By Adam Birch
December, 2023
Let’s be honest, searching for scholarships can be a huge time sink. You know what else is a huge time sink? Applying for highly competitive scholarships that everyone knows about. Spending the time and effort to apply to a prestigious scholarship against tens out thousands of competitors and a handful of awards. The best way to give yourself a shot at winning a scholarship is by narrowing the competition. That’s what this article aims to help you accomplish. Unlike many articles that include any scholarship a grad student in education to apply to, we have a more narrow focus. These ten scholarships are only for people pursuing a master’s in education.
Resource: Top 25 Most Affordable Master’s in Educational Leadership Degrees Online
This ranking was created to help you maximize your ROI by allowing you to focus on narrow scholarships designed specifically for educators. Every scholarship featured in this ranking is for at least $1,000. That might not seem like much when it comes to the cost of a degree. But financial aid adds up. Once you factor in aid from your college and federal student aid, the average student covers the rest with loans. But if you can land even one or two of these scholarships, you can knock a significant amount of money off your student loan debt. And what teacher couldn’t use a couple extra grand? Check them out, see for yourself whether or not these master’s in education scholarships are worth your time. We give you a quick rundown of the amount of the scholarship, and the requirements. Get that free money!
Scholarships for Graduate Students in Education
1. Barbara A. Cooley Master’s Scholarship
SHAPE America awards the $1,000 Barbara A. Cooley Master’s Scholarship every year. The scholarship is for those pursuing a master’s degree in health education. The school they attend must be an accredited U.S. graduate school. Qualified applicants must carry a minimum overall GPA of 3.0. They must commit to teaching health or physical education as a career. They cannot have previously received the scholarship. Applicants must submit three letters of recommendation and provide a current resume. Finally, they must write a three-part statement discussing their philosophy of health and physical education.
Contact
Barbara A. Cooley Master’s Scholarship
1900 Association Drive
Reston, VA 20191
(800) 213-7193
enygard@shapeamerica.org
Scholarship Link
2. BHD Endowed Scholarships for Teachers
The BHD Endowed Scholarship for Teachers is offered by the Central Scholarship Program. The scholarship is available to graduate students with bachelor degrees in non-teaching fields. They must be pursuing a master’s in education. The scholarship award can be up to $2,500. Eligible candidates must be Maryland residents within 200 miles of Baltimore City. Their family income must be under $90,000 per year. They must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 and be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Finally, they must attend an accredited United States college.
Contact
BHD Endowed Scholarships for Teachers
6 Park Center Court Suite #211
Owings Mills, MD 21117
(410) 415-5558
gohigher@central-scholarship.org
Scholarship Link
3. Dr. Marc Hull Special Education Leadership Scholarship
The Dr. Marc Hull Special Education Leadership Scholarship is sponsored by the VCSEA. The $1,750 graduate school scholarship is for graduate students earning a master’s degree in special education. Qualified recipients must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and attend an accredited U.S. school. Applicants must reside in Vermont and be seeking licensure for special education administration. They must show commitment to creating inclusive learning environments for students with disabilities.
Contact
Dr. Marc Hull Special Education Leadership Scholarship
2 Prospect Street Suite 5
Montpelier, VT 05602
(802) 595-5799
junruh@vcsea.net
Scholarship Link
4. Elementary Mathematics Specialist Scholarship
The Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators awards the Elementary Mathematics Specialist Scholarship. The $1,000 graduate school scholarship is awarded annually. The recipient must be pursuing a master’s in developing expertise in elementary school mathematics. Candidates must have valid state certification and three years of full-time teaching experience. They must attend an accredited U.S. university. Finally, they must be a member in good standing of AMTE. Scholarship winners may be interviewed or asked to provide a brief statement.
Contact
Elementary Mathematics Specialist Scholarship
3800 Hillsborough Street
Raleigh, NC 27607
(919) 760-8240
hendrixt@meredith.edu
Scholarship Link
5. Hach Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Scholarship
Recent graduates with an undergraduate degree in a chemistry-related field could qualify for this scholarship. Qualified full-time graduate students receive $6,000. Part-time students receive $3,000. They must be studying in an accredited master’s in education program. The American Chemistry Society states that applicants must have less than one year of work experience. They must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. And they must be committed to becoming high school chemistry teachers.
Contact
Hach Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Scholarship
1155 Sixteenth Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
(800) 227-5558 ext. 8178
hach@acs.org
Scholarship Link
6. James Madison Memorial Teaching Fellowship
The James Madison Memorial Teaching Fellowship is an elite scholarship for master’s in education students. Teachers who intend to teach the US Constitution in high school can be awarded $24,000 for two years. Accepted fellows must be U.S. citizens. They hold an accredited bachelor’s degree in education and take at least 12 semester credits of constitutional study. Recipients must teach American history in high school for one full academic year after receiving their master’s. If the recipient doesn’t teach American history in high school after completing their program, they may be on the hook for the fellowship money.
Contact
James Madison Memorial Teaching Fellowship
1613 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(800) 525-6928
cgriffin@jamesmadison.gov
Scholarship Link
7. Leon Bradley Scholarship Program
The American Association of School Personnel Administrators administers the Leon Bradley Scholarship Program. The program distributes $1,000 to full-time minority graduate students. These college students must be earning a master’s in education for school administration certification. Qualified candidates must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and have served as licensed teachers. Applicants must be people of color and reside in eligible New England or Mid-Atlantic states. They must also submit a letter from their Dean of Education.
Contact
Leon Bradley Scholarship Program
11863 West 112th Street Suite 100
Overland Park, KS 66210
(913) 327-1222
aaspa@aaspa.org
Scholarship Link
8. NACA Foundation Graduate Scholarships
The National Association for Campus Activities offers graduate scholarships worth up to $3,000. The scholarship is available to college students in a graduate program in student personnel services. To be eligible, college students must have graduated from a four year college. They must also be a U.S. citizen with a GPA over 2.5. They must be able to demonstrate their experience in campus activities. Finally, candidates must write a summary of their professional goals.
Contact
NACA Foundation Graduate Scholarships
13 Harbison Way
Columbia, SC 29212
(803) 732-6222
info@naca.org
Scholarship Link
9. Richard D. Miller Scholarship Award
This $2,500 scholarship is named for the former director of the American Association of School Administrators. Applicants to the Richard D. Miller Scholarship must intend to become school superintendents. They must have a recommendation from a department chair. Applicants must be in good academic standing. Winners will receive a $500 travel allowance. This allowance will allow them to go to the AASA national conference.
Contact
Richard D. Miller Scholarship Award
1615 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 528-0700
info@aasa.org
Scholarship Link
10. STEM Teachers for America’s Future Scholarships
These AFCEA International scholarships are for up to $5,000. The minimum scholarship amount is $2,500. Recipients must be actively pursuing a graduate degree or teaching credential. They must intend to teach STEM subjects at the K-12 level. To be eligible, candidates must be in their second semester. They must also take at least two courses per term. The graduate schools they attend must be accredited, and the program must be on campus. This scholarship has a minimum GPA of 3.5, and applicants must be American citizens. Two faculty letters of recommendation must also be submitted.
Contact
STEM Teachers for America’s Future Scholarships
4400 Fair Lakes Court
Fairfax, VA 22033
(703) 631-6100
edfoundation@afcea.org
Scholarship Link
Frequently Asked Questions
Is graduate school worth it?
Attending graduate school is a significant investment of time and money, but it’s practically required for teachers. And over time it is certainly worth the money. Around 47% of U.S. public school teachers hold a master’s degree. According to the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), teachers with a master’s degree earn an average of $8,411 more each year. Capitalizing on this kind of financial aid can help you maximize your Return On Investment. Unlike student loans, scholarships are free money.
Reach your teacher leader goals by applying for some of these scholarships for masters in education. This kind of financial aid is often ignored. Many aren’t even aware it exists or where to find it. There’s not a lot of incentive to advertise free financial aid, after all. Who is going to spend their own money to give somebody else’s money away? It’s important to remember that if you do have a student loan, or even multiple, there is a student loan forgiveness program for teachers. Federal student loans can be forgiven under certain circumstances.
How much do teachers make?
The answer to this depends on what kind of teacher you’re talking about. The median salary for early childhood education and elementary school teachers is $61,350. The median salary for secondary education/high school teachers is $61,820. The median salary for higher education teachers is $79,640. Private school teachers make far less on average that public school teachers. This is because most private schools do not hire union teachers and are thus able to underpay their faculty.
Why are graduate school scholarships important?
One of the main reasons graduate school scholarships are so important is that there is a bit less federal funding for graduate school. Most financial aid for graduate school comes from student loans, which often means incurring tens of thousands of dollars in additional debt. Graduate school scholarships help reduce that debt as much as possible. However, scholarships aren’t the only important financial aid tools to be aware of.
What are other good sources of financial aid?
Well, if you are conducting research at the graduate level, then research grants can help fund your research and tuition, or even cost of living. Tuition reimbursement is another possibility. Some school districts are really hurting for teachers with graduate degrees. These schools may offer to reimburse your tuition in exchange for working for them a set number of years. Student loan forgiveness is another possibility. If you teach in public schools for a certain amount of time, your loans may be forgiven. We advise you to look into student loan debt forgiveness and tuition reimbursement for teachers more closely as there are often specific requirements that must be met in order to take advantage of these programs. Getting your student loan debt entirely forgiven is too good an opportunity to pass up, especially if you plan to go for your doctoral degree!
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