. Application deadline is typically Feb 1st. See site for details and future deadlines.
  • Janice Jones Scholarships for Prospective Teachers — AAEE (American Association for Employment in Education) and the Janice Jones Scholarship Fund offer a scholarship of $800 to qualified students enrolled in a teacher prep program for a “critical need area” at an accredited university or college (which holds an AAEE membership). Next deadline is Jan 15, 2015. See site for details and future deadlines..
  • National Geographic Learning | Delmar Cengage Learning Upper Division Agricultural Education Scholarship — National Geographic and Cengage Learning jointly offer a scholarship award of $750 to 15 students pursuing an agricultural education with the intent to teach that subject. Deadline for 2014 was May 15th; see site for future deadlines.
  • Outlaw Student Teacher Scholarship — Outlaw Student (formerly Straightforward Media) offers a scholarship of $500 every three months to students pursing a teaching career or to qualified current teachers. The next deadline is Jan 14, 2015. See site for details and future deadlines.
  • SAA Teacher Development Scholarships — SAA (Suzuki Association of the Americas) offers a teacher development scholarship of $300-500 per unit training (renewable for up to three years) in the Suzuki Method (of music teaching) to qualified candidates. The 2014 deadline was Feb 5; see site for details and future deadlines.

Language, Reading and Journalism Scholarships These awards cover scholarships for the teaching of language, reading, and journalism.

  • RiseUpMS Teacher Education Scholars Loan/Scholarship — The Mississippi State Office of Financial Aid offers a loan/scholarship opportunity of $15,000/ year for four years, for qualified high school grads planning to complete a bachelor’s degree in teacher education in a Mississippi four-year college or university. The loan becomes a scholarship (entire amount forgiven) if recipients teach for five full years in a state public school after graduation. Application period is Jan 1 – Mar 31. See site for details and future deadlines.
  • FSU Modern Languages Winthrop-King Study Abroad Scholarships — Florida State University’s Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics offers scholarships of $6,500 each for qualified major or minor students of the languages French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portoguese, Russian and Spanish, for approved summer studies in the countries of origin for those languages. While not strictly for intended teachers of those langauges, this is a suitable set of opportunities for said future teachers. See site for details and future deadlines.
  • AATJ Study Abroad in Japan: Bridging Scholarships — AATJ (American Association of Teachers of Japanese) offers 100 scholarships yearly, from $2,500-4,000 (semester or full year programs, respectively. While not strictly for teachers of the Japanese (any student may apply), this opportunity should be of particular interest to them. Next deadline is Apr 8, 2015. See site for details and future deadlines.
  • AATF Walter Jensen Scholarship — AATF (American Association of Teachers of French) and the Walter Jensen fund offers a scholarship of $2,00 to a qualified applicant working towards being a teacher of the French language (enrolled in a B.A., B.S. or M.A.T. in French). The next deadline is Mar 15, 2015. See site for details and future deadlines. Sponsorship of AATF member teacher required.
  • JEA Future Teacher Scholarship — JEA (Journalism Education Association) offers scholarships of $1,000 to up to five qualified education majors (masters level or upper-division) who are preparing for a career in teaching journalism. Deadline is Jul 15 of each year. See site for details.
  • NCTE Edwyna Wheadon Postgraduate Training Scholarship Fund — NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) and the Edwyna Wheadon fund offer a scholarship of at least $500 for professional development to qualified English/ Language Arts teachers in public educational institutions. The deadline is Jan 31 of each year. See site for details and future deadlines.

Minority-Eligible Scholarships The following award is a Florida-specific teaching/ educator scholarship available to eligible minorities. For other general minority scholarships, see the list of various funds available at the Bill and Melinda Gates Millenium Scholars site. (The Gates Millenium Scholarship is a general scholarship and so has not been listed, however there are 1,000 yearly awards and thus worth investigating.)

