Master of Arts in Teaching Scholarships

Masters Degree for Classroom Teachers

Have you always wanted to teach in a classroom? The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree is one path to the credentials required for secondary school instructors. Students in most MAT programs must specialize in a subject like mathematics or history, and since the teacher shortage is both acute and growing there is a substantial outpouring of support for the valued seekers of MAT degrees.

Financial aid for MAT students is sometimes keyed to diversity, including bilingual education, and the STEM subjects (that is, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The following information will give you a brief overview of a small part of the available assistance.

Scholarships From Colleges

University of Alaska Anchorage

The College of Education at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) provides six scholarships for students in their education degree programs, including the MAT. Here are three choices suitable for MAT candidates:

• The Patty McManamin Endowment for Education underwrites $500 scholarships, for which the required graduate GPA is 3.0. You must attend school at least half-time, and preference goes to residents of Alaska and those who graduated from Alaska high schools.
• The Sheri Stears Education Scholarship gives $2,500 to students seeking an MAT to help pay for tuition and other school expenses. Enrollment and GPA requirements are the same as those for the McManamin award, and in addition to Alaska residents those with financial need and those who state solid plans for improving education in Alaska receive preference.
• The Donna Gail Shaw Scholarship is reserved for members of an education honor society called Kappa Delta Pi, specifically its Rho Zeta chapter (located at UAA). You must supply an essay on how your activities reflect the qualities valued by Kappa Delta Pi, which include hard work and service to society.

College of Charleston

The College of Charleston’s School of Education, Health, and Human Performance offers an MAT program and several scholarships to assist with tuition, including these three examples:

• The Matthew Scott Ciganovic Memorial Scholarship is intended for an MAT candidate who shows skill and compassion in working with children who learn at different rates. It must be used during the clinical practice semester, and both financial need and verification of that need by the Financial Assistance Office are required.
• The Higdon Teacher Education Scholarship is for MAT students concentrating in early childhood, elementary, or special education. Financial need is a prerequisite, and preference is given to men and ethnic minorities.
• The Mary A. Lee Endowed Fellowship in Special Education is awarded to a full-time (meaning enrolled for nine credit hours) MAT candidate who is focusing on special education and has a GPA of 3.0.

Lewis & Clark

The Graduate School of Education and Counseling belonging to Lewis & Clark automatically screens new MAT students for scholarship eligibility, and you must submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid so your financial need can be evaluated. The scholarships vary in amount between $500 and $6,000, and here are four of them:

• The Donna C. Dermond Scholarship is awarded to an MAT student of sterling character who can demonstrate financial need.
• The Viola M. and James C. Gale Scholarship goes to a new MAT preservice student, and the criteria resemble those for the Dermond scholarship with the addition of a minimum GPA requirement of 3.0.
• The Kurkinen Scholarship is reserved for an entering MAT student who is pursuing a degree after a long absence from school.
• The goal of the Teacher Education Diversity Scholarships is to make sure teachers in the region mirror the diversity of their future students, and preference goes to both ethnic minorities and MAT students who have made personal commitments to teaching in schools with underserved populations.

Webster University

Webster University’s Edward L. Glotzbach Scholarship has an interesting aim: it supports MAT candidates with a concentration in the field of educational technology, which is comparatively new. The Glotzbach pays expenses for up to six MAT credits in courses classified as EDTC, and your overall GPA in MAT courses must be 3.5.

Since the goal is to encourage studies in this field, the application form and required essay are extremely brief.

Scholarships From Private Organizations

AFCEA Educational Foundation

The AFCEA Educational Foundation, with help from the National Science Teachers Association, has established the AFCEA STEM Scholarships, of which there are at least 50 every year. To be eligible for these $5,000 gifts, an MAT candidate must have a bachelors degree in a STEM subject and show current enrollment at an accredited school in a minimum of two semester-equivalent classes.

In addition to the $5,000 award, you can continue to receive the AFCEA STEM Teaching Tools grant for $1,000 after graduation, if you keep teaching STEM subjects. Grants are limited to three years and are intended to cover classroom expenses like supplies and field trips.