6 Exclusive Scholarships for Future Teachers

About scholarships for teachers

Teachers have a vital role in the world but often face difficulties in securing their degrees due to the rising costs of college.

As a result, there are many scholarship programs for current educators and teaching students, serving as financial aid to make higher education more accessible and student debt less crippling.

Student debt crisis

As college tuition has ballooned in recent decades, so has the student loan crisis. Young educators are particularly likely to have student debt, with 65% of educators under 35 having loans as compared to 27% of those over the age of 61.

While there has been talk of forgiving the student loans of educators under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, 98% of those college graduates who applied for forgiveness have been rejected, leaving most still in debt due to their pursuit of post-secondary education.

Teachers with debt owe an average of $58,700, a hefty sum when considering that teaching isn't always the most lucrative career, with the average public school teacher earning $61,730. It's clear that many teachers are in need of financial assistance.

Effects of student debt

As a result of low salaries and high debt, many teachers struggle to get by, with some even holding second jobs. A third of young educators cite their debt as one of the reasons they're unable to buy a house, and most older educators also cite their debt as impeding their ability to save for retirement.

Why are there scholarships for teachers?

Teachers carry out an essential duty in society by broadening the minds of all of the students who pass through their classrooms and go on to pursue their own careers.

Supporting prospective teachers and making sure that current teachers have the resources they need to successfully teach is thus critical, affecting not just teachers but all of their future students.

The high costs of college have made it difficult for many future teachers to access higher education, especially those who demonstrate financial need. As a result, many donors choose to sponsor a future teacher scholarship to support the next generation of teachers and all of the minds that they'll shape throughout their careers.

How to qualify for a scholarship for teachers

Submitting a winning application requires putting time and effort into your work, especially for essay-based scholarships. With your busy life, you likely don't have any time to waste on scholarships you're not eligible for. Before taking the time to apply, follow these steps to make sure you're eligible to receive the award you're applying for. 

Be pursuing an education degree

As you may have guessed, the first step to qualifying for education scholarships is to be pursuing a teacher education program at an accredited college. Most scholarships are open to undergraduate and graduate students studying education.

Depending on the scholarship, high school students who are planning on being education majors may also be eligible, or graduates who have a teaching degree and student loans may also be eligible. Most teaching scholarships aren't specific to an area of study (e.g., early childhood education), which provides more options.

Meet any education level requirements and additional criteria

The first step in checking the rest of the scholarship criteria is to verify that you're pursuing the proper level of education for that scholarship. Some scholarships are only open to high school seniors and undergraduate students while others are open to graduate students as well.

In addition to education requirements, check all additional criteria, which will be listed in the description. These criteria can include minimum GPA requirements, volunteer experience, leadership skills, community involvement, specific field requirements, etc. Other scholarships may require you to demonstrate financial need, such as by being low-income.

Be a current educator with student loans

Most scholarships available on Bold.org are meant for current students, but there are some scholarships that graduates who have student loan debt may apply for. For these scholarships, you simply need to be a current teacher with at least one student loan to apply.

What types of scholarships are available for teachers?

There are many different types of scholarship opportunities for current and future teachers, ranging from individual need to academic achievement. Some scholarships are open to all students who are pursuing a college degree in teaching, such as an undergraduate program or a graduate degree, while other scholarships are open to high school students who are planning to pursue a career in education.

Additionally, some scholarships are geared towards students pursuing early childhood education or elementary education, while some are dedicated to future high school teachers. Certain scholarships are also looking for students to be pursuing a certain field of teaching, such as science teachers or those planning on working in special education. Here is an example of a future teachers scholarship.