  • Minority Teacher Education Scholarship — FFMT (Florida Fund for Minority Teachers) offers a scholarship of $4,000 ($2K per semester) to a qualified minority junior student (Florida resident; member of minority group: “African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian American/Pacific Islander, or American Indian/Alaskan Native”), intending to earn a bachelor’s degree, and recently enrolled in an FFMT participating college or university in a teacher education program. Next deadline is Jul 1. See site for details and future deadlines.

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Scholarships These awards cover scholarships for STEM subjects, which is quite numerous, due to the shortage of teachers in this category.

  • Robert Noyce College and Graduate Scholarships and Stipends — The Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program is a country-wide NSF (National Science Foundation) effort to award scholarships of at least $10,000 per year to encourage STEM students and professionals to become teachers (elementary and secondary schools). The nsfnoyce.org site lets you find a scholarship project by state. All details available on the site. Additional Noyce awards available.
  • NCTM Prospective 7-12 Secondary Teacher Course Work Scholarships — NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) and the Texas Instruments/ Demana-Waits Fund offer a scholarship of up to $10,000 to qualified full-time college/ university sophomores (4- or 5-year program) aiming at certification for teaching secondary (grades 7-12) school math. Next deadline is May 2, 2015. See site for future deadlines.
  • ACS-Hach Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Scholarship — ACS (American Chemical Society) and Hach offer a scholarship of up to $3,000 for part-time grads (up to $6,000 for full-time grads) or professionals who are either pursuing a Master in Education or working towards certification in teaching chemistry/ science. Next application period is Feb 1 – Apr 1, 2015. See site for details and future deadlines.
  • ACS-Hach Second Career Teacher Scholarship — ACS (American Chemical Society) and Hach offer a scholarship of up to $3,000 for professionals who are either pursuing a Master in Education or working towards certification in teaching chemistry/ science. Next first-application period is Feb 1 – Apr 1, 2015. See site for next renewal application deadline and other details.
  • AFCEA/ NSTA STEM Scholarships — AFCEA (Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association) Educational Foundation and NSTA (National Science Teachers Association) and other sponsors jointly offer at least four scholarship awards of $5,000 each to qualified candidates at different study levels (undergrad, grad, credential/ licensure) who intend to teach STEM (science, technology, engineering or math) subejcts at the middle or secondary level in the U.S. Applications available for the next round in Feb 2015; deadline Apr 1, 2015.
  • APWU/ AFL-CIO Vocational Scholarship Program — APWU (American Postal Workers Union) and AFL-CIO offer awards of up to $3,000 to each of five recipients (from five postal reigions). Qualified applicants including those studying towards “Certified I/T-Computer Education,” amongst other options. The next deadline is Mar 16, 2015. Please see site for future application deadlines.
  • NCTM Professional Development Scholarship Emphasizing the History of Mathematics — NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) and the Father Stanley J. Bezuska Fund offer a scholarship of up to $3,000 for a qualified math teacher (grades 6-12) for completion of “history of mathematics” credited course work, create suitable classroom activities. The next deadline is May 4, 2015. See site for future deadlines.
  • NCTM Prospective Middle School Mathematics Teacher Course Work Scholarships — NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) and the Edward J. Brennan Fund offer a scholarship of up to $3,000 for a qualified full-time college/ university junior working towards certification for teaching middle school (grades 6-8) mathematics. The next deadline is May 4, 2015. See site for future deadlines.
  • NCTM Prospective Middle School Teacher Course Work Scholarships — NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) and the Edward J. Brennan Fund offer a scholarship of up to $3,000 to a qualified full-time college/ university junior pursuing teaching certification for middle school (grades 6-8) math. The next deadline is May 4, 2015. See site for future deadlines.
  • SPS Society of Physics Students Future Teacher Scholarship — SPS (Society of Physics Teachers; part of the American Institute of Physics) offers a scholarship of $2,000 to a qualified undergrad student in a teacher education program who intended to have a career in physics education Next deadline is Feb 15, 2015. Seed site for details and future deadlines.
  • AAPT/ Barbara Lotze Scholarship for Future Teachers — AAPT (American Association of Physics Teachers) and the Barbara Lotze Fund offer a stipend of up to $2,000/year (for up to four years) and a year of free Student Membership to qualified undergrad students (2- or 4-yr), or high school seniors, preparing for or enrolled in physics teacher preparation. Next deadline: Dec 1, 2015. See site for details and future deadlines.
  • NCTM Mathematics Course Work Scholarships for Grades Pre-K-5 Teachers — NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) and the Dale Seymour Fund offer scholarships of up to $2,000 to qualified current classroom teachers (grades Pre-K to 5) to improve mathematics knowledge. See site for future deadlines.

