Frequently Asked Questions
TEACH Scholarship Recipient FAQ
CDA Assessment and Renewal, CDA Training (for college credit), Associate Degree, and Bachelor’s Degree applicants may submit an application at any time. All application materials (required attachments) must be included to be considered for a scholarship. Scholarship awards are communicated within 8-12 weeks of a completed application submission.
It is not advised that you register for courses before your acceptance into the scholarship and it could be financially risky to do so. If you begin courses and then are found ineligible for a scholarship or you are placed on a waiting list, you will need to fully cover the expenses. Be sure to complete each line of the application and employer verification form for prompt processing times.
CDA training, Associate Degree, and Bachelor Degree contracts are for one academic year. During that time, scholarship recipients must successfully complete at least 9 credit hours toward their credential or degree. TEACH will cover a maximum of 6 credits each semester. Therefore, recipients could potentially take a maximum of 18 credit hours each year on their TEACH contract. After successful completion of a contract, some recipients are eligible for a bonus dependent on their scholarship type, and all recipients will begin their commitment period.
No. As long as you have successfully completed your contract, your sponsor is willing to continue sponsoring you (if applicable), and you have notified your Program Specialist that you would like to renew your contract by the renewal deadline we will issue a new contract for the following year. If you change scholarship options, or do not take classes for two semesters in a row, we will ask you to re-apply for the scholarship. Scholarship program funding restrictions or reductions may impact renewal of your scholarship contract. If you chose to leave your employer prior to the end of your committment time, or during the contract, you will not be eligible for this or future scholarships.
Yes, we still need to verify your employment setting and therefore your administrator or supervisor is required to complete the Employer Verification Form as part of your application.
No, your application will not be reviewed without all required attachments accompanying it. For the list of required attachments specific to the scholarship type you are applying for, please see the first page of our application.
Currently, we utilize your personal income in order to determine your eligibility. We require that you disclose your household income on your application to determine eligibility if our scholarship were to become competitive due to a decrease in funding.
Sponsorship is required for many of our scholarship options. CDA Assessment applicants, Building Foundations applicants, home-based providers and program owners may sponsor themselves. Some applicants working in a setting that prohibits participation may apply for a stipend-based scholarship models with appropriate documentation.
Your sponsor must be your current employer. Sponsors must have an active license with Michigan Child Day Care Licensing. The individual signing your Employer Verification Form and contract as your sponsor must be designated as someone who can make financial decisions for the organization. We require a W9 to be completed by any employer that sponsors a recipient. Please note: If your employer's child care license is at the Second (2nd) Provisional Level, they will not be eligible to sponosor you until the license becomes a regular status.
Once you are accepted for a scholarship, you must sign and return your scholarship contract (with employer signature if required) and Personal Responsibility Agreement. Each semester prior to registering for your course(s), you must contact your assigned Program Specialist to send them your class schedule and tuition statement. Pleaes note, Program Specialists will not be able to send a Charge Approval to your college or university without your course schedule. Once classes are confirmed, submit your sub reimbursement time or release time form if eligible. At the end of every semester, you must submit your grade report from the college or university to your assigned Program Specialist. During your last semester on contract you must notify your Program Specialist if you would like a contract renewal or if you are no longer continuing or have graduated by the requested deadline. At the completion of your contract, you must submit an Information Update Form (Form U) and a copy of your most recent paystub. After successful contract completion, you are to to remain employed by your sponsoring employer for one (1) year.
Formerly called a Travel Stipend, the Student Access Stipend is awarded at the time of tuition processing each semester, typically after the 100% drop date at colleges or universities. The $100 stipend will be paid to the recipient, if eligible. The stipend is designed to provide greater access to students to participate and enroll in courses.
At the time of scholarship acceptance, their program's Quality Improvement Rating is verificed throught the Great Start to Quality Improvement Rating system. See www.greatstarttoquality.org for more information on this rating and improvement system. Recipients working in a program that is rated at Developing Quality or higher are eligible for a $150 Quality Improvement Stipend.
The Student Access Stipend and Quality Improvement Stipend (if eligible) is awarded at the time of tuition processing each semester classes are taken. You will receive a check from Michigan AEYC for the full amount each semster unless you have an outstanding balance. Payments of these stipends can take up to 12 weeks from the end of the month in which it was processed.
For most scholarship options, TEACH will cover 100% of tuition of up top six (6) credits and fees, and $150 towards books for each semester. Any remaining balance on the recipient’s student financial account at their college or university is the responsibility of the recipient. Any questions, please reach out to your Program Specialist.
