Chico State to Ease Financial Burden for Aspiring Teachers with $8.5 Million U.S. Department of Education Grant

Chico State’s School of Education is poised to alleviate financial obstacles for dozens of aspiring teachers across Northern California. The U.S. Department of Education awarded the University an $8.5 million grant, allocated over five years, to establish the Belong, Engage, Support, Transform (BEST) Teachers Residency program, which will place the next generation of educators at elementary schools in the region.

The BEST program will support 60 credential candidates, particularly from underrepresented groups, to earn elementary teaching credentials and master’s of art degrees in teaching. They’ll be placed in high-need schools in the North State during a year-long residency.

The grant proposal was drafted and submitted by School of Education professors Jennifer Oloff-Lewis, Rebecca Justeson, Mimi Miller, and Claudia Bertolone-Smith.

“This funding represents a pivotal opportunity to expand our commitment to educational equity and support aspiring teachers from diverse backgrounds,” said Oloff-Lewis. “Through the program, we will provide financial assistance for candidates and place them in schools that need them the most.”

Each credential candidate in the program will receive a living stipend of approximately $50,000 per year while they are embedded in a rigorous year-long residency in high-need schools throughout the North State, including rural districts in Palermo, Thermalito, Los Molinos, and Corning.

Critical to addressing teacher shortages in rural school districts, teacher residencies are an immersive alternative to traditional student teaching. They provide candidates with networking and mentoring opportunities and often lead to them staying in the school districts to begin their careers.

“Our students at Chico State often tell us they wish they had a teacher in their youth who shared their identity,” said Miller. “This investment not only addresses the critical shortage of teachers in our region but also emphasizes cultural and linguistic diversity to make North State elementary school education more inclusive.”

Chico State has been a destination for aspiring teachers for more than 130 years. Since its founding as a normal school in 1887, the University has trained and supported tens of thousands of teachers with undergraduate and graduate degrees and credentials. With offerings like its Liberal Arts BA, BS in Agricultural Science, and BA in Kinesiology, it remains a top destination for the next generation of educators across California and beyond.

For more information about the BEST Teacher Residency program, including how candidates can apply, please visit the School of Education webpage.

About Chico State

At Chico State, we empower students to Do and Dare in their careers and lives. Founded in 1887, Chico State is the second-oldest institution in the 23-campus CSU, the nation’s largest public university system. Chico State enrolls approximately 14,000 students and serves as the comprehensive university of the North State, the 12-county region where the campus is located. A 21-time U.S. News & World Report “Top Public School in the West,” Chico State prides itself on its high-quality, high-value education, an active and engaged student body, and strong connection with the local community and state of California. Recognized for its focus on sustainability and community involvement, students expand their possibilities through more than 380 academic offerings and co-curricular programs and work closely with expert faculty to devise solutions for the unprecedented global challenges of the 21st century.