Grant Awards These grants cover various subjects and may require a proposal.

  • NCTM/ MET Lola May/Shirley Frye Fund, Program of Mathematics Study & Active Professionalism Grants — NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) and MET (Mathematics Education Trust), through the Lola May/Shirley Frye Fund, offers a grant of up to $24,000 for a Grade Pre-K to 6 teacher wanting to complete an advanced math degree for the purposes of math education. Requires a proposal for a 1-, 2- or 3-year program. Next deadline is May 4, 2015. See site for future deadlines.
  • ACS-Hach Land Grant Teacher Scholarship — ACS-Hach offers and award of $6,000 for full-time undergrads in chemistry working towards chemistry teaching credentials. Apply through 72 participating universities.
  • IRA Teacher as Researcher Grant — IRA (International Reading Association) offers multiple grant opportunities to teachers, with the Teacher as Researcher Grant providing $1-$4,000 to qualified classroom teachers interested in research in literacy and instruction. Priority is for smaller grants to maximize award winners. Next deadline extended to Jan 15, 2015. See site for details and future deadlines.
  • NCTM School In-Service Training Grants — NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) and the Clarence Olander Fund offer a grant of up to $4,000 to qualified teachers for in-service programs. Next deadline is May 4, 2015. See site for future deadlines.
  • TEACH Grant — TEACH (Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education) offers grants of up to $4,000/year for qualified undergrad students, or graduates (up to $8K/year), who are preparing for a career in teaching, particularly in a high-need subject and/or region of the U.S. Requires FAFSA eligibility and converts to a loan if service obligation not completed. Deadline is typically around Jan 1 of the year you plan to enroll in an approved program. Check the Web site of the school you are attending to determine if they participate in TEACH grants, and for all other details.
  • NCTM Pre-K-8 Preservice Teacher Action Research Grants — NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) and the Ernest Duncan Fund offer a grant of up to $3,000 to qualified preservice/ classroom teachers who are collaborating on research in order to further their knowledge of math for a Pre-K to 8 classroom level. Next deadline is May 4, 2015. See site for future deadlines.
  • IRA Esther Zolt Teacher Research Grant — IRA (International Reading Association) offers multiple grant opportunities to teachers, with the Esther Zolt Teacher Researcher Grant providing $2,500 to a qualified classroom teacher “implementing In2Books or an e-Pals project and the Common Core State Standards.” Next deadline is Jan 15, 2015. See site for details and future deadlines.
  • ACS-Hach High School Chemistry Classroom Grant — The ACS-Hach High School Chemistry Clasroom Grant awards qualified high school chemistry teachers up to $1,500, usable for furthering chemistry education, purchasing lab equipment and supplies, developing or purchasing instructional material, professional development and more. Deadline for 2014 was Jun 30; see site for future application deadlines.
  • NWA Sol Hirsch Education Fund Grants — The NWA (National Weather Association) offers a grant of up to $750 for current teachers of grades K-12 for education in the science of meteorology, for purchasing materials and equipment, starting science outreach and education programs and more. See site for next application deadline, which will open in “late Winter.”

