Want to be a teacher? NJ university giving $2,000 annually to education majors

LAWRENCE (Mercer) — As New Jersey explores ways to get more individuals interested in becoming a teacher, a private university has announced an annual scholarship for undergraduate education majors.

Starting in the fall, Rider University will offer $2,000 per year for first-year and transfer undergraduate students who declare elementary education or secondary education as their major.

Through the Teacher Education Scholarship, the university hopes to increase the pool of qualified teachers in New Jersey. According to officials, New Jersey faces teacher shortages at all grade levels across numerous subject areas, including math and science.

Gov. Phil Murphy in November announced the launch of a task force that's charged with better understanding the challenges facing New Jersey's educational workforce, and what can be done to help.

"This scholarship is designed to help students who are passionate and dedicated to the field of education," said Jason Barr, dean of Rider's College of Education and Human Services. "As future educators, they will have an incredible impact on generations of students during this challenging time for the profession."

How to apply for the Rider teaching scholarship

There's no special application for the scholarship. An individual just needs to apply to Rider as an education major, in order to be considered for the perk.

But the individual must also maintain a certain level of academic performance in order to keep the scholarship.

Following state standards, Rider says eligible students would:

• Enroll for a minimum of 12 credits per semester
• Remain enrolled in good standing as an elementary education or secondary education major
• Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher

The scholarship can be renewed for up to eight semesters. If an enrolled student changes majors, the scholarship can't be renewed.

According to Rider, 100% of 2021 education graduates are either employed full time or continuing their education.

Dino Flammia is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dino.flammia@townsquaremedia.com

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.