Grants & Scholarships

Tips that will help you to successfully land tuition grant or scholarship funds

• Research, research, and more research – internet sources, advisors, books, and friends are valuable sources of information.
• Apply to as many scholarships as possible. Any and everything that relates to “minorities”, “teachers”, and “gender”. Do not limit yourself to a single funding source category.
• Have a clear understanding of the scholarship criteria and the award.  Many are based on grade point average, community and extracurricular activities, personal and professional strengths, future career goals, as well as gender and race.
• Read and complete every application package in its entirety. Leave no blanks, and explain each response in specific detail.
• Your application represents the only picture the selection committee has of you. Make sure it’s neatly typed, clean, thorough and professionally prepared.
• Understand that your Personal Statement is viewed as the first interview. Make sure that all requested information is included in detail. Be honest.
• Build a network of professionals and educators who are willing to guide you through the process, proofread applications and essays, and write recommendations.
• Be sure to request written recommendations from a trustworthy and reliable source. Provide them with an outline of what you’d like to have included in the recommendation, and allow them adequate time to write it. The letter should be on original letterhead and reflect the topics of the application. This should not be rushed.
• If you have ever been denied, ask for an explanation, reevaluate your qualifications and information submitted. Make sure that you continue to make academic progress and make the necessary adjustments in your application process. ALWAYS REAPPLY.
• Do not assume that one award will automatically entitle you to another. Nor, should you assume that one denial will lead to another. Continue to apply.

Arkansas

Minority Masters Fellows (MMF)

MMF provides forgivable loans to graduate-level minority students who were recipients of Minority Teachers Scholars Program loans. Recipients may receive a maximum of $7,500 for one academic year (or up to $2,500 per summer for a maximum of three summers). Recipients must teach in an Arkansas public school or public institution of higher education for two years after completion of their Masters program.

Contact: Arkansas Department of Higher Education ● (800) 547-8839 ● www.adhe.edu

Minority Teachers Scholars Program (MTSP)

MTSP provides forgivable loans to undergraduate minority students seeking an initial teacher license. Recipients may receive MTSP for a maximum of four semesters or six trimesters or until requirements for licensure are completed. Recipients may receive $5,000 per academic year and must teach in an Arkansas public school for five years after completing teacher license requirements. The teaching requirement will be reduced to three years for designated subject and/or geographic shortage areas.

Contact: Arkansas Department of Higher Education ● Tara Smith ● www.adhe.edu ● (800) 547-8839

Minority Teachers Scholarship

Applicant must be an African-American, Asian, Hispanic, or Native American resident of Arkansas, with a minimum 2.5 GPA. Applicant must attend an approved Arkansas school, have completed 60 semester credit hours, and been admitted to a teacher education program or successfully passed PPST examination. Award Amount: $5,000.

Contact: Arkansas Department of Higher Education ● 114 East Capitol, Little Rock, AR 72201-3818 
Lillian K. Williams ● www.arscholarships.com ● (501) 371-2050

Florida

Florida Fund for Minority Teachers Inc. Education Scholarship

Applicant must be admitted to a state-approved program and must be African-American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, a dislocated military service member, or a dislocated defense contractor employee. The minority teacher education scholars program shall provide an annual scholarship of $4,000 for each approved minority teacher education scholar who is enrolled in one of Florida’s public or private universities in the junior year and is admitted into a teacher education program.

Contact: P.O. Box 113250 Gainesville, FL 32611-4000 ● (352) 392-1265 ●Florida Fund for Minority Teachers Inc. Education Scholarship

Illinois

Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program

Individuals of African American/Black, Hispanic American, Asian American or Native American origin intending to become teachers are eligible to receive up to $5,000 annually to pursue their teacher certification. Recipients must agree to teach at an Illinois public, private, or parochial school with at least 30 percent minority enrollment for each year they receive assistance. Recipients must maintain a 2.5 cumulative GPA.

Source: http://www.collegezone.com/studentzone/416_947.htm

Women And Minorities In Administration Scholarship

This scholarship program provides financial aid to minorities and women in Illinois who are interested in preparing for a career in educational administration. Minorities (Blacks, Hispanics, Asian Americans, American Indians, and Alaskan Natives) and women who live in Illinois are eligible to apply for this program. Applicants must be college students or graduates and interested in enrolling in an approved administrative certification program in a senior institution in Illinois.

Contact: Illinois State Board of Education ● Attn: Textbooks and Scholarships Section ● 100 North First Street
Springfield, IL 62777-0001 ● (217) 782-9374

Illinois Future Teacher (IFTC) Program Scholarship

Designed for academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who want to teach preschool, elementary or secondary education in Illinois. This scholarship program gives priority to individuals who pursue a teacher-shortage discipline, make a commitment to teach at a hard-to-staff school or who want to teach minority students.

Source: http://www.nil.de/Student-Services/finaid/scholarships/iftc.cfm

Indiana

Minority Teacher/Special Education Scholarship

Indiana minority students seeking teacher certification, who have already been admitted to an eligible institution as a full-time student, are eligible to participate in the Minority Teacher/Special Education Scholarship. Students must maintain a 2.0 GPA throughout their academic career and agree to teach three of the five years following certification. The maximum annual scholarship is $1,000, but students demonstrating financial need might be eligible for up to $4,000 annually.

Contact: State Student Assistance Commission of Indiana ● 150 W. Market Street, Suite 500,  Indianapolis, IN 46204 ● (317) 232-2350

Kentucky

Minority Educator Recruitment and Retention Program

This program provides eligible in-state students scholarships of up to $5,000 per year toward initial teacher certification. There are also statewide incentive programs to encourage graduates to teach in critical needed areas.

Contact: Natasha Murray ● 500 Mero Street, 17th floor CPT, Frankfort, KY 40601 ● (502) 564-1479 Natasha.Murray@education.ky.gov

Missouri

Missouri Minority Teaching Scholarship

To be eligible for this scholarship, students must be a minority, a resident of the state, and must show outstanding achievement on several levels, including class rank, and outstanding performance on standardized tests. College students who have earned at least 30 credits and have maintained “B” averages are also eligible to apply. Students must be enrolled or planning to enroll in an approved teacher education program, and are required to teach in Missouri public schools for a minimum of five years after graduation. This award offers the recipient $3,000 per year, and can be renewed for up to four years.

Contact: (800) 473-6757, OPTION 4 OR info@dhe.mo.gov

New York

Mellon Fellowships for Minority Teachers The goal of this program is to attract the best and brightest minority liberal arts graduates to the teaching field. Minorities who are college seniors or graduates are eligible to apply if they majored in one of the liberal arts and are interested in pursuing a career in high school teaching. Awards range from half to full tuition. Further financial assistance, including grants, loans, and work study, is also available. Grants are for one academic year, and are available at Cornell University and Stanford University. Programs at the two universities vary but both result in completion of a master’s degree.

Contact: Margarite Fernández Olmos ● Honors Academy Commons, Room 2231 Boylan Hall ● (718) 951-4114 ● mfolmos@brooklyn.cuny.edu

Vermont

Vermont Teacher Diversity Scholarship Program

The Vermont Teacher Diversity Scholarship Program is a loan cancellation program to support students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds who wish to become teachers in the Vermont public school system. Candidates must apply to complete their teaching licensure and agree to teach for a minimum of one year. Scholars may receive up to $12,000 in loan forgiveness over the course of three years of teaching ($4,000 for each year).

Contact: 150 Colchester Avenue, Burlington, VT 05401 ● (802) 540-1021