Scholarships and Tuition Assistance

The School of Education offers a number of scholarship opportunities to its students. All applications for departmental scholarships must be completed through the Cougar Scholarship Awarding System (CSAS). While we've listed some of our scholarships below, you can find a complete list of all scholarships on the CSAS website. 

Scholarships are available for both undergraduate and graduate students.

Alexander Family Scholarship

David and Ashley Alexander graduated from the College in 1994; David majored in urban studies and Ashley majored in elementary education. Education is very important to the Alexander family, and they have chosen to create a scholarship which will support students who want to serve their communities by teaching. Applicants for this scholarship must be majoring in elementary education or early childhood education in the School of Education. 

Aline Smith Bulwinkle Memorial Award

This scholarship was established in loving memory of Aline Bulwinkle, class of 1939, by her husband, John, class of 1937, to recognize an outstanding graduate student majoring in Early Childhood Education. When evaluating applications for this scholarship, a student’s academic performance, work experience in the field, and community and College activities will be considered.

Bank of America Endowed Scholarship

This scholarship was established to recruit and retain full time students at the College of Charleston intending to enter the teaching profession. Applicants are evaluated based upon academic merit, with preference to those with financial need.

Constantina P. Padgett Education Scholarship 

Constantina P. Padgett Education Scholarship will provide scholarships for SC students who demonstrate financial need and who have declared a major in teacher education after their sophomore year. Preference will be given to students from underserved populations with particular preference for male students who intend to be classroom teachers for students in kindergarten through 5th grade. Tina Padgett ‘78 earned her bachelor’s degree from the College of Charleston in Education and completed postgraduate education earning 30 hours above her master’s degree in Education. She recently retired after a 30-year career from teaching Physical Education in Dorchester School District Two and Berkeley County School District.

Dorie and George Spaulding Endowed Scholarship 

The Dorie and George Spaulding Endowed Scholarship is awarded to a student who demonstrates care and compassion for others; i.e. volunteer work that is not required. Candidates must have previous employment experience and submit an essay that describes their financial need for the scholarship and both their personal long and short-term goals. GPA and class standing will be considered. 

Dr. Monica Janas Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship was established in 2007 by former students, alumni, colleagues, and family of Dr. Janas in her honor to benefit full time students majoring in teacher education. Candidates must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. When evaluating applicants for this award, the selection committee will consider academic merit, financial need, and potential as a teacher. Strong preference will be given to students who are pursuing careers in Special Education and who are the first in their family to attend college.

Elizabeth R. Reid Memorial Scholarship 

Elizabeth "Beth" R. Reid was born in Winnsboro, SC, and was a scholar and accomplished athlete who earned a degree in Physical Education from the College of Charleston, where she also played on the women's basketball team. She served dutifully and passionately as a teacher, coach, and guidance counselor at Great Falls High School. She returned to her native Winnsboro as a guidance counselor and later Head of School at Richard Winn Academy. Beth also served as the director of Elementary and Middle School Education at the South Carolina Virtual Charter School. She believed in and fought for education for all and made this the central theme of her life. She met her husband Hubert M. Rentz while both were teachers at Great Falls High School, and Mr. Rentz has established this scholarship to honor his wife's legacy. Requirements for this scholarship include: the recipient must be a South Carolina resident; must be a rising sophomore, junior, or senior, and must have a minimum 3.0 GPA. Preferences include a Fairfield County resident, followed in preference for a Chester Country or Newberry Country resident; undergraduate or graduate degree students majoring in teacher education; student athletes or students who participate in intramural activities, and ROTC or veteran students.

Fran Welch Teacher Education Endowed Scholarship 

Kathy and Steve Parks established this scholarship in honor of Frances C. Welch, Dean of the School of Education. The purpose of this scholarship is to provide scholarships to minority students majoring in Teacher Education within the School of Education. Requirements for this scholarship include: the recipient must be a resident of South Carolina; the recipient is an active participant in the Call Me MISTER (Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models) Program; the recipient is an early childhood, elementary, middle grade, special education, or physical education major; the recipient maintains a 2.8 GPA. This scholarship is renewable for the recipient as long as the requirements above are maintained.

