Financial Assistance
Financial assistance in the form of a stipend or a bonus may be available to participants who meet military service requirements, program application time frames, eligible employment, and if separated or retired, an honorable discharge. Additional conditions and restrictions apply.
Military service requirements and program application timeframes to receive financial assistance include:
Stipends of up to $5,000 may be available for eligible participants to assist with obtaining the required education level, teacher certification, and licensing.
A participant may not receive a stipend if eligible for Chapter 33 (Post 9/11) benefits.
Bonuses of up to $10,000 may be available for eligible participants as an incentive to teach in an eligible or high need school.
JROTC instructors are eligible for a maximum of $5,000 bonus.
The combination of a stipend and/or bonus for any one participant cannot exceed $10,000.
An Eligible School is defined as one where the Free/Reduced Cost Lunch Percentage is 30% or more, at least 13% of students enrolled qualify for assistance under part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or a Bureau of Indian Affairs funded school.
A High Needs School is defined as one where the Free/Reduced Cost Lunch percentage is 50% or more for public middle or elementary schools, 40% or more for public high schools, or eligible under 6211(b) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, which covers rural schools.
The Bureau of Indian Education oversees a total of 183 elementary, secondary, residential, and peripheral dormitories across 23 states. 129 schools are tribally controlled under P.L. 93-638 Indian Self Determination Contracts or P.L. 100-297 Tribally Controlled Grant Schools Act. 54 schools are operated by the Bureau of Indian Education.
A Charter School is a public school operated by a group of parents, teachers, and/or community members as a semi-autonomous school of choice within a school district, operating under a contract or "charter" contract between the members of the Charter School community and the local board of education.