Gov. Josh Shapiro speaking at a press conference supporting student teachers at the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg on April 10, 2024. (Photo: Sean Kitchen)
Pennsylvania will start offering student teachers stipends in the near future in an effort to close the state’s teacher shortage gap. Eligible student teachers are encouraged to apply through PHEAA.
Starting on Thursday at 9 AM, student teachers in Pennsylvania will be eligible for up to $15,000 to help them through their student teacher training period.
Gov. Josh Shapiro and a group of bipartisan lawmakers celebrated the upcoming launch of the PA Student Teacher Support Program, which will be administered through the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), at a press conference in the State Capitol on Wednesday.
“When these lawmakers, and those who are assembled here today, look out and recognize that one of the biggest workforce challenges we have is that we don’t have enough teachers to educate our children, they came together and said ‘that’s not a problem we’re going to allow to fester. That’s a problem we’re going to solve in Pennsylvania,’” Shapiro said.
“Starting tomorrow, student teachers will be able to apply through PHEAA in order to get the resources they need.”
Prospective student teachers are encouraged to check PHEAA’s website to apply and see if they’re eligible for a stipend.
In order for student teachers to be eligible for the program, they must be currently enrolled in a Pennsylvania college or university and enrolled in an approved educator preparation program, have a minimum 3.0 grade point average and agree to work as a teacher in Pennsylvania for three years after graduation.
Shapiro signed Act 33 into law in 2023 and it established $10 million for the Educator Pipeline Support Grant Program. The governor proposed a $5 million increase for the program in his 2024-25 budget.
“This is going to be the first step,” Aaron Chapin, the President of the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA), said.
“We really need to make sure that we are getting rid of the financial barriers so that our students that are in college will stay in college and finish that preparation to be teachers because there are a number of people that won’t go into education just because it’s so expensive to get a degree.”
Chapin said that raising teacher salaries is the next step lawmakers have to take if they want to close Pennsylvania’s teacher shortage. It’s hard to keep teachers when surrounding states offer higher starting salaries for public school teachers.
“It’s hard to come out of college with a teaching degree and get paid what they pay in Pennsylvania and pay off your loans at the same time. A lot of our young people want to be in teaching, but they see how expensive it is to live.”
Author
Support Our Cause
Thank you for taking the time to read our work. Before you go, we hope you'll consider supporting our values-driven journalism, which has always strived to make clear what's really at stake for Pennsylvanians and our future.
Since day one, our goal here at The Keystone has always been to empower people across the commonwealth with fact-based news and information. We believe that when people are armed with knowledge about what's happening in their local, state, and federal governments—including who is working on their behalf and who is actively trying to block efforts aimed at improving the daily lives of Pennsylvania families—they will be inspired to become civically engaged.
Shapiro administration distributes $120 million for school safety and mental health support
The funding will help public and private schools across the commonwealth to provide security personnel, equipment upgrades and mental health support...
Trump nominates former WWE head, private school voucher advocate for Education secretary
McMahon is relatively unknown in education circles, although she has expressed support for charter schools and private school vouchers. The...
‘A stunning public rebuke’: When voters had the choice, they rejected private school vouchers
On Election Day, voters in Colorado, Kentucky, and Nebraska squarely rejected private school choice ballot measures, demonstrating how much voters...
PA House Democrats promise to double down on public education support following election victory
PA House Democrats are looking forward to continuing to make investments in public education following their electoral wins last week. Last year,...
Army returns remains of 9 Indigenous children who died at Carlisle boarding school over a century ago
The remains of nine more Native American children who died at a notorious government-run boarding school in Carlisle over a century ago were...
