Financial Support
Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program
The Federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program is one of three loan forgiveness programs available to teachers. Under the program, a teacher who has taught full-time for five complete and consecutive academic years in certain elementary and secondary schools and educational service agencies that serve low-income families, and meets other qualifications, may be eligible for forgiveness on certain Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans, as well as Subsidized and Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans.
Virginia Teaching Scholarship Loan Program (VTSLP)
The primary purpose of the Virginia Teaching Scholarship Loan Program (VTSLP) is to provide financial support to students who are preparing to teach in one of Virginia's critical shortage teaching areas. The critical shortage teaching areas are determined annually through the Supply and Demand Survey for School Personnel, based on data received by school divisions in Virginia. Shortages in specific subject areas are derived from the top 10 academic disciplines identified by the survey as shortage fields.
Funding Opportunities
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) continues its efforts to fund initiatives related to recruitment and retention of educators across the Commonwealth. Several funding programs have been established using funds from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief III (ESSER III). These grants are typically offered on an ad-hoc basis and will not necessarily be offered on a regular basis. Other funding programs have been funded by the Virginia General Assembly and may be offered more regularly. Typically, the VDOE announces funding opportunities via Superintendent’s Memo or via the Virginia Education Update Newsletter, although some programs with more narrow criteria may only be shared with eligible parties by email.
ESSER III Grants
- Recruitment Incentive for Public Education (RIPE)
- Competitive Grant for Praxis and Virginia Communication & Literacy Assessment Assistance to Support Provisionally Licensed Teachers and Pre-Service Education Candidates Seeking Full Licensure in Virginia (PDF)
- Continuing Education Support (CES) Grant
- Paid Internship Scholarship Grant for Aspiring Virginia Educators
- Recruitment and Retention Support (RARS) Grant (Word)
Additional Funding Opportunities
For Partnerships between School Divisions and Institutions of Higher Education:
- Competitive Clinical Faculty Grant
- Teacher Residency Programs
- Grow Your Own - Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program
For School Divisions:
- Hometown Teacher Program (PDF)
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Teacher Recruitment and Retention Initiative (STEM-TRRI) (PDF)
- Tuition Scholarships for Licensed High School Teachers to be Considered Faculty to Teach Dual Enrollment (Word)
- Grants in support of new teacher mentoring programs and mentor teacher programs for new teachers entering the profession through the Career Switcher Program (PDF)
For Institutions of Higher Education:
- Troops to Teachers
- Competitive Traineeships for Education of Special Education Personnel
- Virginia Consortium for Teacher Preparation in Special Education: Adapted Curriculum
- Virginia Consortium for Teacher Preparation in Visual Impairment