Strategic Initiatives
Allison Little
Assistant Commissioner, P-16 Alignment and Outreach
Principal Investigator, MassTeach
(617) 994-6935
alittle@dhe.mass.edu
2018 – Present
Multiple Campuses
MassTeach is a program that is designed to recruit more teachers of color into K12 classrooms by intentionally partnering with community colleges. Students who are studying a STEM field at any of the fifteen Massachusetts community college and are interested in giving back to their community through teaching should consider applying to MassTeach. Students who are selected to be MassTeach Scholars will be part of a program with other people in MassTeach. As a group, Scholars will receive advising, testing support, tutoring, and be part of a community. MassTeach Scholars will receive up to $15,000 each year for their efforts as they complete their baccalaureate degree in a STEM field and their license to teach ($30,000 total). In return, MassTeach Scholars commit to teaching in a high-needs district for four years.
For the Fall 2022–Spring 2023 application period, any Massachusetts community college student is eligible to apply. Students should be studying a STEM field and need to be interested in teaching. Specific requirements to apply include:
Students are welcome to apply anytime before they are ready to transfer to a partner university. Students who have earned less than 45 credits can apply as early admits. Students who are accepted as early admits will need to complete their Associate’s degree requirements before joining the MassTeach program.
Prior to beginning at the university, it is the expectation that all MassTeach Scholars will have passed*:
*If a student has not passed the Communications and Literacy MTEL, we still encourage you to apply. The MTEL can be taken during the spring or summer, but the expectation is that a student has passed it before enrolling at the university. Additionally, Introduction to Education will be offered during Summer 2023 for those students who have not taken it previously.
The application period is open and applying is easy! Students should submit all materials electronically to Allison Little (alittle@dhe.mass.edu). Applications are due on March 31, 2023.
Students officially become MassTeach Scholars when they transfer to the university. Students should apply in the spring before they are transferring or any semester before then. We highly encourage students to complete an Associate’s degree prior to transferring because students need to be entering as a junior (a student with 60-credits or more toward a degree) to be eligible to receive the money the scholarship funds.
Students who receive money and leave MassTeach prior to graduating will need to pay back the funds that they already received.
We really hope that all MassTeach Scholars complete their four-year commitment and continue to teach well beyond that. However, we know that life happens, and you may need to leave the classroom. You have 8 years to complete your 4 year commitment, so you can leave and come back to the classroom if absolutely necessary. If you are unable to do that, then you will be required to pay back a portion of the funds you received. For example, if you teach for 2 years, then you keep $10,000 and must return $10,000 since you fulfilled half of your commitment. If you teach for 1 year, then you would keep $5,000 and return $15,000. If you teach for 3 years, leave the classroom due to medical issues or family obligations, and come back to teach another year, then you keep the $20,000 and do not need to pay anything back. Any funds that are not repaid through teaching service will be converted into a loan at a 5% fixed-interest rate.
Repayment through Service Schedule Example
| % of Award Received | Forgiveness Rate Per Year of Teaching | |
|---|---|---|
| 100% ($20,000) | 1st year of teaching 2nd year of teaching 3rd year of teaching 4th year of theaching |
25% 25% 25% 25% |
| 75% ($15,000) | 1st year of teaching 2nd year of teaching 3rd year of teaching |
33 1/3% 33 1/3% 33 1/3% |
| 50% ($10,000) | 1st year of teaching 2nd year of teaching |
50% 50% |
| 25% ($5,000) | 1st year of teaching | 100% |
MassTeach is in its fifth year and now is accepting applications from students attending any of the fifteen community colleges in Massachusetts. However, scholarship funding is only available to students who attend one of the six public universities that are part of the program: Bridgewater State, Fitchburg State, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Westfield State University, or Worcester State University.
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