NYS Masters-in-Education Teacher Incentive Scholarship Program

The Masters-in-Education Teacher Incentive Scholarship Program provides eligible students with a full-tuition scholarship for a master's degree at a State University of New York (SUNY) or City University of New York (CUNY) college or university.

Masters In Education Teacher Incentive Scholarship
NYS DREAM Act MIE Applicants

Eligibility

An applicant must:

be a NYS resident and have resided in NYS for 12 continuous months prior to the beginning of the term;
be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen;
have received an undergraduate degree from a college/university located in NYS and have been a NYS resident while earning this degree;
have earned a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher upon completion of his or her undergraduate study;
be matriculated in an approved master’s degree in education program at a SUNY or CUNY college or university which leads to a certification as a public elementary or secondary education teacher;
be enrolled in such program on a full-time basis;
be in a non-default status on a student loan made under any NYS or federal education loan program or repayment of any NYS award;
be in compliance with the terms of any service condition imposed by a NYS award;
earn a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher each term of graduate study; and
execute a Service Contract agreeing to teach for five years in a classroom at a public elementary or secondary school, including charter schools, located in NYS. View the terms and conditions of the service contract.

Click here if you do not meet the above eligibility requirements.

Award Amount

A recipient receives an annual award equal to the annual full-time tuition charged to NYS resident students attending a graduate program at SUNY or CUNY. The award is $4,239 per semester or actual tuition, whichever is less.

Awards will be reduced by the amount of any other tuition-only assistance award received. Awards will be made under this program based on available funding. A recipient of an award under this program is not eligible for an award under the New York State Math and Science Teaching Incentive Program.

Note: Any award payment received may have tax implications. Any questions regarding this should be directed to a tax professional, the Internal Revenue Service, or the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance.

Duration

A recipient is entitled to a maximum of four semester payments, or its equivalent, for full-time graduate study leading to certification as an elementary or secondary classroom teacher.

How to Apply

NYS Masters-in-Education Teacher Incentive Scholarship Program

The deadline for the NYS Masters-in-Education Teacher Incentive Scholarship Program has passed.

Recipient Selection

Each year, first priority for awards is given to prior recipients. Second priority is given to new applicants, with up to 500 awards granted to new recipients annually.

Payment

Award recipients do not have to submit another NYS Masters-in-Education Teacher Incentive Scholarship Program Application. To receive payment, recipients must complete the Payment of State Grants, Scholarships and Awards Application each year. Awards will be paid directly to the schools on behalf of students upon the successful completion of each term.

Questions?

Please contact the Scholarship Unit at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions regarding this program.

Students newly applying for NYS financial aid under the provisions of the DREAM Act must first apply for eligibility under the NYS DREAM Act before applying for the Masters-in-Education Teacher Incentive Scholarship. If you have previously qualified under the NYS DREAM Act, you will simply need to update any prior year information that may have changed to apply for the Masters-in-Education Teacher Incentive Scholarship.

Apply

Eligibility

Your permanent home is in NYS and you are or have ONE of the following:
1. U-Visa
2. T-Visa
3. Temporary protected status, pursuant to the Federal Immigration Act of 1990
4. Without lawful immigration status (including those with DACA status)
5. AND you meet ONE of the following criteria:
  1. You attended a NYS high school for 2 or more years, graduated from a NYS high school, and are applying for an award for undergraduate study at a NYS college within five years of receiving your NYS high school diploma OR
  2. You attended a NYS high school for 2 or more years, graduated from a NYS high school, and are applying for an award for graduate study at a NYS college within ten years of receiving your NYS high school diploma OR
  3. You received a NYS high school equivalency diploma, and are applying for an award for undergraduate study at a NYS college within five years of receiving your NYS high school equivalency diploma OR
  4. You received a NYS high school equivalency diploma, and are applying for an award for graduate study at a NYS college within ten years of receiving your NYS high school equivalency diploma OR
  5. You did not attend or graduate from a NYS high school, did not receive a NYS high school equivalency diploma, but are charged the NYS resident in-State tuition rate at a SUNY or CUNY college for any reason
Your permanent home is outside of NYS and you are or have ONE of the following:
1. U.S. citizen
2. Permanent lawful resident
3. Of a class of refugees paroled by the attorney general under his or her parole authority pertaining to the admission of aliens to the U.S.
4. U-Visa
5. T-Visa
6. Temporary protected status, pursuant to the Federal Immigration Act of 1990
7. Without lawful immigration status (including those with DACA status)
8. AND you meet ONE of the following criteria:
  1. You attended a NYS high school for 2 or more years, graduated from a NYS high school, and are applying for an award for undergraduate study at a NYS college within five years of receiving your NYS high school diploma OR
  2. You attended a NYS high school for 2 or more years, graduated from a NYS high school, and are applying for an award for graduate study at a NYS college within ten years of receiving your NYS high school diploma OR
  3. You received a NYS high school equivalency diploma, and are applying for an award for undergraduate study at a NYS college within five years of receiving your NYS high school equivalency diploma OR
  4. You received a NYS high school equivalency diploma, and are applying for an award for graduate study at a NYS college within ten years of receiving your NYS high school equivalency diploma OR
  5. You did not attend or graduate from a NYS high school, did not receive a NYS high school equivalency diploma, but are charged the NYS resident in-State tuition rate at a SUNY or CUNY college for any reason

Note: A student seeking New York State financial aid, including TAP, for the first time, must pass a federally approved ATB test identified by the Board of Regents if the student does not possess a U.S. high school diploma or its recognized equivalent.

Award Amount

Duration

A recipient is entitled to a maximum of four semester payments, or its equivalent, for full-time graduate study leading to certification as an elementary or secondary classroom teacher.

How to Apply

If you are newly applying for NYS financial aid under the provisions of the DREAM Act, you must apply for eligibility under the NYS DREAM Act before applying for NYS Masters-in-Education Teacher Incentive Scholarship Program. If you have previously qualified under the NYS DREAM Act, you will simply need to add a new application to apply for NYS Masters-in-Education Teacher Incentive Scholarship Program. Find the link to the application here when the 2019-20 NYS Masters-in-Education Teacher Incentive Scholarship Program application becomes available.

Term Definitions

Temporary Protected Status (TPS): allows foreign nationals to remain in the U.S. if during the time they were in the U.S. something catastrophic happened in their country of origin preventing their safe return – for example war, famine, natural disaster, or epidemic. TPS allows people to work legally and be protected from deportation.
T-Visa: allows the granting of lawful status to noncitizen victims of human trafficking, as well as their immediate family members, who assist in the prosecution of the trafficking. It allows people to remain and work temporarily in the U.S.
U-Visa: allows for the granting of lawful status to noncitizen crime victims who suffered significant physical or mental abuse (and their immediate family members) who assist in the prosecution of the crime. It allows people to remain and work temporarily in the U.S.
Without Lawful Immigration Status: living in the U.S. unlawfully either because lawful status never existed (including those with DACA status) or has ended.