Once we receive all required documentation, our payment processing time is typically 8-12 weeks from the end of the month it was requested in.
In order to receive your bonus for completing a CDA Assessment scholarship, you must submit a copy of your CDA Credential to the TEACH office once you receive it. You can submit it by e-mail to teach@nullmiaeyc.org, or by mail.
TEACH Scholarship Sponsor FAQ
By sponsoring an employee on a T.E.A.C.H. scholarship, your program will benefit by gaining staff who are knowledgeable about appropriate early childhood practices, cost-effective staff professional development, reducing staff turnover, gaining an advertising tool, and increasing your Great Start to Quality Star Rating. Children in your program will benefit by forming relationships with teachers who are committed to the field, and having teachers who are specialists in early childhood development and sensitive to young children’s needs.
To sponsor an employee, select the scholarship you wish to sponsor them on their application, submit your program information and signature on the Employer Verification Form portion of the scholarship application. You will agree to award a raise or bonus upon completion of the scholarship contract. You will also agree to provide paid release time up to 3 hours per week to eligible employees.
As a sponsoring employer, your only financial obligation is to provide the raise or bonus to the recipient upon the completion of their contract. There is no requirement for employers to make any payments directly to Michigan AEYC.
As a plus, if the employer has a Quality Improvement Rating that is Developing Quality or higher, the employer will be recieving a $150 stipend per scholarship recipient per semester they take courses. The employer's Rating level is determined at scholarship acceptance and contract renewal. You can check your rating at www.greatstarttoquality.org.
An essential component of most TEACH Early Childhood® scholarships is paid release time. Because most TEACH scholarship recipients work full time and often have children or families of their own, paid release time helps them balance the responsibilities of going to school with their work and family obligations. Paid release time is only for employees working 30 or more hours each week and eligibility is determined at the time of scholarship acceptance. Employees requiring release time during their regularly scheduled work hours are eligible for up to 3 hours of release time each week their classes meet and should be paid for that time at their regular rate by their employer. TEACH will reimburse the employer for 3 hours each week of the semester at a rate of $11.00 per hour once the hours taken have been verified by the employee and employer.
As a sponsor or potential sponsor, you may recognize the importance of paid release time, but you also may be challenged with how to balance this requirement with your need for full staffing in your programs. Below are some creative solutions that can help with the struggle of providing paid release time and increase the likelihood that your teachers are successful in school.
Offer release time during rest time so scholarship recipients can study or use the center’s computer for papers and class projects.
Schedule release time at a time when teacher:child ratios go down. Scholarship recipients can leave work early with pay and, if necessary, other qualified staff can substitute.
Allow scholarship recipients to come in late or leave early while receiving usual pay.
Pay scholarship recipients for their lunch breaks. But remember, recipients cannot work over 40 hours without overtime pay.
Hire a substitute to specifically cover TEACH recipients’ leave time. This usually works best for centers that sponsor several employees.
Bank leave time and give scholarship recipients a whole day off before a major test, or give them half days off so it is easier to bring in a substitute.
Use release time reimbursements to help with other TEACH related costs. Center reimbursements can be used to help pay for a compensation raise or bonus
Remember: Sponsors have complete flexibility for how release time is managed within their early childhood setting. But under no circumstances should providing release time be done at the detriment of maintaining appropriate teacher:child ratios. Don’t forget you can always contact your Michigan AEYC Program Specialist to discuss release time strategies. Your program may qualify for a Release Time waiver if the scholarship recipient has voluntarily waived their right to release time.
For Associate and Bachelor degree scholarships, sponsors provide the recipient with a 2% raise or a bonus amount dependent on scholarship type upon.
Michigan AEYC requires a completed W9 for each employer that sponsors TEACH Scholarship recipient. This is to comply with federal accounting regulations.
For each license or child care site, employers can sponsor an unlimited number of staff for Associate or Bachelor degree scholarship recipients.
At the time of scholarship acceptance, their program's Quality Improvement Rating is verificed throught the Great Start to Quality Improvement Rating system. See www.greatstarttoquality.org for more information on this rating and improvement system. Employers sponsoring recipients working in a program that is rated at Developing Quality or higher are eligible each semester a recipient takes classes for a $150 Quality Improvement Stipend.
The checks will be mailed to the information provided on the required W9. Without the W9 you will not be eligible for this stipend.