The California State University (CSU) Office of the Chancellor announced the formation of a CSU Residency Year Service Scholarship Program to prepare K-12 teachers.

Funding for the statewide program is provided by a $3.1 million grant from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation. It will augment other sources of student financial aid, such as Pell Grants and Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) grants.

The scholarship will support candidates in residency programs. The CSU teacher residency program provides teacher candidates an apprenticeship co-teaching alongside an expert mentor teacher and constructive feedback of in-class instruction and interaction with students. Nationally recognized research from the Learning Policy Institute and National Center for Teacher Residencies found that high-quality residency program graduates enter their classroom with more effective skills, outperform teachers who do not participate in residency programs and have lower job turnover than other new teachers.

“These service scholarships will equip 300 aspiring teachers with the hands-on experience necessary to succeed on the first day of their teaching careers,” explained the CSU’s Assistant Vice Chancellor of Educator Preparation and Public School Programs Marquita Grenot-Scheyer, Ph.D. “The year-long experience in one classroom with one teacher, supported by the generous teaching grant, will provide necessary financial support, enabling candidates to focus on their students’ learning and sharpen their teaching skills.”

The residency program is scheduled to begin in fall 2019 and will allow the CSU to make service scholarships in the amount of $10,000 available to 300 dedicated teacher candidates.

“The S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation’s Education Program supports educators and helps align their preparation with innovative practices,” said S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation President Lauren B. Dachs. “Funding for this high-impact recruiting and retention program will ensure teacher candidates are prepared to work in high-needs districts teaching K-12 students in a meaningful and effective way.”

The CSU’s teacher preparation program is the largest in the state and among the largest in the nation, producing more than half of California’s new teachers.

To find out more about how CSU is preparing and supporting California’s future teachers and educators visit our website here.

About the California State University
The California State University is the largest system of four-year higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, 52,000 faculty and staff and 481,000 students. Half of the CSU’s students transfer from California community colleges. Created in 1960, the mission of the CSU is to provide high-quality, affordable education to meet the ever-changing needs of California. With its commitment to quality, opportunity, and student success, the CSU is renowned for superb teaching, innovative research and for producing job-ready graduates. Each year, the CSU awards more than 125,000 degrees. One in every 20 Americans holding a college degree is a graduate of the CSU and our alumni are 3.5 million strong. Connect with and learn more about the CSU in the CSU NewsCenter.