Rasmussen College Eligible As T.E.A.C.H. Institution For Florida Early Childhood Educators

TAMPA, Fla. (June 27, 2011) – Rasmussen College Early Childhood Education degree program students may now benefit from the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships for early care educators.

Those who work in an early childhood care facility, in a family child care home, or in a licensed or registered after school program and who enroll in an Early Childhood Education Associate’s degree or certificate through any of the Rasmussen College Florida college campuses, including Ft. Myers, Land O’Lakes, New Port Richey, Ocala, and Tampa/Brandon, may be eligible for the T.E.A.C.H. scholarship. Eligible participants must also be a Florida resident with a high school diploma or G.E.D. Other requirements are available in the T.E.A.C.H. Florida brochure.

Depending on the educational program, the T.E.A.C.H. scholarship provides financial support to help early childhood educators achieve a college degree. For example, someone who is enrolled in an associate’s degree in early childhood education at Rasmussen College might be eligible to receive a scholarship that covers 80 percent of tuition, 80 percent of the cost of books, a $75 stipend per semester, and a five dollar per hour release time reimbursement. “Our children, their education, and their growth are incredibly important, and the T.E.A.C.H. scholarship is giving those who work with children the support and encouragement they need to get educated so that they can be even better at providing care and education for young children Director of the School of Education at Rasmussen College Cecelia Westby said. “We are proud to be a T.E.A.C.H. eligible institution.”

The T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Scholarship started in 1990 in North Carolina with just 21 early childhood education teachers. The pilot gave financial support to improve the education, compensation, and retention of early childhood educators. Today, T.E.A.C.H. works with 48 colleges and universities as well as 14 community-based training schools to provide exceptional educational opportunities to childcare workers. Since 1998, the program has awarded more than 22,000 scholarships.

The Early Childhood Education degree program at Rasmussen College includes an associate’s degree and a certificate program. The curriculum was developed based on the national best standards established by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and is taught by master’s degree-level faculty members.

Within the associate’s degree program, which is available both online and across the five Florida campuses, there are four unique School of Education degree specializations that provide students with a niche depth of learning and are a direct reflection of the needs of the populations in the communities that Rasmussen serves: Child Development, English Language Learner, Child and Family Studies, and Special Needs. In addition, Rasmussen College offers 540 hours of applied learning that may be earned at the student’s early childhood place of employment or tailored to the student’s needs.

For additional information about the School of Education at Rasmussen College, visit www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/education/.