Certification in Teacher Education
The CCSU teacher certification and pre-certification program is administered by the Department of Teacher Education in the School of Education and Professional Studies located in Barnard 277. Individuals who wish to become teachers in Connecticut's public schools are required by state law to be licensed (certified) by the State of Connecticut prior to employment.
Undergraduate students who complete their certification requirements along with their bachelor's degree are awarded financial aid as determined by their FAFSA filed with the Financial Aid Office. This aid is awarded according to eligibility and class status.
Post-baccalaureate students who are seeking certification, must be accepted into Graduate Studies but only on a non-degree status. The U.S. Department of Education requires that financial aid awarded must be the same as for a fifth-year undergraduate student. This means the student is eligible for Federal Direct Stafford Loans up to $12,500. The amount of the loans will be limited to the remaining balance of the aggregate not used by the student while an undergraduate. However, the student is eligible to apply for the Direct Graduate Plus Loan. The one-page application for the Plus Loan is available at www.ccsu.edu/finaid in the forms file.
Teach Grants are currently available only to students accepted and enrolled into the Graduate Studies Teacher Education MAT program which is a summer-to-summer program. It is a combination of certification and degree completion. Teach grants are automatically offered to MAT students for up to $4,000 each year for a maximum of $8,000. However, this grant may revert to becoming a Stafford Unsubsidized Loan if the student does not complete the requirements as setforth by the U.S. Department of Education. Contact the Teacher Education Office and the Financial Aid Office for details. The federal Teach Grant home website is at www.teach-ats.ed.gov.
The financial aid policies which apply for teacher certification also apply to any other certification program studies offered by CCSU.