Goizueta Foundation Scholars Endowment

This scholarship was established in 2001 by the Goizueta Foundation to provide need-based scholarship assistance to two full time teacher education candidates in the School of Education. When evaluating applicants for this award, the selection committee will consider academic merit, financial need, community service and/or volunteer activities and a commitment to teach Spanish-speaking students. Candidates must have a minimum GPA of 3.0. 

In addition to the standard information and documents required in the application, applicants for these scholarships must submit proof of Spanish speaking proficiency as evidenced by passing a Spanish Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI), conducted by a certified instructor, at a minimum of intermediate low level (results submitted with application). Applicants must also certify they have passed the Praxis 1 exam and submit two recommendations from a teacher, counselor, or employer (if entering freshman, one recommendation must be from his/her Spanish teacher). 

Henry and Sylvia Yaschik Endowed Scholarship Fund

The Yaschiks have contributed generously to the College for many years, with the Henry and Sylvia Yaschik Foundation now carrying on their generous legacy upon their deaths. The purpose of the Henry and Sylvia Yaschik Endowed Scholarship Fund is to improve the achievement of minority PreK-8 students in SC by providing financial assistance and support to minority PreK-8 teacher education candidates. Candidates must be MAT students in early childhood, elementary, middle grades, or special education, who demonstrate a financial need and are committed to teaching in SC. Preference will be given to African-American or Hispanic male students.

Higdon Teacher Education Scholarship

This scholarship was established by Lee and Ann Higdon, who served as the President and First Lady of the College of Charleston from 2001-2006. Graduate students pursuing an M.A.T. degree are eligible for this scholarship, with preference given to members of an under-represented ethnic group, with a strong preference given to a male student. When evaluating applicants for this award, the scholarship committee will consider academic merit and related extracurricular activities.

Inspiring Teachers Scholarship

Established by Steve and Emily Swanson, this scholarship was established to provide scholarships to minority students majoring in Teacher Education within the School of Education based on the following criteria: student demonstrates financial need, student must maintain an overall GPA of 2.75 or higher, student has completed or is currently enrolled in the course: EDFS 201 Foundation in Education Preferences. Students who demonstrate the following attributes will be given preference: student is a resident of South Carolina; student is African American or Hispanic

Jean Sokol Rosner Scholarship

This scholarship was established by Penelope (Penny) Smoak Rosner in memory of her mother-in-law, Jean Sokol Rosner. Jean Sokol Rosner earned her B.S. in Elementary Education and her Master's Degree in Education. She taught kindergarten for more than 30 years in the Charleston County School system. The recipient of this scholarship will be a junior who is majoring in education and who is a resident of South Carolina.

Jeremy Warren Vann Memorial Scholarship 

The Jeremy Warren Vann Scholarship was established in memory of Jeremy Vann who graduated from the College in 1997 with a major in religious studies. Jeremy was working towards earning his master's in teaching with the hope of reaching children in disadvantaged areas when he died in a car accident in October of 1998. This special gift celebrates Jeremy's commitment to teaching, his joy in helping others and his love for the College of Charleston.

Scholarships will be awarded to education majors completing their clinical internships during the academic year. Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible for the scholarships, and the award amount will vary based upon their tuition. Consideration will be given to an applicant’s academic record and financial need.

Lucy Garrett Beckham Memorial Endowed/Annual Scholarship

The Lucy Garrett Beckham Memorial Endowed/Annual Scholarship was established in honor of Lucy Garrett Beckham, a long-time educator. This scholarship is awarded to a College of Charleston freshman who has graduated from Wando High School and will pursue a degree in teacher education. This scholarship is not available for current CofC students, and the recipient selection is conducted by a committee at Wando High School.

