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Apply to North Carolina Teaching Fellows

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North Carolina Teaching Fellows

Statewide Competitive Loan Forgiveness Program

  • Students can receive up to $5,000.00 per semester based upon the cost of tuition, books, and fees at each partner institution
    • Awards are renewable annually for Fellows who continue to meet eligibility requirements.
    • Fellows will be required to sign a promissory note agreeing to the terms of their forgivable loans.
  • NCTF Partner Institutions & Statewide Experiences to enhance the Education Preparation Program attending
  • Study and build community at one of ten NCTF Partner Institutions 
  • Four Statewide Areas of Focus: Instructional Technology, Literacy, Coaching, and Environmental Awareness
  • If selected as a recipient, for each year you receive funding you must teach STEM, Special Education, or Elementary Education in a NC public school (traditional or charter)
  • Be accepted to enroll in an approved educator preparation program leading to initial licensure in an eligible area at one of the ten Teaching Fellows partner institutions. (You do not have to be admitted when you apply.)

Interested in teaching in NC Public Schools?

Eligible Initial Licensure/Content Areas

STEM Education

Middle or High School Agriculture Education, Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math Education

Special Education

K-12 General or Adaptative Curriculum

Elementary Education

Traditional K-5 classroom (Licensure is K-6 but only 6th grade in the above majors would be eligible for repayment.
Contact repay@ncseaa.edu with any questions regarding qualifying content areas.
Current classroom teachers in one of the above eligible content areas on a “permit to teach, emergency licensure, or residency 1 licensure are eligible to apply. 
School Building
Graduation Cap
If you are a NC high school senior or have fewer than 24 hours of college credit...
If you have more than 24 hours of college credit or already have a bachelor's degree...
Minimum
3.0 GPA
(unweighted)
Minimum
2.7 GPA
   
Have not previously been licensed as a teacher.
Are willing to teach in a STEM, Special Education, or Elementary Education in a NC public school.
Are willing to teach in a STEM, Special Education, or Elementary Education in a NC public school. 

NCTF Eligible Pathways

NC Teaching Fellows offers a variety of pathways to obtain teacher licensure 

High School Senior

  • A North Carolina high school senior
  • Eligible to receive up to 8 semesters (4 years) of funding
  • NC High School Diploma (NC public, public charter, private, home school)
  • If you are dual enrolled or at an early college, HS transcript is needed. You may upload collect transcript in additional uploads. 

External Transfer

  • A student applying to transfer to an educator preparation program at one of the ten Teaching Fellows partner institutions
  • Eligible to receive up to 8 semesters (4 years) of funding
  • Current Community or College Students at a non partner institution are eligible to apply

Internal Transfer

  • A student already enrolled at one of the ten Teaching Fellows partner institutions who transitions into an educator preparation program 
  • Eligible to receive up to 8 semesters (4 years) of funding
    • (If candidate is already admitted to teacher candidacy, gpa must be above a 2.75, and finances should be a determining factor before applying.) 

Post Bachelor

  • An individual with a bachelor’s degree pursuing preparation for teacher licensure at one of the ten Teaching Fellows partner institutions (Options include Masters of Arts in Teaching or Certification Programs.
  • Eligible to receive up to 8 semesters (4 years) of funding
  • Current teachers on a permit to teach, emergency licensure, or Residency status are eligible to apply.

What Do You Need to Apply?

Before you can submit your NCTF Application, make sure you have the following information!

Before you can submit –

make sure you have the following information ready to upload (PDF formats!)

  • Personal information including Social Security Number
  • High School or College Transcript in PDF form (unofficial is acceptable for application)
  • (2) letters of recommendation
    • One (1) from an academic reference (counselor, teacher, administrator, etc.)
    • One (1) from a personal or additional academic reference (not a family member)
    • Unfortunately, due to our current application platform, you must find references who can email them to you in a pdf format.

Essay Questions (Required)

Answers to 3 essay questions in complete sentences
(Recommended: ~250-500 words each response)
  • Describe why you are inspired to enter the teaching profession, including why you wish to teach in Elementary, Special Education, or a STEM field.
  • Describe a time when you have faced a challenge or adversity. Explain how you used grit, resiliency, commitment, etc. to overcome the obstacle and what you learned from your experience.
  • Briefly describe your school activities, accomplishments, leadership positions held, job experiences, and community service opportunities and why they are/were important to you as a student and as a person.

Minimum Academic Requirements

  • High school applicants or applicants with fewer than 24 hours of college credit must have a minimum unweighted high school GPA of 3.0. While not required, we strongly encourage applicants to submit an SAT and/or ACT score.
  • Applicants with more than 24 hours of college credit must have a minimum of a 2.7 cumulative GPA.
  • Be willing to teach in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics), special education, or elementary education (K-6) licensure area in a North Carolina public school, traditional or charter.

Knowledge is Power.

NC Teaching Fellows Loan Forgiveness Important Information

 

 

 

 

 

 

Terms of Loan Forgiveness

The loan principal and any accrued interest may be forgiven if, within 10 years after graduation from a program leading to teaching licensure, the Fellow serves as a teacher in a qualified position:
  • in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics), special education, or elementary education (K-6)  licensure area as identified by the NC Superintendent of Public Instruction
  • at a North Carolina traditional or charter public school
One academic year’s loan will be forgiven for:
For loans issued in 2024-2025 and beyond, the repayment for those loans will be 1:1 – One (1) year of service in a qualifying teaching position will fulfill one (1) year of repayment regardless of the school’s performance status. (If you are applying for the 2026-2027 academic year, you will fall in the repayment below of 1:1)
  • 1 year of employment at a NC public school in an eligible content area
Please Note: The repayment criteria you are under is based upon the Master Promissory Note and conditions you have signed. Please let us know if you have any further questions!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash Repayment

 

  • Loans not forgiven through employment in a qualified position must be repaid in cash.
    • Forgivable loans will carry an interest rate of 8%. Interest will begin to accrue and cash repayment will be required in the form of monthly installments commencing no later than the 1st day of September after completion of, or 90 days after withdrawal from, the approved educator preparation program.
    • The cash repayment period is up to 10 years based upon approval of deferment paperwork.
    • Loan forgiveness and cash repayment is administered by the State Education Assistance Authority (SEAA). Please contact SEAA with questions regarding loan forgiveness and cash repayment at repay@ncseaa.edu.
    • Repay@ncseaa.edu can also assist with the rules for deferment/ reasons approved or denied based upon completion of the NCTF program.
  • Alumni Repayment Questions: Teaching Fellows Alumni with questions regarding loan forgiveness/repayment should contact SEAA at repay@ncseaa.edu. or 919-549-8614.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Continuing Eligibility Requirements 

 

  • After initial acceptance into the program, in order to remain eligible for continued program support, Fellows must:
    • Meet the initial eligibility requirements of the program.
    • Honor the terms of the award promissory note.
    • Make Satisfactory Academic Process, as defined by the institution where the Fellow is enrolled.
    • Participate in all Teaching Fellows enrichment activities, unless an exemption is approved by Campus and Program Director.
    • Do not exceed the maximum number of semesters eligible for Teaching Fellows funding.

Questions?

We encourage you to attend a “drop in” or send us an email.

NCTF Assistant Director: Crystal Espey at cnespey@northcarolina.edu