Colorado Rural Teaching Fellowship

The Rural Colorado Grow Your Own Educator Act (House Bill 18-1002) was signed into law to address rural teacher shortages by creating the Colorado Rural Teaching Fellowship. The Teaching Fellowship supports the first strategic goal detailed in the department’s master plan for higher education: credential completion.

Given that the fellowship is a pathway for rural teacher candidates to obtain their Colorado teaching license, it serves as a strategy to increase educator preparation credentials in Colorado.

The fellowship is a year-long clinical experience for teacher candidates in the final year of their teacher preparation programs jointly designed by rural local education providers (rural schools/districts/BOCES/charter schools) and educator preparation programs at institutes of higher education.

The rural teaching fellowship stipend is $10,000 —The Colorado Department of Higher Education contributes 50 percent and the institute of higher education contributes 50 percent through the candidate’s financial aid package.

Preference may be given to candidates who return to their home rural communities. As part of the fellowship program, teacher candidates commit to teaching in the same rural school district for two additional years beyond the fellowship year if offered employment. The Colorado Department of Higher Education can award a maximum of 100 fellowships per year.

Interested? Start by applying to for the Bachelor of Arts in Education program or Request Information from CMC Admissions.