The field of early childhood education is in crisis, and the Community College System of NH and 冰球突破豪华版试玩 is working to solve it.
与国土安全部合作, UNH-College of Professional Studies, 基恩州立大学, and the Community College System of New Hampshire, 冰球突破豪华版试玩 students have access to a trio of grants that will offset educational expenses as students complete ECE certificates and degrees.
As a constellation of options, the grants will support and transform the field across the state. Students already working in the field could complete an early childhood education certificate “pretty much for free,詹尼弗·甘尼-史密斯说, Great Bay’s Early Childhood Education program coordinator and professor. “And they could get a significant amount of their associate degree for free as well.”
The grants are designed to support the field during a time of acute need.
“There is a desperate need for ECE teachers. Covid decimated the field,盖尼-史密斯说. “People do not go into early childhood education to make a lot of money; they pursue this field because they are passionate about working with children and want to make a difference in the lives of young children and families. We want to help support early childhood education students who are entering the field and those that are already part of the workforce to earn certificates or degrees without incurring the cost of going to college or having to go into debt. If anyone feels inhibited about the cost of going to college, this really opens the door. We are hoping this will boost interest and remove barriers for the new generation of educators and the current workforce that wants to further their careers.”
The grants are available now and will be available each academic semester in 2024. They are designed to attract people new to the field and those currently employed who want to improve their skills and bolster their credentials.
The Early Childhood 学费 Assistant Grant offers tuition assistance for one course per term to people working in New Hampshire-licensed child care or New Hampshire licensed out-of-school time programs. Depending on the classes, the grant will pay 100 percent of tuition costs.
Through funding from the Bureau of Childhood Development and Head Start Collaboration, the Granite Steps for Quality grant supports 100 percent of the cost of tuition for up to three courses per term. This grant was developed to support students linked to ECE and out-of-school time as well as paraprofessionals working in NH elementary schools. The GSQ grant provides tuition for ECE, Educator Prep, and Human Services-related course work.
“This one is game changer,盖尼-史密斯说. “它会打开很多扇门. It pays for three courses at 100 percent of tuition, and it’s not limited to early childhood but also educator prep, 以及人类服务. The Early Childhood Assistance Grant is specific to early-childhood education, 但是这个打开了它.”
The Community College System of New Hampshire ECE GAP Scholarship complements the other grants by supporting related costs for students living or working in New Hampshire who are connected to one of the system’s ECE certificate or degree programs. “This scholarship pays the fees and the books for the other classes they can get free,盖尼-史密斯说.
Applications and information are 网上, and students can apply for all three grants through a single application. “CCSNH is making it as streamlined and easy for people as possible,盖尼-史密斯说. “We are hoping this attracts people who want to enter the field, and I am also hoping we attract people who are working in the field and want to go back to school to learn more. Now they have opportunity to do that without incurring the costs.”
