Dickinson State University (DSU) has received a grant from the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction to help current working paraprofessionals in North Dakota schools to obtain their teaching license and fill crucial teaching positions across North Dakota. DSU will use the funds to create the Para-to-Teacher Scholarship – effective as early as the Spring 2024 semester and is on a first-come, first-serve basis.
“DSU’s School of Education is committed to creating opportunities that result in more teachers in the field and offering paraprofessionals/paraeducators scholarships which defray the costs is an excellent place to start,” added Dr. Joan Aus, chair of the School of Education.
The scholarship will cover full tuition in key undergraduate programs at DSU including business education, elementary education and SPED, English education, history education, and social science composite. All areas of study will be online instruction only.
“The School of Education provides much-needed programming that serves our community,” stated Dr. Holly Gruhlke, DSU vice president. “It is wonderful to receive this support as DSU works to address teacher shortages in our region and around the state.”
Requirements for the Para-to-Teacher scholarship are simple; applicants must already be working as a paraprofessional in any of the North Dakota school districts. This program allows the participants to continue working in our schools, while supporting their families and obtaining their teaching license to help the teacher shortage. Paraprofessionals are key professionals in any educational setting, as they perform support duties in our surrounding schools, ranging from teaching assistants and special education aids to school library assistants and tutors.
For the scholarship application, please click here.
For more information regarding the scholarship and process, please contact Dr. Joan Aus at joan.aus@dickinsonstate.edu or 701-502-4339.