T.E.A.C.H. (Teacher Education and Compensation Helps) Scholarships from the Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) are now available for NPRC education majors who work in Pennsylvania DHS licensed child care programs. These Scholarships can cover tuition, fees, and provide reimbursement for textbooks.
This opportunity follows NPRC’s accreditation in March, along with the College’s recent approval as a partner institution with PACCA. PACCA offers T.E.A.C.H. Scholarships to meet the needs of the early care and education workforce in DHS licensed child care programs.
The T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Pennsylvania Scholarship Program provides early learning professionals with access to debt-free higher education while they continue working. By building a more educated and fairly compensated workforce, T.E.A.C.H. raises the quality of care and education that Pennsylvania’s youngest children receive—setting them on a path to future learning and success.
T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Pennsylvania is a licensed program of Early Years and is administered by the Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA). The T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® National Center, a division of Early Years, provides oversight and support to states administering T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® & Child Care WAGE$® Programs across the nation. T.E.A.C.H. Pennsylvania is supported by the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) of Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services (DHS) and Pennsylvania’s Department of Education (PDE).
Eligible applicants at NPRC must:
- Work a minimum of 25 hours per week (on average) year-round, directly with children in a DHS-certified child care program.
- Be a resident of Pennsylvania.
- Be employed with a sponsoring program for at least six months (approximately) before enrolling in courses through the scholarship program.
- Be interested in pursuing coursework at a partnering college/university toward a degree and/or teacher certification in PreK-4/Early Childhood Education.
After completing an associate degree at NPRC, students can move onto a four-year T.E.A.C.H. partner institution for a bachelor’s degree and teacher certification.
Scholarship awards are dependent upon the availability of funds and priorities of funders. Other eligibility criteria may apply and are subject to change without notice. Director of Applied Studies and Instructor of Education Leigh Anne Kraemer-Naser shares, “We’re excited about this partnership with PACCA and the powerful impact it will have on our education programs at NPRC. These opportunities can significantly reduce or even eliminate out-of-pocket expenses for students, while strengthening our connections with early learning programs. Not only do these partners employ many of our current students, but they also create meaningful pathways for our graduates.”
Interested students or NPRC applicants can learn more on the PACCA website, where the T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship Application is also available. For additional support and questions related to this funding source, send our team members an email at educationprograms@rrcnpa.org.
NPRC acknowledges that the information contained in this content is complete and accurate at time of publication. It is descriptive in nature and the College reserves the right to make any adjustments it deems necessary or desirable. Updates to programs, tuition, or other academic-related items will be reflected in the online College Catalog or on the respective College web pages. Questions regarding accuracy of content may be emailed to marketing@rrcnpa.org.