Scholarships, Grants, & Internships

Are you curious about ways to pay for your education to become a teacher? The Colorado Center for Rural Education has resources for you.

The AFCEA Rocky Mountain Chapter is a leader in the Colorado Springs community, unifying the area's military, government, industry, and academic partners to advance the continuing education of today's young leaders in science, technology, engineering, math, and computer science fields (STEM). This fund supports undergraduate education students in rural student teaching placements who teach STEM subjects.

Award: $5,000

Eligibility Criteria

• Full-time education students in the College of Education (12 or more credit hours per semester)
• Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA
• Placement in a rural school for the final student teaching experience. See this link for the eligible list of Colorado school districts that meet the rural designation.
• Teach at least one prep per day in a STEM subject (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics) during the final student teaching experience
  • Note: Undergraduate students who do not teach STEM on a daily basis during their rural student teaching placement are not eligible for this award.

Application Process

• Submit an application online using link above.
• Resume demonstrating experience working with youth (include any practicum experiences included in teacher preparation programs)
• A written personal statement (1-2 pages, double-spaced) describing the applicant's career goals, background, and teacher qualities specifically related to rural settings.

Deadlines

• May 15 for fall semester awards
• November 15 for spring semester awards

Award Disbursement

• Recipients will be notified of internship results in late June for fall semester awards and in late December for spring semester awards.
• Funds will be distributed at the beginning of the academic semester in which they are awarded.

For more information, please contact the Student Resource Office at education@uccs.edu or 719-255-4996.

Qualifications

Students must graduate from a Colorado high school and live in Colorado for their full junior and senior year of high school. They must also be a citizen of the United States, a legal permanent resident, or a DACA recipient. Students can apply during their senior year. 
 

Scholarship amount

$20,000 annually for four years

Qualifications

Students must be a Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, or Wyoming resident and be a graduating high school senior. Students must also prove citizenship or permanent residency. They must earn a minimum high school GPA of 3.0, as well as meet SAT minimum score requirements. The scholarship organization also requires household incomes be below a specific income level.

Scholarship amount

Up to a full-ride scholarship

Qualifications

The foundation offers scholarships to Colorado residents of Latino heritage or those who demonstrate a commitment to the Latino community. Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0. Scholarships are open to all regardless of documentation or citizenship status.

Scholarship amount

$3,000 per academic year

Qualifications

Students must attend a Denver Public Schools high school and submit their GPA, show financial need, and enroll at one of 30 partner higher education institutions. Certain colleges and universities have varying GPA requirements to be eligible.

Scholarship amount

$3,600 annually

Qualifications

The foundation’s undergraduate scholarships are available to Black Colorado high school students who have been residents for at least three years. Students must also submit information such as their GPA, a personal essay, and letters of recommendation.

Scholarship amount

Up to $12,500 a year

Qualifications

Students must be the natural child, adopted child, stepchild or full dependent of a worker who was injured or killed in a compensable work-related accident at a Colorado-based employer. The family member must have been entitled to receive benefits under the Colorado Workers’ Compensation Act. Students must have or maintain a 2.0 GPA and have a high school diploma or GED, or be a high school senior. Students must reapply every year.

Scholarship amount

An average of $4,700 a year

Qualifications

The bank provides numerous scholarships for Colorado students. Check the bank’s website for more information.

Scholarship amount

Amounts vary based on the scholarship

Qualifications

Early Childhood Council Leadership Alliance (ECCLA) currently offers several scholarship and grant opportunities for students who would like to earn a degree or certificate in early childhood education in Colorado. 

Scholarship amount

Amounts vary based on the scholarship

Qualifications

The Tech Forward Scholarship is an award designed to support educators and professionals pursuing the Instructional Technology Certificate at UCCS. As artificial intelligence (AI) and instructional technology continue to shape education, this scholarship helps make the program more accessible by offsetting the cost of courses.

• Automatically awarded to the first 15 students who are accepted into the Instructional Technology Certificate Program each academic year.
• Helps reduce financial barriers for educators seeking to integrate AI and digital tools into teaching and training environments
• Designed for current educators and professionals looking to enhance their expertise in instructional technology

Scholarship amount

$2,000

Qualifications

The Going the Distance Scholarship is an award designed to support students in the M.A. in Leadership, Student Affairs in Higher Education (SAHE) program who live 50 miles or more outside of Colorado Springs. This scholarship helps offset the cost of travel, making it more affordable for students to attend the program’s required once-a-month in-person session while balancing work and other commitments.

