Teacher Education Fellowships and Financial Aid

How Do I Pay For My Education?

Graduate education is a significant investment in your future - an investment of time, effort and enthusiasm, as well as money. In addition to the fact that you will be teaching in a fully salaried position while completing your course of study, the University offers a variety of outstanding programs to help students finance their education. There are also special state incentives just for teachers. Some of these opportunities are described below.

Fully Paid Internship

This is an internship program, which means that after successfully completing your first semester, you will secure a teaching position with a beginning annual salary of approximately $38,000 to $52,000. The average starting salary for 08/09 cohort was $43, 686. While it is the student's responsibility to secure an initial teaching position, our faculty and staff will assist you in that process.

Fellowships and Financial Aid

Claremont Graduate University awards institutional aid on the basis of merit to support distinguished students in their programs of study.

Federal aid, in the form of loans and work study, is awarded on the basis of financial need. In addition, students may actively seek opportunities for financial support which might be available to them from foundations and other institutions.

Additional information about financial aid is available from the Claremont Graduate University Office of Student Financing, tel (909) 621-8337.

Competitive Awards

The NSF/Noyce fellowship is designed for academically distinguished mathematics and science graduates who are interested in teaching. Students have the opportunity to begin their teacher preparation courses toward the end of their undergraduate program to save education costs and time. Students are eligible for $7,500 scholarships for their senior year and $10,000 for 1 year of graduate study in teacher education. In addition, we are offering four Advanced Noyce Fellowships for those seeking a Math credential and Masters in Math. These fellowships include $20,000 towards tuition and a $20,000 living stipend. Eligibility and service criteria apply.
The Teacher Excellence, Equity, and Integrity Award is a CGU Teacher Education fellowship that provides assistance to selected students who have demonstrated the vision of academic excellence, equity and integrity in their lives. Criteria examined include scholastic achievement, community service, commitment to diversity, and other professional accomplishments. All students who apply for institutional aid will be considered for this fellowship. Approximately the top 35% of all admitted students receive a fellowship offer in the range of $4,000 to $12,000.
PULSE Grant for Moderate/Severe Special Education- Students can receive $7,000 per year towards their credential work. Service requirements apply.
BA/MA Fellowships- Students of the Claremont Colleges who enroll and successfully complete 300g can apply for a $10,000 BA/MA award.
TEACH Grant- Teachers who teach in federally designated high needs areas are eligible for up to $8,000 toward graduate study. Eligibility and service criteria apply.

Loan Forgiveness Programs

Stafford Loan Forgiveness
The website provides information on how to have between $5,000 and $17,500 of your Stafford loan forgiven after 5 years of appropriate service. The amount is forgiven in one lump sum at the end of the qualifying five year period. Please read the website carefully service and eligibility requirement. The website also includes a search engine for designated low-income schools that will qualify you for repayment.
APLE
The California Loan Assumption Program will pay back between $11,000 and $19,000 of Stafford loans. CGU Teacher Education will file your paperwork and you must have been awarded the APLE while you were a student in the program. The state will send a check to your lender yearly after each year of qualifying service.The Teacher Excellence, Equity, and Integrity Award is a CGU Teacher Education fellowship that provides assistance to selected students who have demonstrated the vision of academic excellence, equity and integrity in their lives. Criteria examined include scholastic achievement, community service, commitment to diversity, and other professional accomplishments. All students who apply for institutional aid will be considered for this fellowship.
Perkins Loan Forgiveness
This option will only work if you have Perkins Loans that have not been consolidated. You can have 100% of your loan forgiven over a five year period of qualifying service (described on the website). You can also defer repayment the entire time, effectively cancelling all principal and interest.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness
The College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 established a new public service loan forgiveness program. This program discharges any remaining debt after 10 years of full-time employment in public service. The borrower must have made 120 payments as part of the Direct Loan program in order to obtain this benefit. Only payments made on or after October 1, 2007 count toward the required 120 monthly payments. (Borrowers may consolidate into Direct Lending in order to qualify for this loan forgiveness program starting July 1, 2008.) **HINT: The only way to have a loan balance after ten years of on-time payments is to lower your payment by utilizing the “income based” loan repayment process through your lender. They base your payments on your current income which should increase the length it takes to repay your loan. This would reduce your payment to a more reasonable amount, and after ten years of payments, the balance would be forgiven.

Loans

Claremont Graduate University participates in the federal Perkins Loan Program and the federal Stafford Student Loan Program. These funds are available based on financial need as determined by the federal guidelines. For students who do not qualify for the need-based programs, other loan sources are available, including the federal Unsubsidized Stafford Student Loan.

To apply for loans, call the Office of Student Financing at (909) 621-8337. Please let them know which semester you are applying so they can send you the appropriate packet.

If you would like individual financial counseling to see how all of the above programs can work together to help you finance your credential and Master's degree, please contact Lisa Loop, Teacher Education Internship Program Co-Director at (909) 607-9418.