VII. Tuition Help

In recent years the DOE has offered several tuition-
reimbursement, grant and loan forgiveness programs to encourage teachers to move to hard-to-staff schools or to earn advanced educational credentials. Its decision to continue any of these programs may change depending on staffing and financial considerations. Here is a description of the programs that existed for the 2006-07 school year:

Teachers of Tomorrow Grants

The Teachers of Tomorrow Program:

Awards tax-free grants to cover educational expenses to full-time certified classroom teachers who agree to serve in a designated high-need school or what’s called a “school under registration review” (i.e., undergoing state scrutiny for poor performance). The list of schools changes annually.
Provides loan forgiveness — that is, help paying off your education loans — to those who have already finished a degree and are working in a school that is on the list.
Teachers working in schools that remain on the list in future years could apply for up to three additional consecutive years.

Here are the eligible categories of teachers who work in designated schools:

Newly Hired Certified Classroom Teachers (TOT1): If you have never before worked for the New York City public schools, you’re eligible for a grant award toward educational expenses that you’ve already incurred to obtain New York State initial or professional certification in your license area.
Incumbent Certified Classroom Teachers Applying For Tuition Reimbursement (TOT2-R): You’re eligible for tuition reimbursement if you are a currently employed teacher who took courses during the previous school year (July 1–June 30) toward a first master’s degree leading to NYS professional certification.
Incumbent Certified Classroom Teachers Applying For Loan Forgiveness (TOT2-L): You’re eligible for loan forgiveness if you are a currently employed teacher who has taken out loans to pay for a first master’s degree leading to NYS permanent or professional certification.
Eligibility for all TOT programs:

– You must remain teaching in the designated school for one full school year with a satisfactory rating.
– You are not eligible if you take any type of leave of absence for any part of the year.
– If you begin employment after Sept. 30 you are not eligible.
– If you transfer to another school in the middle of the year or leave the TOT-eligible school at any time during the year you forfeit participation.
– If you have benefited from any other Department of Education Incentive Program, such as the Scholarship Program or the NYC Teaching Fellows Program, you are not eligible.
– If you are currently participating in the Conversion Program you may apply for consideration.

Application deadline:

The deadline is usually in the spring for the current school year.
Documentation for reimbursement must be completed and submitted in July.

Scholarship and Loan Forgiveness Program

The DOE Scholarship Program encourages existing and prospective employees to earn credentials in shortage areas by providing full tuition payments.

Alternatively, if you’re a teacher or clinician in one of these shortage areas who has already obtained relevant state certification, the Loan Forgiveness Program will help you repay your student loans.

Here are the programs that were available to teachers already on the payroll in 2005-06 who wanted to pursue specific master’s degrees. These categories may change over time:

Speech Language Pathology and Audiology or
Bilingual Speech Language Pathology and Audiology.
Visually Impaired or Bilingual Visually Impaired.
Bilingual School Psychology.
Bilingual Special Education.
Bilingual School Counseling.
Bilingual School Social Work.

Here is how the program works:

Eligibility: Among other rules, you must have already been accepted into a master’s degree program by a participating college or university.
Service requirement: In exchange for free tuition, you must serve for two years for each year of tuition assistance.
You must attend annual staff development sessions and program meetings with Department of Education staff.
Upon graduation, you will be placed in an area of high need in the city schools.
You may seek your own position after graduation or be placed by a Department of Education representative in a New York City public school.
Although you will have the opportunity to express preferences for placement, assignments are driven by the needs of the school system.

Conversion Program for Supplementary Certification

This program helps teachers certified in certain areas where teachers are in abundance to earn an additional certification in a specific shortage area.

The DOE pays for you to earn the credits required to obtain a new certification. Reimbursement is at City University rates.

Here are the current shortage areas in which you could earn additional certification through the conversion program:

Math.
The sciences.
Students with Disabilities.
Spanish.
English as a Second Language (ESL).
Bilingual subjects.

Here are the eligibility requirements:

You must have the prerequisite coursework in the shortage area (9 credit hours in Students with Disabilities; 12 credit hours in math, science, Spanish, ESL or bilingual).
You must successfully complete the Content Specialty Test (CST) in the supplementary subject or the Bilingual Educational Assessment Examination.

Why consider converting your certification area?
By switching into teaching in a shortage area, you might:
• Decrease your chance of being excessed.
• Be able to meet requirements under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
• Expand your professional opportunities.

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