Marie LePrince Farmer Annual Scholarship 

Renee Black established the Marie LePrince Farmer Annual Scholarship in memory of her paternal grandmother, Marie LePrince Farmer. Requirements for this scholarship include: minority students majoring in Teacher Education within the School of Education; and preferences include: student is an active participant in the Call Me MISTER (Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models) Program; student demonstrates financial need; student is African American or Hispanic; student must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Mary A. Lee Endowed Fellowship in Special Education 

This fellowship covers tuition expenses for a graduate student majoring in Special Education.

Mary Ellen Hartnett Sottile Scholarship 

This scholarship, in honor of Mary Ellen Hartnett Sottile, the grandmother of Mary Ellen Long Way and Joyce Long Darby, provides support to persons who are committed to teaching. Recipients are either those who desire to become teachers by completing the Master of Arts in Teaching degree or current teachers who are seeking a Master in Education. Financial need will be considered.

Matthew Scott Ciganovic Endowed Memorial Scholarship 

The Matthew Scott Ciganovic Memorial Scholarship is given in loving memory of Matthew, who died at the age of 13, to recognize a clinical practice intern who demonstrates a commitment and ability to teach children with special learning challenges. When evaluating applicants for this award, the selection committee will consider academic merit, financial need, and volunteer activities working with children with special needs, commitment to working with children with different learning abilities, and personal experiences with children as related to the scholarship goals.

Undergraduate or graduate students majoring in Special Education are eligible for this scholarship during the semester of their clinical internship.

O.M. & Bertie H. Edwards Endowed Annual Scholarship

The scholarship has been created in honor and memory of Dr. Edwards' parents, O.M. and Bertie H. Edwards, who together taught primary and secondary school for a total of 99 years. The purpose of this gift is to create a scholarship based on the following preferences: undergraduate or graduate students pursuing a career in teaching, demonstrated financial need, residents of the State of South Carolina, and attainment of GPA requirements in the recipient's chosen major.

N. Edgar Miles Scholarship Fund

This scholarship was created in 1995 by Dr. Nathan E. Miles to be awarded to undergraduate students majoring in Elementary or Early Childhood Education who have completed at least one early childhood or elementary education course. Candidates must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5. When evaluating applications for this scholarship, a student’s capability in effectively working with young children, commitment to working in early childhood education and financial need will be considered.

National Society of Colonial Dames of America SC Teaching of History Scholarship Award 

The organization seeks to encourage teaching that includes and focuses on the principles of patriotism and individual freedom and liberty, not from the perspective of any political viewpoint, but from a broad perspective of the liberal arts. NSCDA-SC hopes to inspire students to learn more about the principles of our country’s early history and ways that these principles carry history into the 21st century and beyond. Applicants for this scholarship must be an elementary education or middle grades teacher education major; must have senior class status in the upcoming scholarship year; 2 letters of recommendation; be passionate about American and SC history; demonstrated commitment to teaching; Social Studies must be one of the content areas for middle grades majors.

Rebecca K. Clayton Scholarship in Education

This scholarship was created by Rebecca K. Clayton, class of 1944, who devoted her life to teaching special education and established the scholarship in recognition of the importance of preparing students as special educators. The scholarship was created to assist future teachers majoring in education who have demonstrated academic achievement, dedication to their future field and financial need. Rising junior or senior undergraduate or graduate students majoring in education are eligible for this scholarship.

Representative Floyd Breeland Endowed Scholarship

The Representative Floyd Breeland was established in 2014 and will be awarded to a minority teacher education candidate. The recipient will be an African American male who has met the admission and retention requirements for Teacher Education. Two recommendations are required and the selection committee will consider financial need when selecting the recipient.

Sharon Stella Holbert Memorial Scholarship 

This scholarship was established in 1993 in memory of Sharon Stella Holbert, ’94, by her family and friends to help fulfill Sharon’s dream. Juniors and seniors majoring in Early Childhood or Elementary Education are eligible for this scholarship. When evaluating applications for this scholarship, a student’s academic merit, extracurricular activities and work accomplished towards the major will be considered. First preference for this scholarship will be given to former students from Northwestern High School, Rock Hill, SC. Second preference shall be given to students from York County, South Carolina. It will be considered a plus, but not a requirement, for the recipient to be a member of the Chi Omega sorority. Students who do not meet these specific criteria are eligible to apply.

