If you’re an educator in Texas, you have access to exceptional opportunities that can help you advance your career—without the financial burden. Tuition assistance programs can cover the cost of earning your master’s degree or post-master’s certificate, helping you grow as an educational leader. 

You’ve dedicated your career to education. Now, it’s our turn to support you. We’ve compiled a list of tuition assistance opportunities available to Texas educators, so you can focus on achieving your goals and inspiring the next generation. 

Austin Independent School District offers scholarships and tuition reimbursement for eligible employees. They also offer permanent increases to base salaries when educators complete their own professional learning goals. Educators may qualify for stipends based on their area of educational specialty (i.e., bilingual: $7,000; special education: $7,000) or possession of an advanced degree ($1,000). Certain limitations may apply. 

Ector County Independent School District provides eligible educators who are pursuing their first master’s degree with the maximum per salary schedule for courses listed on the Master’s Degree Plan. Certain limitations may apply.

Elgin County Independent School District offers eligible current, full-time employees tuition reimbursement up to $100 per credit hour, with a maximum of $1,500 per school year. Certain limitations may apply. 

Irving County Independent School District provides eligible employees who earn at least 3 semester hours in a college or university course leading toward certification in a field with a critical shortage a reimbursement of $300 per course. Certain limitations may apply.

Midland County Independent School District offers eligible employees reimbursement grants of up to $500. Certain limitations may apply.

IDEA Public Schools offers tuition reimbursement for eligible employees up to $5,250 per year. Certain limitations may apply. 

Full-time San Marcos Consolidated ISD employees may be eligible for tuition reimbursement up to $1,000 per semester with a maximum of $3,000 per school year.  Certain limitations may apply. 

Seminole County Independent School District offers a continuing education reimbursement scholarship to cover tuition, books, and related fees for eligible programs. Eligible programs include teacher certification, graduate degrees, educational diagnostician, and English as a second language. Certain limitations may apply. 

The Teacher Incentive Allotment was established by House Bill 3. Highly effective public-school teachers can earn a distinction that provides annual allotment funds for eligible districts. 

The Teacher Incentive Allotment is recalculated each year based on each teacher’s level of designation and their school’s socioeconomic and rural status. The current allotment ranges are: 

  • Recognized: $3,000–$9,000 
  • Exemplary: $6,000–$18,000 
  • Master: $12,000–$32,000 

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This program is intended to recruit and retain certified classroom teachers in fields and Texas communities that are experiencing teacher shortages.   

To qualify, applicants must meet one of the following requirements: 

  • Be certified in a critical shortage teaching field, teach full-time in that field at the time of application, and possess one year of full-time experience in that field in a Texas public school at the preschool, primary, or secondary level. 
  • Be a certified, full-time educator teaching in a critical shortage community at the preschool, primary, or secondary level at the time of the application with at least one year of full-time experience teaching in that community.  

Designated Critical Shortage Fields (as of December 2024): 

  • Bilingual/English as a Second Language (Grades pre-K–12) 
  • Special Education 

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If you have a direct loan, you may qualify for student loan forgiveness on the remaining balance after 120 qualifying payments (a minimum of 10 years). Students are not required to teach at a low-income school to qualify. 

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The TEACH Grant Program provides up to $4,000 per year for students completing or planning to complete coursework required to begin a teaching career. 

To be eligible for a TEACH Grant, you must: 

  • Meet the basic eligibility criteria for the federal student aid programs. 
  • Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form. 
  • Be enrolled at a school that participates in the TEACH Grant Program. 
  • Be enrolled in a TEACH-Grant-eligible program. 
  • Meet certain academic achievement requirements (generally, scoring above the 75th percentile on one or more portions of a college admissions test or maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25). For specific information about academic requirements, talk to the financial aid office at your college or career school. 
  • Receive TEACH Grant counseling that explains the terms and conditions of the TEACH Grant service obligation. You must complete counseling each year that you receive a TEACH Grant. 
  • Sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve or Repay. 

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If you have been employed as a full-time teacher at an eligible school for five complete and consecutive academic years, you may be eligible for up to $17,500 of loan forgiveness for your Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans and Subsidized and Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans.  

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*Employer, state, and federal tuition assistance information was obtained from public-facing websites in December 2024. This information is subject to change. Please consult your human resources department, the Department of Education, or the Texas Education Agency for the most up-to-date information.