Financial Support for Special Education Credential and Master's Students
The Department of Special Education has obtained several federal and state grants that provide stipends to students to assist with tuition,
books, and other program costs. These include
Accelerated Collaborative Teacher (ACT) Preparation Program
CULTURE in Early Childhood Special Education
SOS in Moderate/Severe
Special Education Intern Program
Technology Enhanced Culturally-Responsive (TEC) Intern Program for Secondary Special Educators in Urban Schools
Teaching Education for the Advancement of a Multicultural Society (TEAMS)
Also, if you are Graduate Student in Special Education, you may be eligible to have your loans forgiven.
Please read the linked documents (1, 2) for more information on APLE Loan Forgiveness.
If you have questions, please see your advisor in Special Education.
Accelerated Collaborative Teacher (ACT) Preparation Program
ACT is designed as a post-BA full time preliminary credential program that is offered collaboratively between CSUN and District 2 in the Los Angeles Unified School District. ACT is a two-semester program for candidates in mild/moderate disabilities, a three-semester program for credential candidates in moderate/severe and a four semester program for credential candidates in deaf and hard of hearing. Candidates begin the program fall semester and progress as a cohort with courses offered at the DELTA Professional Development Center in District 2 and on the CSUN campus. A stipend of up to $5,500 is allocated to each ACT special education student through a personnel preparation grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Please contact Dr. Nancy Burstein for more information at nancy.burstein@csun.edu.
Cultural Understanding and Language Training: An Urban Residency Experience in Early Childhood Special Education (CULTURE in ECSE)
This federally funded personnel preparation grant provides financial support and mentorship for highly qualified students to complete their Level II credential in ECSE, while fulfilling CLAD requirements and working on the Master’s Degree in ECSE, through a 30 – 36 unit course sequence and supported practica. Students who are selected to participate in this program will examine the impact of diversity in culture and language on young children with disabilities and their families through coursework, mentoring, second language development, and a focused case study. Students are required to participate in at least two specialized weekend meetings per semester on a topic related to diversity. They will also work closely with a mentor and a selected family, resulting in a focused case study to fulfill the culminating requirements of the MA in Special Education, ECSE emphasis. Students who are not currently fluent in a language other than English will be required to take additional coursework to develop basic skills in a second language. All students are required to attend a state or national conference in Early Childhood Special Education. Stipends of up to $12,000 total are provided over a 2-3 year period (i.e., $2,000 semester for part time and $3,000/semester for full time enrollment) are available to eligible students who are enrolled in the 36-unit program. Please contact Dr. Deborah Chen at deborah.chen@csun.edu or Dr. Michele Haney at michele.haney@csun.edu for additional information.
SOS (MS grant)
SOS is a federally funded program designed to support students who are either on the job or full time students to obtain their CA credential in the area of Special Education: Moderate to Severe Disabilities. Full time students can complete the program in 1 ½ to 2 years; part time students often take longer. The program emphasizes very specialized coursework designed to address the needs of children and youth having severe and multiple disabilities. Another focus of the program is on training teachers to co-teach with general educators and to modify the core curriculum so that all students are educated in general education classrooms versus specialized settings. A stipend of $6,000 is available for each student for a two-year program. The project also supports students to attend approved conferences and workshops that address topics such as inclusive education, positive behavioral support, augmentative communication and other issues relevant to the program. Please contact Dr. June Downing at june.downing@csun.edu or Dr. Kathy Peckham-Hardin at Kathy.phardin@csun.edu for additional information.
Special Education Intern Program
The Special Education Intern Program, supported by a grant from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, is designed for on-the-job teachers who are pursuing a credential in special education while they are teaching. To be eligible for the intern program, students must have an offer of employment as a special education teacher in a cooperating school/district, pass CBEST and CSET (CSET is not required for Early Childhood Special Education), and meet US Constitution requirements. Interns who are pursuing a credential in mild/moderate disabilities, moderate/severe disabilities, deaf and hard of hearing, and early childhood special education are eligible for a stipend of $500 each semester for a two-year period. Please contact Jim Sullivan, intern advisor, for more information on the intern program at JPSullivan7528@aol.com.
Technology Enhanced Culturally-Responsive (TEC) Intern Program for Secondary Special Educators in Urban Schools
The TEC Intern Program, supported by a federally funded personnel preparation grant from the U.S. Department of Education, is designed for special education interns who are teaching in secondary urban schools and pursuing a credential in mild/moderate disabilities. Candidates progress through a standards-based program that is designed to meet the needs of on-the-job teachers through enhanced technology and coursework the focuses on a culturally responsive curriculum in serving diverse urban and English language learners with mild/moderate disabilities. A comprehensive support system is provided to enhance teacher retention through individualized advisement and mentoring, cohort participation, and on-the-job assistance by school-university personnel. Interns participating in 2-year TEC must complete the CSET subject matter exam in a subject that they are teaching. Courses are offered completely or partially online with interns typically meeting once every other week on campus. Stipends of up to $5,000 a year for two years are available for each intern to support subject matter preparation and program costs. Please contact Dr. Ashley Skylar for more information at ashley.skylar.94@csun.edu.
Teaching Education for the Advancement of a Multicultural Society (TEAMS)
The TEAMS/AmeriCorps Fellowship Program provides academic, professional, financial and social support to beginning special education, elementary, and secondary teachers enrolled in induction and/or master’s programs at CSUN. Led by the University of San Francisco, the TEAMS Program is a collaborative of universities, colleges, and public school districts across the West Coast, with particular focus in the San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan areas. At CSUN, the TEAMS program is housed in the Department of Special Education and coordinated by Dr. Tess Reid. The goal of the CSUN –TEAMS partnership is to support diverse population of new teachers serving in predominantly high-poverty, urban, public schools. TEAMS participants who successfully complete their service earn an education award of $4,725 per year for up to two years to pay for college, graduate school, or to pay back student loans. For more inforamtion regarding the CSUN TEAMS program, contact the TEAMS Coordinator, Dr. Tess Reid at teshami.reid@csun.edu