Teach Local

The Teach Local Program at the College of Charleston is supported by Mark and Judy Buono. Teach Local is a partnership with Charleston County School District (CCSD), Trident Technical College (TTC), and the College of Charleston designed to address the teacher shortage and to diversify the teaching force in CCSD. Teach Local Academy students will work to obtain their associates degree from TTC at the same time they receive a high school diploma. The first cohort began as sophomores at CCSD's Early College High School (ECHS) in Fall 2018.  The CofC Educator Preparation Program (EPP) will accept qualifying undergraduate students who graduated from ECHS and have completed transferable undergraduate credits from TTC. CofC annual tuition (not including fees, meals, and housing) will be $10,000 for Teach Local participants.

Thompson Johnson Scholarship for Teacher Education 

Victoria Thompson ’15 majored in teacher education at the College of Charleston and began her career as a math and science teacher at Cane Bay Middle School in Summerville, S.C. During that time, she completed her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Western Governors University. In 2019, she and her then fiancé (now wife) Kourtney Johnson relocated to the Seattle area. Victoria worked as an educational strategy consultant and now balances working for Microsoft with teaching math for Annie Wright Schools, an internationally recognized independent preK-12 school in Tacoma, WA. Kourtney Johnson is a member of the United States Air Force, who is soon to transition into a career in nurse anesthesiology. They are elated to help the College of Charleston community and create a scholarship for the School of Education. Recipient of this scholarship must be a teacher education major; a rising senior planning to complete clinical practice internship during the academic year; minimum 3.0 GPA; demonstrated financial need; student of color; and an employed student which necessitates the need for a scholarship to help cover a semester away from work to complete the internship.

Viscidi Family Scholarship Fund 

Phyllis and Philip Viscidi, whose son Zachary graduated from the College of Charleston in 2010 with a major in middle grades education, created the Viscidi Family Scholarship Fund in honor of Dean Frances C. Welch, School of Education. Zachary, a teacher in the Charleston Promise Neighborhood, inspired his parents to establish the scholarship to assist students who demonstrate financial need in pursuing their educational dreams. This scholarship aims to provide opportunity to a student who otherwise would not have the resources to attend college. South Carolina residents majoring in teacher education are eligible for this scholarship, provided they have demonstrated financial need and academic merit.

William and James Mulvaney Family Scholarship

The Dr. William P. and James F. Mulvaney family from the Cincinnati, OH, area believes in philanthropy and supporting education. They have established this fund in memory of Dr. William P. Mulvaney and to honor their family's passion for supporting the teaching profession. As well, the Mulvaney family has a deep appreciation for the College of Charleston, the School of Education, and the City of Charleston. Scholarship requirements include that the applicant must be a declared education major; minimum 3.0 GPA; preference to minority male undergraduates majoring in middle school education, a Charleston resident, and students with need.

Tuition Assistance Programs include more than just scholarship opportunities. Through these programs you can build your skills and become a part of a supportive community. Each program has specific application requirements and students who are accepted into these programs must meet certain benchmarks. 

Call Me MISTER 

A teacher recruitment program historically designed to address the critical shortage of African American male teachers, Call Me MISTER supports undergraduate education majors and graduate students who are in a Master of Arts in Teaching program.

Eligibility

• Open to incoming and current College of Charleston education majors
• Preference given to incoming freshmen

Support

• Up to $10,000 per year of tuition assistance
• An academic support system to help assure your success
• A cohort system for social and cultural support
• Leadership development opportunities
• Job placement support

APPLY

About Call Me MISTER

Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models (MISTER)

Call Me MISTER aims to increase the number of teachers from a broader and more diverse background, particularly in the state's lowest-performing elementary schools. Student participants are largely selected from under-served, socio-economically disadvantaged, and educationally at-risk communities.

