45 minutes
Pay for Your Connecticut Teacher Prep Program
Explore options for grants, scholarships, loan forgiveness and more.
Explore options for grants, scholarships, loan forgiveness and more.
You know what you want to teach and what program you want to attend. You’re excited to start your educator preparation program (a.k.a. your teaching program), but then you see the tuition bill. How will you pay for this? Is a teaching program worth the cost?
The short answer is yes. Becoming a teacher doesn’t just mean getting your teaching certification. You’re also starting a career that makes a difference in your community. And while teaching programs can feel pricey upfront, Connecticut has among the highest average teacher salaries in the country. Plus, many school districts offer major health and retirement benefits, all of which will set you up for a better financial situation down the road.
When deciding how to pay for your teaching program, remember that you have options. Below, we guide you through some of the best ways to pay for your program.
TEACH Connecticut’s application checklists can help you keep your applications on track. If you have any questions about your teaching program applications, you can also reach out to a TEACH Connecticut coach or admissions staff for support. We’re here for you.
The first step is to look for grants and scholarships from your program. If your teaching program is through a college or university, you may be eligible for funds from the government through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The great thing about these resources is that you don’t have to pay them back. And you may qualify for more than one type of free financial aid!
Grants are free money for school. They come from the government or local organizations and colleges. These resources are often awarded based on things like income and family size. Some grant providers, such as small businesses and nonprofits, may have specific eligibility requirements.
The Connecticut Minority Teacher Incentive Grant is a grant program through the Connecticut Office of Higher Education. Eligible students can get up to $5,000 a year toward teacher preparation, and up to $2,500 for up to four years of teaching in a Connecticut public school.
The TEACH Grant—which is unrelated to TEACH Connecticut—is a specific type of award offered by the Federal Student Aid office (the same one that runs FAFSA). The TEACH Grant offers up to $4,000 a year to students entering the teaching profession.
Sticking to these guidelines is important. Otherwise, your TEACH Grant turns into a Direct Unsubsidized Loan, which means you have to pay it back with interest. See the TEACH Grant website for more details.
Scholarships are generally awarded to students who have met specific qualifications in areas such as athletics or academics. You may also find scholarships based on the major you choose, your career choice, your hometown, or other factors like race, culture or gender identity.
Scholarships can come from schools, government aid or private organizations. There are hundreds of scholarships and grants out there, ranging from small awards to full-ride scholarships.
If you fill out the FAFSA and apply to a college, you are automatically considered for many scholarships—but not always. Check with your teaching program or financial aid office, and search websites like Fastweb, Niche and Scholarships.com to find more scholarships in your area.
You can also check out TEACH Connecticut’s Explore Financial Aid page to search for opportunities, or browse our national list of financial aid and scholarships specifically for future teachers.
The TEACH Connecticut Scholarship offers $1000 for future teachers. Check out the TEACH Connecticut Scholarship page to learn more!
Connecticut’s Office of Higher Education hosts a page dedicated to state and federal financial aid programs as well.
Connecticut also offers financial support just for teachers, including housing assistance and loan subsidies.
Get more information about the Connecticut Teachers Mortgage Assistance Program at these links:
Head over to the TEACH Connecticut Salary & Benefits page to learn more.
The Connecticut Higher Education Supplemental Loan Authority (CHESLA) offers low-interest loans for eligible students—and some special programs just for teachers.
If you have at least $5,000 in private student loans, you may qualify for CHESLA’s Alliance District Teacher Loan Subsidy (ADTLS) Program. How does it work? If you meet eligibility requirements and teach in one of Connecticut’s 33 highest need school districts, you can:
Learn more about the ADTLS Program and eligibility requirements.
What does a 3% interest rate subsidy mean?Basically, as long as you teach in an Alliance District school, your interest rate will be lowered by 3%, in addition to your refinanced interest rate. If you stop teaching in an alliance school, you'll keep your refinancing, but your interest rate will increase by 3%.
Typically, you’ll need to attend a certification program through a college or university (rather than an alternative certification program) to be eligible for FAFSA financial aid.
To find out if your program is eligible, you can use the FAFSA school search tool. You can ignore the Federal School Code question; you don’t need to know yours to use the tool.
You can submit your FAFSA any time after October 1st in the year before you enroll in your program. For example, if you wanted to enroll in the spring of 2022, you could submit your application after October 1st, 2021.
The FAFSA priority deadline for Connecticut is February 15. Remember that some forms of aid are first-come-first-serve, so apply as soon as you can!
Check out TEACH Connecticut’s FAFSA 101 guide for more details. Our friends at withFrank.org also make it easy to understand and apply for your FAFSA.
