Untitled Document

This section gives a brief overview of financial aid in North Carolina targeted for those who are currently working in a licensed child care program or who plan to major in early childhood education.

Presentation - Information about scholarships, grants, loans, loan forgiveness and tax credits are noted and the participant is given additional web sites that will provide more detailed information. This section should be considered a resource guide for financial aid allowing the participant to design her personal plan for securing financial aid to support her college education.
View the Presentation | Download the Presentation
To download, right click the download link and choose "Save Link as..."

Grants and Scholarships – All colleges and universities have a financial aid or financial assistance office. When asking for information about a program of study, ask also that a financial assistance packet be mailed to you. The financial aid office and the Academic program department office will know about the availability of many grants or scholarships.

Loans - Low interest loans may be another way to finance your education. They are often available through the educational institution, from local banks, or other lending institutions. Your school's financial aid office should be able to help you begin your search. North Carolina has an electronic resource called the College Foundation of North Caroline (www.cfnc.org) that can connect you with financial aid resources and set up an electronic file for your information.

T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Scholarships - The T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Project gives scholarships to child care workers to complete course work in early childhood education and to increase their compensation. In 1990, Child Care Services Association created the Teacher Education and Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H.) Early Childhood® Project to address the issues of under-education, poor compensation and high turnover within the early childhood workforce. All T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® scholarships link continuing education with increased compensation and require that recipients and their sponsoring child care programs share in the cost. To learn more go to: www.childcareservices.org/ps/teach.html or call 919-967-3272.

Child Care WAGE$® - The Child Care WAGE$® Project provides education-based salary supplements to low paid teachers, directors and family child care providers working with children between the ages of 0-5. The project is designed to provide preschool children more stable relationships with better educated teachers by rewarding teacher education and continuity of care. The Child Care WAGE$® Project is offered statewide in North Carolina as a funding collaboration between local Smart Start Partnerships and the Division of Child Development. Counties that use Smart Start funding to support the Child Care WAGE$® Project may participate. To learn more go to: http://www.childcareservices.org/ps/wage.html or call 919-967-3272

Federal and/or state tax credits (www.irs.gov) and loan forgiveness
programs (http://www.finaid.org/loans/forgiveness.phtml) are also
available.

Asking around
Various local or state organizations offer scholarships for people interested in getting degrees in early education. Contact the North Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children (NC-AEYC), your local child care resource and referral agency, or your local Smart Start office for leads on scholarships that might be available to you in your community.

North Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children - www.ncaeyc.org/ServicesPrograms/Scholarships/GeneralInfo.html
Financial Aid Home Page - www.finaid.org
Federal Student Aid - www.fafsa.ed.gov
National Student Loans - www.nslds.ed.gov
Scholarship Search - www.fastweb.com
Loans, Scholarships - www.salliemae.com
Financial Aid, Scholarships - www.collegeboard.com
US Dept. of Post Secondary Education - www.ed.gov/students/landing.jhtml