Masters in Education Teacher Incentive Scholarship

There are no income limits for this Scholarship.

Financial Status

To receive the Scholarship, you must:

• Be in good standing (a non-default status) on a student loan made under any NYS or federal education loan program or on the repayment of any NYS award, and
• Be in compliance with the terms of the service condition(s) imposed by any NYS award that you have previously received.

To receive the Scholarship, you must meet the following residency requirements: 

• You are a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen.
• You are a legal resident of New York State and have resided in New York State for 12 continuous months.

Not a legal resident of New York State? Learn more about the NYS DREAM Act application. 

High School, GED, or Ability to Benefit

• Graduated from high school in the United States, earned a high school equivalency diploma (GED), or passed a federally approved "Ability to Benefit" test.

College & Program

Once in college, you must meet the following requirements:

Undergraduate:

• Received an undergraduate degree from a college/university located in NYS and have been a NYS resident while earning this degree. Students in a joint bachelor/masters degree who do not earn an undergraduate degree before starting the graduate degree portion of the joint program will not be eligible for the scholarship.
• Earned a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher upon completion of your undergraduate study.

Graduate:

• Enrolled full-time in an approved master’s degree in education program at SUNY or CUNY that leads to a certification as a public elementary or secondary education teacher. A recipient may complete fewer credits than required for full-time study if he or she is in their last term and fewer credit hours are necessary to complete their degree program. 
• Earn a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher each term of graduate study.
• Study at an approved post-secondary institution in New York State.

• Recipients must agree to teach full-time for five years, regardless of the number or amount of award payments received, in a classroom at a public elementary or secondary school, including charter schools, located in NYS.
• Teaching must commence within two years of completion of your graduate degree program.
• If you fail to fulfill your service obligation as outlined in the Scholarship Contract, all award payments made on your behalf will convert to a 10-year student loan plus interest.  Interest rate for the life of the loan shall be fixed and equal to that set annually by the U.S. Department of Education for federal undergraduate Direct Stafford Unsubsidized Loans at the time the Service Contract is signed.

For more detailed information, please review the NYS Masters-in-Education Teacher Incentive Scholarship Program Service Contract

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, students with disabilities can take longer to complete their associate degree or bachelor’s degree if their disability requires them to attend less than full-time or if they need to pause their studies due to their disability.  

Learn more about your rights under the Americans with Disability Act of 1990.