LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Michigan will once again offer an incentive to young professionals hoping to make an impact as a teacher, by providing stipends and scholarships for future teachers. 

Applications for the MI Future Educator Fellowship will open on Oct. 31, and 2,500 future educators will be awarded $10,000 to help offset the cost of their education.  

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Full-time student teachers can also earn $9,600 in stipends as they complete their last semesters of preparation for teaching.  

Those who are already paraprofessionals, but may be hoping to become teachers can also receive funding if approved.  More than $170 million has been approved to go towards “Grow Your Own” programs which allow districts to recruit and train teachers and help pay for their tuition fees, books, testing fees, travel and a substitute employee salary according to the Michigan Education Association (MEA).  

These programs were brought into effect under Whitmer’s budget which passed during the summer and included: a record $19.6 billion on PreK-12 schools, $530 million on community colleges, and $3.5 billion on universities. 

“I mean the workforce shortage is real across disciplines,” Governor Gretchen Whitmer said, “However, we knew it was looming in this space for a long time with the fall off in terms of people going into the profession, as well as retirements that have been looming.”  

The MI Future Educator Fellowship can be renewed for up to two additional years provided recipients maintain eligibility requirements and perform their service obligations.  Some of the requirements include maintaining a cumulative 3.0 Grade point average, 24 credits per academic year, and a full-time enrollment. 

Those wishing to apply or seek eligibility information may visit here.