Scholarships & Aid

Catholic Educator Reduced Tuition rate

A 40% reduced tuition rate is available to students who are Catholic school employees, teachers, or volunteers, or students who are connected to a Catholic organization and who are applying to a USF teacher credential program. Continuing and newly admitted students are welcome to apply.

View eligibility criteria, deadlines, and application on myUSF

The Golden State Teacher Grant program (GSTG)

The Golden State Teacher Grant program (GSTG) is for students who are currently enrolled in a teacher preparation program to earn a preliminary credential in a high need field and commit to teach at a priority school, in California for four years, within five years after completing a teacher preparation program.

PLEASE NOTE: To apply for the program, please go to https://gstg.csac.ca.gov/.

Marin Diverse Educator Scholarship

The Marin Diverse Educator Scholarship supports USF teaching credential candidates who intend to work as a teacher in Marin County public schools. The scholarship recipient will receive $20,000 towards their first year of tuition at USF. Preference toward Marin Freedom School Teachers and teachers with a background in Math or Science. Candidates pursuing other subject matter content areas are welcome to apply. Newly admitted students are welcome to apply.

View eligibility criteria, deadlines, and application on myUSF

Ricardo P. Molinari Endowment Scholarship

The Ricardo P. Molinari Endowment Scholarship fund is for a single or multiple subject USF teacher education student who is full-time, in good standing, and has demonstrated financial need. Three awards of $2,750 each are available to continuing students (newly admitted students are not eligible).

View eligibility criteria, deadlines, and application on myUSF

SFUSD Discount

We will offer a reduced tuition rate for SFUSD employees who begin any of our preliminary teacher credential programs offered at USF’s San Francisco (Hilltop) campus. Students must meet eligibility requirements. Continuing and newly admitted students are welcome to apply.

View eligibility criteria, deadlines, and application on myUSF

TEACH Grant

The TEACH Grant provide up to $4,000 per year to graduate students who are completing coursework needed to begin a career in teaching. Continuing and newly admitted students are welcome to apply.

View eligibility criteria, deadlines, and application on myUSF

State Resources & Federal Resources

The following programs are administered by various agencies in the State of California and around the United States. Please consult each program's website for further information.

Cal Grant Program
If you are currently an undergraduate student with a Cal Grant A or B and plan to enroll in a teacher credential program, you may be eligible to renew your Cal Grant award for an additional year. The additional year of payment is provided to students who are seeking an initial teaching credential and cannot be used for other graduate level courses of study.

Perkins Loan Forgiveness
You qualify for cancellation (discharge) of up to 100 percent of a Federal Perkins Loan if: you have served full-time in a public or nonprofit elementary or secondary school system as a teacher in a school serving students from low-income families; or you are a special-education teacher, including teachers of infants, toddlers, children, or youth with disabilities; or you are a teacher in the fields of mathematics, science, foreign languages, or bilingual education, or in any other field of expertise determined by a state education agency to have a shortage of qualified teachers in that state.

Stafford Loan Forgiveness Program for Teachers
The Teacher Loan Forgiveness program is intended to encourage individuals to enter and continue in the teaching profession. Under this program, individuals who teach full-time for five consecutive, complete academic years in certain elementary and secondary schools that serve low-income families and meet other qualifications may be eligible for forgiveness of up to a combined total of $17,500 in principal and interest on their Federal Family Education Loan and/or Direct Loan program loans.

Teach Grant
The TEACH Grant provides up to $4,000 per year to graduate students who are completing course work needed to begin a career in teaching.