Student teachers across Pa. to receive $10K stipends

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More than 2,000 student teachers across Pennsylvania are set to receive $10,000 stipends. 

The stipends are the result of Gov. Josh Shapiro and legislators who secured double the amount of funding for the new PA Student Teacher Support Program in the 2024-25 bipartisan budget. The program is administered through the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) and looks to address the teacher shortage and fill gaps in staffing for education positions. 

“There is a real need to invest in our student teachers,” Shapiro said in a statement. “We saw how many people applied last year when these stipends became available for the first time — over 4,000 applications were submitted in just a few hours. 

“That’s why, in the bipartisan budget I signed this summer, we doubled the funding available for student teacher stipends in Pennsylvania. This is a commonsense investment to ensure student teachers are fairly compensated for their work, lowering barriers to pursuing a teaching career, and helping get more dedicated, qualified educators into our classrooms,” added Shapiro. 

The 2,000 student teacher stipend recipients come from 84 postsecondary institutions across Pennsylvania. The program offers eligible student teachers up to $15,000 in stipends, while cooperating teachers who guide student teachers are eligible for stipends of up to $2,500. Student teachers in return commit to teaching in Pennsylvania for at least three years following the completion of their certification, ensuring there are qualified educators in the schools. 

“The future of this commonwealth relies on the success of the next generation,” said PHEAA Board Chairman Sen. Wayne D. Fontana, D-Allegheny. “We need teachers to educate that generation. With the realization that there are obstacles to attracting qualified teachers to the field, it became only too clear that the Student Teacher Support Program was much needed.” 

The Pennsylvania Student Teacher Support Program provides financial support to students enrolled in a PA Department of Education approved teacher preparation program and who are completing their student teaching requirements. The program was created to meet the demand for educators and lessen student teachers’ financial burdens. 

“I am glad this funding is beginning to flow to student teachers, who for too long have had to work multiple jobs or take out additional loans to complete the mandatory 12-week student teaching experience in order to become a certified teacher,” said Senate Democratic Appropriations Chairman Sen. Vincent Hughes, D-Montgomery/Philadelphia, sponsor of the Senate version of the bill.