Teacher fellowship

Financial Overview

Teacher Fellowship Financial Overview

Whether you pursue the Certification-Only track or the Master’s Degree + Certification track, it’s important to understand the financial aspects of your teacher fellowship journey. Each pathway comes with its own set of costs and supports, including tuition, testing fees, and other program expenses. The Educator Academy provides a variety of financial supports to make the fellowship year possible, such as access to federal aid, scholarships, and grants. Many of our school partners also offer higher pay for teachers who hold advanced degrees, creating clear long-term earning potential for those pursuing the master’s track. Below, you’ll find a detailed overview of costs and supports for both pathways.

teacher fellowship

Financial Aspects of the Certification Only Track

The Educator Academy is a financially competitive option for receiving your teaching certification. Too often, finances keep well-qualified individuals from joining education, so we work to make the financial components of our teacher training program as reasonable as we can.

Financial Supports

Salary & Benefits: Fellows are full-time employees of the school district or charter school where they teach. As such, they receive compensation and benefits from that organization. The specifics of salary and benefits vary by site.

The EA is offering additional financial incentives for fellows joining The Educator Academy in 2026, including:

Sign-on and Stay-on Bonuses: Earn $1,500 total ($200 when you sign on + $1,300 when you stay on).
Relocation Assistance: Moving to Kansas City to join us? We’ll support with your moving costs, travel expenses for Selection Day, and more!

Costs of Program

Certification Tuition: Fellows are expected to pay tuition for their certification coursework. Tuition is $8,000 for the Fellows year. However, all school partners provide some financial assistance and support. This will be a combination of (1) compensation during summer coursework, (2) covering the entire cost of certification coursework in exchange for an extended employment agreement, or (3) structuring payment arrangements to make paying tuition easier.

Certification Cost: Fellows are responsible for a background check and the cost of certification tests. Costs vary depending on the content area of certification and the number of testing attempts. Assistance with certification costs may be available.

Teacher fellowship

Financial Aspects of the Master’s Degree + Certification Track

The Fellowship Program provides you with the opportunity to pursue a Master’s degree. Fellows on this track pay for tuition through the University of Missouri-Kansas City for the master’s degree and are therefore eligible for federal student aid, scholarships, and grants. The Master’s Degree + Certification track gives access to additional education and development, particularly in the second year, along with access to higher earning potential at many of our partners, who have a graduated pay scale for teachers who hold a Master’s. This pathway comes with additional benefits and costs, outlined below.

Financial Supports

The EA is offering additional financial incentives for fellows joining The Educator Academy in 2026, including:

Sign-on and Stay-on Bonuses: Earn $1,500 total ($200 when you sign on + $1,300 when you stay on).
Relocation Assistance: Moving to Kansas City to join us? We’ll support with your moving costs, travel expenses for Selection Day, and more!

Other Benefits: The EA provides textbooks for all residents during the residency year.

TEACH Grant: This is an optional grant managed by the Federal Government that many residents choose to pursue to help cover the cost of their tuition, providing grants of up to $4,000 a year. The requirements for the TEACH grant are separate from and beyond the EA commitment.

Higher Earning Potential: Many of our school partners have a salary schedule that includes higher wages for individuals with an advanced degree. Teachers who have an advanced degree can make more over the life of their career.

Costs of Program

UMKC Tuition: Program participants who pursue a Master’s complete their Master of Arts in Teaching through our partnership with the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC). This program consists of 36 credit hours completed over 6 semesters. The tuition rate is set by the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC) and may vary depending on state residency. For year 2 of the master’s program, individuals must purchase any needed textbooks.

Certification Costs: Fellows are responsible for a background check and the cost of certification tests. Costs vary depending on the content area of certification and the number of testing attempts. Assistance with certification costs may be available.

Financial FAQs

Do I still receive my salary and benefits from my school?

Yes, fellows remain full-time employees of the school district or charter school where you teach while participating in the program. As such, you receive compensation and benefits from that organization. The specifics of salary and benefits vary by site.

What are the matriculation and testing costs for?

This includes the cost to take the PRAXIS certification exam, background checks that are required, as well as ordering all official transcripts.

What is the certification tuition?

Fellows are expected to pay tuition to The Educator Academy for their certification coursework. Tuition is $8,000 for the fellows year. **However, all school partners provide some financial assistance and support. This could be one or a combination of the following: (1) compensation during summer coursework, (2) covering the entire cost of certification coursework in exchange for an extended employment agreement, or (3) structuring payment arrangements to make paying tuition easier.

What is the TEACH grant?

The TEACH Grant Program is a federal program that provides grants of up to $4,000 a year to students who are completing or plan to complete coursework needed to begin a career in teaching and are committed to teaching for at least four years after receiving the grant. This grant can be used toward tuition or student loans. Participants pursuing the Master’s degree would be eligible for this grant. Many participants choose to utilize the TEACH grant, but this grant program is not facilitated by The Educator Academy. You can find more details at: studentaid.gov/teach-grant-program.

How do I figure out what my tuition rate will be for the Master’s degree?

If you are choosing the Certification + Master’s track, you will have additional tuition fees due to UMKC. Tuition rates for the Master’s degree through UMKC vary depending on where you live. There are 36 credit hours in the Master of Arts in Teaching. The tuition rates per credit hour are listed on UMKC’s Cashiers Page (umkc.edu/cashiers/tuition-fees) and are as follows.

Missouri resident and Graduate Metro Rate: $512.40 (Atchison, Douglas, Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami, Osage, Shawnee and Wyandotte Counties)
Midwest Student Exchange Program: $768.60 (Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin)
Nonresident: $1,286.25
In addition to the tuition due, you can expect additional fees to be included each semester.

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