About Financial Aid

Learn strategies for financing your education, from finding scholarships to exploring loan forgiveness.

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How to Pay for Your Program

There are many opportunities to reduce or eliminate your preparation expenses.

  • Apply for scholarships and financial aid.

    There are significant scholarship opportunities for aspiring teachers in Colorado. For example, the Winifred R. Reynolds Educational Scholarship offers up to $7,000 to students pursuing graduate degrees focused on early childhood education. For more information about this scholarship and others like it, see Explore Financial Aid.

  • Explore loan forgiveness programs.

    If you teach in a rural school or in a hard-to-staff subject area like math, science or special education, the federal government and many states have created programs to forgive some or all of your student loans. For starters, check out the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program.

  • Apply for teacher preparation scholarships.

    Whether you’re in high school, college or graduate school, there are lots of opportunities that you may be eligible for. See a list of featured scholarships in Colorado.

  • Start your preparation at a community college.

    Have you considered starting your undergrad at a community college? Many community colleges offer transfer programs to larger universities. You can start preparation at the community college and finish your degree at a four-year institution.

  • Prepare to teach while in undergrad.

    You can avoid paying tuition for a post-graduate program by completing all of the coursework and preparation you need to become a licensed teacher as part of your bachelor’s degree.

    Head over to About Licensure to learn more.

  • Earn a salary while completing your coursework.

    If you have a bachelor’s degree but haven’t completed a teacher preparation program, you can explore alternative licensure programs that allow you to take coursework while you start working in the classroom. The model of the programs vary but you may be able to train while you work. Find out more here. 

  • Reduce your application costs

    TEACH Colorado will reimburse up to $100 of your application expenses when you apply to a teaching program. That includes required costs like application fees, test registration fees, transcript fees and more! Get the details at our Fee Reimbursements page.

Not sure where to begin? Get personalized advice.

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If you want help navigating the teacher prep process, schedule a free 1-on-1 coaching call.

When you sign up, you'll get access to a checklist app that keeps track of application deadlines and best practices, and fee rebates of up to $100.

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Key vocabulary

All this money talk can get confusing. Here are some key terms to help you get started.

A scholarship is a direct payment made to you or the school you’re attending. It is a set amount of money that an organization awards based on things like:

  • Academic achievement
  • Financial need
  • Public service or volunteering
  • Interest in a specific area, like science or music

Scholarships do not need to be repaid.

Grants and scholarships are similar in that you don’t have to pay them back! Grants usually come from the federal or state government, or your university, to help you pay for education expenses. For example, Pell Grants are a common federal grant. 

With a loan, you apply for a sum of money you can use to help pay for your education. You’ll have to pay these loans back with interest after you graduate.

If you need loans to pay for college, consider loans from the federal government first—they tend to have more favorable rates, and then take private loans from a bank if necessary.

Talk to a financial aid officer at your school or program before signing off on loans. You may have other options.

Read up about loan forgiveness below. You may be eligible for assistance paying them back once you’re a teacher!

If you commit to teaching for a set period of time, especially in a rural district or in a high-need subject, you may be eligible for help paying some or all of your loans.

Each loan forgiveness program varies, so ask about:

  • The type of loan and the amount that can be forgiven
  • The teaching commitment you’ll need to fulfill in order to qualify

If you find a program that offers a stipend, you can think of this as a paycheck or allowance from the program. A stipend is a direct payment, sometimes made once and sometimes made monthly, to help you with education and living expenses while you’re in the program.

Start Here

Now that you’ve got the background, you can search for scholarships and aid opportunities that match your specific situation and background.

We’ve compiled several opportunities for future teachers in Colorado, but be sure to check with your prep program too!

Explore Financial Aid

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  • Create a career roadmap.
  • Get 1-on-1 expert advice.
  • Follow how-to guides for getting licensed.
  • Access prep program application checklists.
  • Claim fee reimbursements towards application and testing expenses.

We’re always working on something new to help the next generation of great teachers. With an account, you get first dibs!
 

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