Careers in Teaching

So you want to be a teacher? Great, we have good news for you. The State of Georgia needs you and has excellent programs designed to assist you in becoming a certified teacher in Georgia.

The Georgia Student Finance Commission offers several service cancelable scholarship loans programs to advance your teaching skills or become certified in teaching and obtain your educational degree.

PROMISE Teacher Scholarship

The PROMISE Teacher Scholarship assists students seeking their first undergraduate degree in education OR students seeking a second undergraduate degree in education if their first undergraduate degree was not in education. Students must have a 3.0 cumulative GPA for all course work and be classified as either a junior or senior in an approved education program. The scholarship provides $3,000 per academic year. Generally, it takes an additional two years to complete a second bachelor's degree, but it may vary depending upon the institution's program requirements. Students may also qualify for the HOPE Scholarship if they are earning their first undergraduate degree. Click here to learn more about the PROMISE Teacher Scholarship.

Agriculture Education

The Agricultural Education Loan provides service cancelable loans to students pursuing an educational degree in this field. This service loan provides assistance toward the student's cost of education. The maximum program amount a student can receive an academic year is $2,000.00. In return for this loan assistance, the loan may be cancelled on the basis of one calendar year (12 months) full-time at least 36 hours a week for each academic year of assistance received. Recipients must be awarded a professional Georgia teaching certificate before service — cancellation is approved to begin. Recipients must teach in the Agricultural Education field. Click here to learn more about the Agriculture Education Program.

Destination Teaching Program

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia has launched the Teacher Preparation Recruitment Initiative also known as the Destination Teaching Program, which seeks to increase the number and diversity of highly qualified teachers prepared through the University System of Georgia institutions. The program is targeted at preparing second career candidates (including paraprofessionals) to become teachers in high-need schools. Click here to learn more about the Destination Teaching Program.

HOPE Teacher Scholarship

The HOPE Teacher Scholarship for graduate study assists Georgia teachers and individuals who plan to become teachers to pursue an advanced degree (Master's, Specialist or Doctorate) or approved endorsement programs in critical shortage teaching fields in Georgia. Critical shortage fields are determined each year and are required to remain for two academic years on the critical shortage list. In this program you are required to obtain your advanced degree and obtain a clear and renewable certificate in the field that you were awarded to receive service cancellation of $2500 per academic year. Click here to learn more about the HOPE Teacher Scholarship.