• Automatically awarded to students who live 50+ miles outside of Colorado Springs
• Supports students in the M.A. in Leadership, Student Affairs in Higher Education (SAHE) concentration
• Helps cover travel expenses, including gas and meals, for monthly in-person sessions

Scholarship amount

$2,000

Qualifications

The Passion to Purpose Scholarship is an award designed to support clinical counselors who desire to work as a school counselor and are pursuing the Online School Counseling Endorsement program at UCCS. There is a shortage of qualified school counselors in the State of Colorado, especially in rural areas. The Colorado Department of Education has created an alternative pathway for individuals with an MA in Counseling to become licensed school counselors. This scholarship will help to make this pathway more affordable by offsetting the cost of coursework.

• Automatically awarded to the first 6 students who are accepted into the Online School Counseling Endorsement pathway each year.
• Helps to make this pathway more affordable for individuals seeking to work with K-12 students in a school setting as a Licensed School Counselor (SSP).
• Designed for individuals with an MA in Counseling from a CACREP accredited program who are seeking School Counseling licensure in the State of Colorado.

Scholarship Amount

$4,000 

The Delta Kappa Gamma (DKG) Society International promotes professional and personal growth of women educators and excellence in education. We have more than 100,000 members belonging to over 2,900 chapters located around the world. Among our goals is to provide support and encouragement to women pursuing a college degree in the field of education. The DKG Eta Chapter of Colorado Springs invites you to apply for one of our scholarships. We welcome applicants needing financial assistance who have a high grade-point average and a strong aptitude for teaching. Scholarship applicants may be either embarking on a first-time career in education
or undergoing a career change. We are looking for candidates dedicated to enriching the lives of children and young adults and who will, hopefully, one day join DKG.

Award: $1,000 - $3,000

Eligibility Criteria

• Female
• Currently enrolled as a full-time student at a Colorado Springs college or university
• Enrolled in coursework in a teacher education/licensure program (undergraduate or graduate level)

Application Process

Submit a letter of application which includes:

• ACADEMIC INFORMATION: schools attended, major, GPA, special achievements, etc.
• EXPERIENCE: employment, experience with children/youth, community leadership, etc.
• STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: Why do you want to become an educator? What are your perceptions of teaching? Who influenced your decision to be a teacher?
• FINANCIAL NEED: debt, scholarship(s), family circumstances, etc.
• RECOMMENDATIONS: Include written letters of recommendation from professors, supervising teachers, and others who have knowledge of your work ethic and teaching abilities. These may be sent to Scholarship Committee under separate cover. Emails accepted.

Participate in a scholarship interview.

Deadlines

• April 30
• Interviews will be conducted in April - Early May

Award Disbursement

• The scholarship will be awarded May 13, 2025.
• Scholarship funds will be disbursed via check made out to the institution of higher education and the scholarship recipient.
• Proceeds will be released to the school for tuition or books.

For more information, please contact ETA Chapter Co-President, Dr. Maxine Fawcett-Yeske at mfawcettyeske@gmail.com or 719-649-2348. 

Qualifications

The College of Education Emergency Tuition Aid is a one-time award available to current graduate and undergraduate students in the College of Education (COE) who are experiencing unanticipated circumstances that jeopardize their ability to pay tuition in full and to successfully continue in their program. The fund is supported by the College of Education faculty, staff, alumni, and other donor contributions.

Scholarship amount

Up to $3000

• AASA Educational Administration Scholarship
• APIA Scholarship Program
• Association for Addictions Professional
• Back to Work: COSI Scholarship Program (early childhood)
• Esperanza Education Foundation Scholarship
• General UCCS Scholarships
• HRSA Health Workforce
• Korean American Scholarship Fund
• Latin American Educational Foundation (LAEF) Scholarship
• Latinas First Foundation Scholarship
• National Board for Certified Counselors Foundations
• Point Foundation Scholarship (LGBTQ+)
• Rural Community Loan Repayment Program
• Spolin Law Civil Rights and Criminal Law Essay Competition
• Taco Bell Foundation Live Más Scholarship
• TEACH Colorado Scholarship
• The Alexander Foundation (LGBTQ+)

As students prepare for graduation, they may apply for the following scholarships:

• El Pomar Fellowship for Rising Leaders
• Health Resources and Services Administration Loan Repayment Program (LRP)
• Loan Forgiveness for Colorado Educators & Counselors
• State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP)