Key Takeaways
- Up to $6,000 to support a new educator during their critical full-time student teaching phase.
- Approximately 1,400 student teachers would benefit from the stipend per year.
- The program underscores UEA’s long-standing commitment to valuing educators.
In the 2024 Legislative Session, a top UEA legislative priority was to create a pilot program to pay student teachers for their student teaching semester. At UEA’s request, Rep. Karen Peterson (R-Clinton) sponsored HB 221 Stipends for Future Educators.
This state initiative provides state funding as financial assistance to Utah university/college students completing their student teaching in a Utah public school. The stipend is an award of up to $6,000 per student teacher. Funding is currently available only for the 2024-25 academic year.
Eligibility Criteria
To qualify for the stipend, individuals must:
- Must be enrolled in a Utah university/college teacher preparation program
- Must complete student teaching in a Utah public school
- Must not be receiving grants or scholarships from the Department of Workforce Services or Grow Your Own grant program
- Must not be an employee of the public school where the student teaching experience is to be completed; may perform sporadic substitute teaching
- Must start/complete student teaching experience after July 1, 2024
Student Teacher Responsibilities
To receive the stipend, student teachers must:
- Obtain an enrollment letter from their Utah university/college confirming their status as a student teacher.
- Apply for the stipend.
- Contact the Human Resources office at their school district or charter school.
Student teachers will receive half of their stipend at the beginning of their teaching period and the remaining half upon completion. The LEA will disperse the funds to the student teachers.
Questions
If you have any questions about the stipend, please contact the Utah State Board of Education educator licensing team at [email protected] or 801-538-7740.
Erica Horsley, the program specialist administering this stipend program, can be reached directly at [email protected].