 

Fellowship Awards
These fellowships cover various subjects; require a period of teaching, research or other work; may require nomination; and are typically not renewable.

  • Open Society Fellowship — The Open Society Foundation offers a fellowship of $80K or $100K (based on work experience, seniority, current income) and a project budget (including health insurance) to qualified applicants who propose a non-lobbying-related project in public education (amongst other options). Next deadline is Feb 2, 2015. See site for details and future deadlines.
  • Math for America Fellowship Programs — MfA (Math for America) offers a number of fellowship programs for both recent college graduates aiming at teaching math in public secondary schools, as well as for current teachers at different levels of experience. Each fellowship is limited to approximately 2-6 or so cities, with the highest being the MfA Fellows ($100,000 stipend over 5 years, including one year in a grad program with tuition covered, then four years teaching). See the Math for America site for details of this and the Early Career, Master Teachers and School Leader fellowships.
  • Education Pioneers Graduate School Fellowship — Education Pioneers offers two Grad School Fellowship opportunities in the form of 10-week summer ($7,000 stipend) and full-year ($50-80K) placement opportunities as education leaders covering a variety of qualified subjects. Next deadline is Dec 15, 2014 (online application), with interviews starting Dec 8, and second round application due Feb 2, 2015. See site for details and future application deadlines.
  • AERA-ETS Fellowship Program in Measurement and Education Research — AERA (American Educational Research Association) and ETS (Educational Testing Service) offer two fellowships for $62,000/yr (2 yrs in Princeton, NJ, ETS offices) to qualified candidates who “have completed their Ph.D or Ed.D. degrees within three years of beginning the fellowship.” There is an emphasis on women and/or racial/ ethnic minority candidates. Fellowship includes relocation expenses, ETS employee benefits, etc., and also requires attendance in the AERA Fall Research Conference and the AERA Annual Meeting. Next deadline is Dec 15, 2014. See site for details and future deadlines.
  • Woodrow Wilson MBA Fellowship in Education Leadership — The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation offers a fellowship of $50,000 to qualified candidates towards tuition in a MBA program (partner schools). Candidates must first be nominated (by a colleague or local education leader) before applying, and if selected will be required to serve as principals in select schools for at least three years, as well a 13-15 month committment of full-time study. See site for details and future application deadlines.
  • Education Pioneers Analyst Fellowship — Education Pioneers offers an Analyst Fellowship in the form of a 10-month work opportunity ($45,000, equivalent to $54K/yr), with health benefits, fee waivers and scholarships/ tuition deferrals (with partner grad schools) for qualified candidates who already have a bachelor’s degree and at least a year of work experience (2 yrs preferred). Next deadline is Feb 15, 2015. See site for details and future application deadlines.
  • Woodrow Wilson/ Rockefeller Brothers Fund Fellowships for Aspiring Teachers of Color — The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation and Rockefeller Brothers Fund (WW-RBF) offers eight fellowships of $30,000 (stipend) to qualified candidates, towards the cost of a master’s degree at a partner grad program, and which includes guidance towards teaching certification, preparation in a high-need public school, a three-year teaching commitment, lifelong membership in the Woodrow Wilson Fellows national network and more. See site for details and future deadlines.
  • Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowships: STEM Teaching — The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation offers a STEM Teaching fellowship of $30,000 to a qualified candidate, which includes admission to a Master’s degree program (at a partner university; tuition arrangements vary), preparation for teacher certification in STEM subjects, prep for teaching in a high-need urban or rural secondary school (Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio or New Jersey) – one full year, followed by two years of salaried employment, lifelong membership in the Woodrow Wilson Fellows national network and more. See site for details and future deadlines.
  • Junior and Senior Graduate Fellowships in the Study of the U.S. Constitution for Students and Teachers — The James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation offers a $24,000 fellowship to qualified candidates planning to be teachers of the American Constitution at the secondary school level. Applications are open and the next deadline is Mar 1, 2015. See site for details and future deadlines.