The program initially debuted at Clemson University, which continues to administer the program at the state level. Since launching the program in 2007, the College of Charleston's MISTER cohort has become the largest in South Carolina.

Read about one student's experience with the Call Me MISTER program. 

REQUEST A GROUP TOUR | RFB SCHOLARSHIP | STUDENT VISION STATEMENT | IN THE NEWS

Questions? Email aljames@cofc.edu for more information.

Crossing the Cistern 

In need of momentum to help boost your academic standing? Then Crossing the Cistern is for you! You'll get academic advising, professional mentoring, interaction with peers, special activities, a scholarship, and more—all designed to help get you closer to walking across the cistern, a College of Charleston graduation tradition. This is a one-year program with the opportunity to renew participation.

Eligibility 

• Current College of Charleston sophomore or junior
• Majoring in a program in the School of Education
• GPA below 2.75 (Teacher Education)
• One-year commitment

Support

• Up to $500/year in scholarship support is available for each CTC student.
• Additional funding is available to support programming and experiential learning initiatives.

APPLY

Questions? Email aljames@cofc.edu for more information.

Teaching Fellows Program

The Teaching Fellows Program provides you with a $24,000 scholarship/loan. The scholarship is distributed over four years and provides $5,700 towards your tuition and $300 for summer enrichment programs each year. You are required to teach in a South Carolina public school for one year for each year in which you receive the scholarship.

Application Requirements 

• United States citizen
• Legal resident of South Carolina
• Current high school senior

Two-phase Application Process 

Phase 1

You must complete an application, which is available on the South Carolina Teaching Fellows website. In addition, you must submit an official transcript and three letters of reference, which must be written on the official CERRA forms.

Phase 2

You will be notified in January if you've been chosen to attend a regional interview. The interview, which will be conducted in the spring, assesses communication skills, commitment and knowledge of the teaching field. You're also required to complete a 30-minute written response to an education-based prompt.

The interviews and essays are then scored, and applicants with the highest composite score will be notified of their Teaching Fellows award.

Federal TEACH Grant Program

Through the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, Congress created the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program that provides grants of up to $4,000 per year (currently $3,736 because of sequestration) to students who intend to teach in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves students from low-income families. 

In exchange for receiving a TEACH Grant, you must agree to serve as a full-time teacher in a high-need field in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves low-income students. As a recipient of a TEACH Grant, you must teach for at least four academic years within eight calendar years of completing the program of study for which you received a TEACH Grant.

To learn more about the TEACH Grant Program eligibility and instructions on applying, please visit the Financial Aid website.

SC Teacher Loan & Career Changers Loan

The SC Teacher Loan Program's purpose is to entice talented and qualified students into the teaching profession. 

This loan is canceled by teaching in South Carolina public schools in an area of critical need (a geographical area or critical subject area). 

All declared Teacher Education majors will be notified via email of the SC Teacher Loan Application every spring. You must re-apply for the SC Teacher Loan each academic year. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but funding is limited and priority is given to students who submit an application in the spring of each year. 

Eligibility:

• Students must be a resident of South Carolina
• Undergraduates past their freshmen year must satisfy the standardized testing requirement (qualifying SAT/ACT scores or passing PRAXIS Core scores) and have a minimum overall GPA of 2.75. 
• Students must be enrolled in and making satisfactory academic progress at an approved institution on at least a half-time basis.
• Students must be enrolled in a program of teacher education or have expressed an intent to enroll in such a program.
• Graduate students who have completed at least one term must have a grade point average of 3.5 or better on a 4.0 scale.
• The loan amount will vary depending on the student’s status.
  • Freshman and Sophomores: Up to $2,500 per academic year.
  • Juniors and Seniors: Up to $7,500 per academic year
  • Graduate Students: Up to $7,500 per academic year
  • *Career Changers: Up to $15,000 per academic year

Visit the SC Teacher Loan website for more information, or email the School of Education Business Manager, Jeff Pointer.