PSEA calls on elected leaders to fully fund student teacher stipends
More than $13 million in stipends have been paid to 1,302 student teachers in Pennsylvania as of Jan. 9, and another 839 student teachers are on track to receive stipends before the end of the 2024-25 school year through the new Student Teacher Support Program, according to data from the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA). The program provides $10,000 stipends to eligible aspiring educators while they perform their full-time student teaching experience and, in turn, agree to work as teachers at schools within Pennsylvania for at least three years.
According to PHEAA, stipends will be awarded to 2,141 student teachers during the 2024-25 school year — 1,225 in the fall semester and 916 in the spring. As of Jan. 9, 904 fall semester and 398 spring semester student teachers have received their stipends, while stipends were in process for another 321 student teachers in the fall and 518 in the spring.
PHEAA received more than 4,000 applications for student teacher stipends in the 2024-25 school year, but just over 2,100 student teachers are funded to receive one. Limited funding for the program will prevent hundreds of student teachers from accessing stipends this spring. PSEA estimates indicate that at least $50 million in funding is needed in 2025-26 to ensure every hardworking student teacher who is eligible for a stipend can receive one.
“PHEAA has done a remarkable job getting the program up and running, working in partnership with colleges and universities and the schools hosting our student teachers,” said PSEA President Aaron Chapin. “They know what PSEA has been saying all along: This program can change lives. As we look ahead to the second year of the program, we call on our elected leaders to fund student teacher stipends at least $50 million in the FY 2025-26 budget.”
Student PSEA Central Region president and Penn State University student Kaylin Shewmake was one of the fortunate aspiring educators to receive a stipend for her fall 2024 student teaching placement.
“I knew that student teaching full time was such a huge time commitment. I didn’t know how I was going to be able to fit in all that goes into student teaching — the lesson planning, prep work, and commuting back and forth — with a part-time job and all of the things that I love to do at college. It was a really massive weight lifted off my shoulders.”
Kaylin recently joined the PSEA officers on a “Duty Free Lunch” podcast episode to share her experience applying for and receiving the stipend and talks about program improvements she hopes to see in the future. Click the button below to listen to the full episode or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
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