In a bid to support student teachers in Minnesota, a new Student Teaching Stipend Pilot Program has been launched, as announced by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education. According to a statement from the office, the program, created through legislation authored by State Senator Heather Gustafson, will begin this fall and dedicates stipends up to $7,500 to assist nearly 900 aspiring teachers.
Senator Gustafson, representing Vadnais Heights and serving as the Vice Chair of the Education Finance Committee, highlighted the financial hurdles faced by student teachers, many of whom need to juggle multiple jobs while pursuing their student teaching, this not only strains their endurance but has pushed some to consider alternate careers according to a Senate DFL statement. Gustafson remarked, "These stipends will ease the burdens on student teachers while ensuring we are training them for positions schools desperately need."
The stipend program is split into two grants: the Minnesota Student Teachers in Shortage Areas Grant (STSA), targeting those who intend to work in shortage areas or rural districts, and the Minnesota Underrepresented Student Teacher Grant (USTG), aimed at supporting student teachers from racially or ethnically underrepresented groups in the Minnesota teacher workforce. As per eligibility criteria, student teachers must be enrolled in a state-approved program, maintain satisfactory progress, have no loan defaults, and demonstrate financial need.
Tapping into the heart of the community, Gustafson underscored the essential role of teachers, saying, "Teachers play a vital role in our communities, and our job is to support them throughout their careers"; these words encapsulate the program's goal of nurturing the education sector's backbone, the teachers themselves. Interested students should mark July 26, 2024, as the first priority deadline for fall applications, specifics of the application process can be accessed on the Senate DFL website.
Supporting this initiative, the Minnesota Association of Colleges for Teacher Education backed the legislation, drawing attention to the financial struggle narratives convincingly laid before the Minnesota Senate by student teachers, whose testimony shed light on their compelling stories. Details on the bill and testimonies can be found in the original presentation here.
