Education Questions and Answers
Advice on going back to school for teacher certification?
Question:I graduated with a BA in psychology nine years ago; since then I've been in retail management. I've decided I want to go back to school either to become certified to teach or to study library science, but I'm not sure what steps to take. Money is an issue, since I'm still paying $300 a month on my old college loans, and I'll still have to work full time. Any advice?
Answers:
Check out the job situation where you want to teach. My state publishes a map of the state and reports on what the status of different areas of teaching. You also may want to check out the requirements of substitute teaching in your area, some high need areas will grant an emergency sub license. That way you can get a feel for teaching.
In my urban district they are offering $4000/yr stipend for education towards spec. ed. certification in addition to a salary from the district. It is not the ideal way to get certified but it's a bargain.
Another thing, may be difficult since you have a degree, is the loan forgiveness program. If you sign on to teach in a high need area, your loan will be forgiven, something each year, for five years.
I had a degree in actuarial science(math) and after I got my certification in a post-bacc program and it was the best thing I ever did!
you can defer your past loans while you're in school and you can get more loans for this time around as long as you are current on your payments. also obviously check into grants and scholarships. congrats!
You dont have to go back to school to become a teacher. you just need to get certified as a teacher. all you need is a BA in something and you can become a teacher.
First step you should fill out a FAFSA to see if you qualify for some finicial aid to help you with school. Also, if you do go back to school you can call your loan provider and ask to have the loans you currently have deffered while you work on your next degree. Teaching has lots of options, you can attend just for a certification for high school or below, or you can work on a two year MA and be able to teach on the college level. If you take this route, you can usually work on your PhD while teaching at a university and there is a greater chance of getting tution reimbursment!
Going back to school is an awesome idea! I hope you do it, education on all levels is one of the nobelest professions!
Good Luck!
I did the same thing and don't regret it a bit! I went to Grad School and acquired my Certification. I got a loan with the Fed Govt and, as a teacher, you can do the loan forgiveness program when you finish school. Find out about it and, personally, even though everyone complains about the salary, the benefits are great and I can't think of anything more rewarding.
Depending on the type of loan you have, you can get a deferrment or forbearance when you go back to school. All you have to do is get in touch with your loan company and they may be able to offer you one of these options. THat way you may continue working, but not have to worry about your loan payment until you are done with your schooling. If you do go to school to become a certified teacher, try to get a Perkins loan, these are awesome for people going into education. After five years of service in an economically disadvantaged area, the government pays for it.
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