Special education scholarships that may be available could be a great way to lessen the final burden of furthering your education, if you qualify. There are a wide variety of different types of special education scholarships that may be available for qualified individuals that you may want to consider researching, including federal programs, state and institutional scholarships—and for those who already have student loans—student loan debt forgiveness programs. And there’s no hurt in applying!
If you already have student loans you may be wondering if there are any federal programs out there to help you. You’re in luck! The Student Loan Debt Forgiveness program was created to encourage people to enter and continue in the field of teaching. If you teach full-time for five years in certain elementary and secondary schools or educational service agencies that serve low-income families and meet other qualifications then you may be eligible for forgiveness of up to a combined total of $17,500 on Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans and Subsidized and Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans.
In order to apply for loan forgiveness you must:
Although there are a variety of different federal student loan programs that may be available for qualified individuals, there is one that is intended specifically students who intend to teach upon graduation: the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant program.
The TEACH Grant program offers grants of up to $4,000 a year to qualifying students who are completing—or plan to complete—their teaching degree. As a condition for receiving this grant, students must sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve that stipulates you agree to teach:
In order to apply for a TEACH Grant you must first:
To remain in good standing once you graduate, you have to agree to:
If you don’t meet the requirements of your service obligation, your TEACH Grant funds will be converted into a Direct Unsubsidized Loan that you must pay in full, with interest.
Another option to consider when attempting to decrease your tuition costs is to apply for state or institutional scholarships, which may be available to qualified individuals. Check with your state’s Department of Education to see if they offers scholarships specifically for students who are pursuing a degree in special education. For example, Florida’s Tuition Support Program for Exceptional Students, provides financial support to qualified students earning a bachelor’s degree in special education or for grad students pursuing a master’s in a specialized field such as language pathology. Below are two more examples of state-specific scholarships that may be available to qualified students:
Offered by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, the Minority Teacher Scholarships was developed to help minority students earn degrees that would allow them to become teachers in the state of Indiana. The award amounts may vary.
In order to be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must:
This is a service obligation program that provides financial assistance to qualified students pursuing bachelor’s degree programs in teacher and licensed teachers pursuing endorsement or master’s degrees in hard-to-fill disciplines—or either group planning to teach in underserved geographic areas in Kansas. Recipients may be eligible for up to $5,514 ($2,757 semester).
To apply, you must:
It may also be a good idea to apply for scholarships or grant programs that may be available for qualified students majoring in special education through your college or university. In some cases, local charities and foundations may partner with schools to award grants to students who meet their specific eligibility requirements. Institution-based scholarships will vary from school to school so be sure to check with the financial aid department at your college to see what’s available for qualified students. Below are two examples of these types of scholarships, which may be available for qualified students.
*Please visit the websites cited for the most up-to-date information on the scholarship and financial aid programs discussed herein.
Sources: [i] studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/teacher#teacher-loan-forgiveness | [ii] studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/grants-scholarships/teach#what-is-teach | [iii] in.gov/sfa/2342.htm | 3.http://www.kansasregents.org/resources/PDF/2239-current-teachscholarshipinfo.pdf#activePanels_ | [iv] sfsu.edu/~coe/coe/scholarships.html#2 | [v]gcoe.sfsu.edu/current-students/scholarships
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