Teaching Scholarships

The Department of Education's Center for Education Statistics reports that the average cost of yearly tuition, room and board at 4-year colleges was $19,362 for the 2007-2008 school year, and the costs seem to go up every year. But there are many sources of free money to help you get your bachelor's or graduate degree in education. If you have decided to become a teacher, discover how you can take advantage of the teaching scholarships that are widely available today to finance your teacher education.

Teaching Scholarships Are More Common than You Think

Teaching scholarships are more than just awards given to only the best students or sought-after athletes. All qualified students should seek out scholarships to help with the cost of college. There are literally thousands of scholarships available to teaching students, and they come from some unexpected places.

The secret to securing teaching scholarships comes from locating and applying for as many scholarships as possible. To help you, Teacher World has compiled a list of the different types of scholarships so you can decide which ones are best for you.

University Scholarships

Colleges and universities offer a variety of scholarships to students who excel in many ways. Often, school applicants are automatically considered for scholarships when they apply for school, so you may not even have to apply for them separately. Many schools describe the scholarships they offer on their websites. But, there are many other sources of teaching scholarships.

Academic Teaching Scholarships

Students with high GPAs or test scores, challenging course loads, or Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) class experience can receive additional teaching scholarships directly from colleges. These scholarships range from a thousand dollars a year to full tuition. Make sure you inquire to see if you need to complete an application for this type of teaching scholarship.

Departmental Teaching Scholarships

Departmental scholarships are generally offered to students who stand out in a particular field and wish to pursue their studies at a specific university. Teacher education scholarships are offered in the fields of special education, elementary education, secondary education and sometimes even more specific programs such as speech language pathology. Most departmental teaching scholarships require that you be a full-time student in good standing, and that you demonstrate either scholarly merit or financial need.

Athletic Scholarships

Scholarships are sometimes given to athletes who excel in a particular sport. If you receive an athletic scholarship, you must maintain a certain GPA and remain in good standing at the college and on your sports team. A variety of sports qualify for scholarships—not just football and basketball. So, if you are a talented runner, wrestler or swimmer who wants to become a teacher, athletic scholarships are another great way to help you finance your teacher education program.

Company and Organizational Teaching Scholarships

Large corporations often fund university scholarships for the children of their employees or for students who embody the characteristics they support. Smaller companies sometimes set up specific scholarships, but more often they offer scholarship money when students approach them requesting a teaching scholarship. These smaller companies can be a great source of additional funds to help offset the cost of college tuition.

Some professional associations offer teaching scholarships for students in a particular specialty. For instance, organizations such as Bright Horizons Family Solutions offer scholarships for education majors.

Other sources of scholarships include religious organizations, special interest clubs, sororities and fraternities, business associations, and philanthropic foundations. Often, generous donors or memorial foundations set up scholarships in the name of well-loved teachers, administrators or family members.

Government Teaching Scholarships

State governments are another great source of scholarship money for college students. Some states offer scholarships to teacher education students who promise to teach in that state's public school system after graduating. The federal government also offers many teaching scholarships that can significantly reduce the amount of tuition you have to pay each year.

So if you've already decided to become a teacher, look for all the financial aid you can find to fund your teacher education, especially teaching scholarships. Unlike student loans, you don't need to repay them once you've graduated. Teaching scholarships are free money that will reduce the amount of money that you have to borrow—and then pay back—once you're done with your college education. Or, if you take full advantage of all of the available teaching scholarships, you may finish your studies with little debt—or even start your teaching career debt free.