Teachers are tasked with a vast and amazing role in educating young minds, and to best meet the needs of children and child care centers, quality education is a must. The ability to teach in a career you love while also having the time and finances for continued education can often seem difficult to find - but you know the growth and rewards are well worth it.
We want to make quality education and care more attainable by facilitating a child care system in New Hampshire of skilled teachers with access to the degrees, training and first-hand teaching experiences they need to build on their career and salary with less financial barriers. This change begins with providing scholarships for continued education through the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Scholarship Program which increases access to debt-free college education to the early childhood workforce for increased knowledge, better compensation and retention.
The T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Vision is that:
Every child in an early childhood setting has a teacher who is well educated and well compensated. Every early childhood teacher has access to affordable college education and workforce supports as well as earns a livable wage.
Every T.E.A.C.H. NH Scholarship makes a way for teachers to continue to work while also continuing their education. In fact, these scholarships fully cover 85-95% of tuition for all qualifying programs as well as funding towards books, release time and travel & internet access for classes.
The impact of T.E.A.C.H. goes beyond the individual recipient by addressing the obstacle of staff retention facing many New Hampshire childhood education programs. By partnering with these programs as sponsors and their employees as scholarship recipients, we build the bridge of access to higher education which increases the quality of care given to children in their care.
T.E.A.C.H. NH Scholarships are available for:
- Associate Degrees for Teachers
- Associate Degrees for Family Child Care Providers
- Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential™
How does it work?
Scholarship recipients enroll in courses at local colleges while working at least 30 hours per week in an early childhood program or family child care center. All participants are provided with access to a scholarship counselor who supplies all information and materials needed for recipients and sponsoring centers to get started, and helps navigate the higher education system including academic and career advising, financial aid and textbook acquisition.
T.E.A.C.H. NH partners with early childhood programs across the state of New Hampshire to provide early childhood educators with access to the education they need. The sponsoring program agrees to pay for a percentage of tuition, paid release time needed for success in the program and a guaranteed compensation award upon contract completion in exchange for a 6-12 month contract after completion. T.E.A.C.H. NH scholarships cover a percentage of tuition, books, release time, travel & access expenses and, for Associate Degrees, provides a $300 compensation upon completion of the one-year contract.
How much will the scholarship cover?
Here is a breakdown of the cost share between T.E.A.C.H., sponsoring center (where applicable) and recipient based on degree type.
Associate Degree for Teachers
| Tuition | Books | Release Time | Travel/Access | Compensation upon Completion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T.E.A.C.H. NH | 90% | 75% | $15/hour | $100/semester | $300 |
| SPONSOR | 5% | -- | -- | -- | $300 or 2% raise |
| RECIPIENT | 5% | 25% | -- | -- | -- |
Associate Degree for Family Child Care Providers
| Tuition | Books | Release Time | Travel/Access | Compensation upon Completion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T.E.A.C.H. NH | 95% | 75% | $15/hour | $100/semester | $300 |
| RECIPIENT | 5% | 25% | -- | -- | -- |
Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential
| Assessment Fee | Compensation upon Completion | |
|---|---|---|
| T.E.A.C.H. NH | 85% | $150 |
| SPONSOR | 5% | -- |
| RECIPIENT | 10% | -- |
For those looking to begin a career in Early Childhood Education and in need of hands-on experience, check out our Early Childhood Apprenticeship which may be eligible for T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Scholarships.