When you apply for financial aid through FAFSA or through your program, you’ll need to provide some background information. You’ll likely be asked for your name, Social Security Number, email and other general background information.
Some forms also include a Release of Information, which lets specified individuals and organizations access your form details. You’ll need to sign the ROI before your information can be shared.
It’s a good idea to consent to this section, because it lets you be considered for additional financial aid programs.
Most colleges and universities offer work-study options, which let you earn money by working part-time (usually on campus).
You can often match your work-study position to your program. For example, you may be able to work as a teaching assistant or academic tutor. That means you can get hands-on instruction experience while you pay for your education.
Many teaching programs offer the opportunity for you to earn a wage or tuition discount by working in a K-12 public school.
You may also be eligible to teach full-time (and get paid!) while you complete any Connecticut teaching program with a Durational Shortage Area Permit (DSAP).
Voila! Your program and employer will work together to get the DSAP on your behalf, while you get certified and earn a full teacher salary and benefits.
If you already work in a school district, you might want to continue working full- or part-time while attending your teaching program. It’s worth finding out if your school offers extra support for employees who are pursuing a teaching certification.
Your school may have scheduling support, such as revised work hours. For example, if your normal work hours are from 8:00am - 4:00pm, your school may let you leave a few hours early in order to attend class. Or, you may be able to use planning or duty time for program coursework.
Schools may also provide tuition reimbursement for staffers who are choosing to continue their education.
Reimbursement can cover anywhere from 3 to 6 credit hours. Not only does the assistance benefit you, it’s also a great way for schools to retain skilled and driven employees. Consider asking about these programs in your next interview.
You may be able to complete your certification fieldwork (student teaching) as part of your position as a school employee. Your school might partner with a teaching residency program that lets you keep your job while you work toward certification. Or, a school might hire you as a full-time teacher under a DSAP while you finish your teaching program.
Some districts are also able to support your fieldwork requirements with minimal impact to your current routine, compensation, or both.
Programs like AmeriCorps offer opportunities to serve in a community and explore career paths. Some AmeriCorps programs, like City Year, provide hands-on experience for people who want to become teachers.
AmeriCorps partners with other programs and organizations that can help you transition into the classroom after your service.
AmeriCorps positions can last for three months or longer. You’ll earn a small stipend during the program.
AmeriCorps alumni also receive an education award after completing their term of service, which ranges from about $350 to over $6,000, depending on how long you worked for AmeriCorps. You can apply that money to any educational expenses, including tuition and student loans!
Click to learn more about AmeriCorps.
While taking out loans may not be your favorite option, federal student loans have some perks.
Click to learn more about federal student loan options.
The Connecticut Higher Education Supplemental Loan Authority (CHESLA) offers low-interest loans for undergraduate and graduate students. CHESLA can be an especially great option if you’re enrolled in a program with limited financial aid options, such as Alternate Route to Certification (ARC).
Schools and teaching programs may also offer you loans, which you have to pay back with interest. Some programs offer subsidized loans, while others do not (remember, subsidized loans do not accrue interest while you’re completing your program, but unsubsidized loans do).
You can always reduce the amount of loans you accept, or completely decline them if you don’t need them.
Keep in mind that all programs in Connecticut are through colleges or non-profit organizations, so they try to keep fees low (several are less than $10K!). You can easily compare program costs in our Program Explorer.
If you do use federal loans to pay for your program, you may be able to have all or part of your loans forgiven without paying them back. The federal government offers teachers, especially those who serve in high-need subjects or schools, several ways to apply for loan forgiveness (these programs generally do not apply to private loans through your school).
Check out these programs on the Federal Student Aid website:
Remember, you've got options to pay for your teaching program. It all comes down to what works best for you financially.
Don’t forget: You’re not finished once you hit that submit button!
If you attend a college or university, you’ll get a financial aid letter (or email) with the details of your award offer. You will have to accept these offers to receive them.
Once you formally accept your financial aid package, you’ll be one step closer to your teaching certification!
As you’re exploring financial aid, you’ll probably apply to some teaching programs. Most programs require a fee—usually around $50—when you submit your application.
You can sign up for TEACH Fee Reimbursements to get up to $100 toward eligible application and testing fees! When you sign up for Fee Reimbursements, we’ll also set you up with a personal coach and checklist app, to help you keep track of application steps and deadlines.
Some programs offer fee waivers based on your income. Check with an admissions officer to see if you qualify.
Applications have a lot of steps, and we’re here to support you with all of them.
Check out more FREE tools to simplify the process.