Colorado Rural Teaching Fellowship
Colorado Department of Higher Education and the Colorado Center for Rural Education (University of Northern Colorado)
$10,000 for teacher candidates who do a year-long clinical residency in a rural Colorado school and commit to teach there for two years.
- How much
- $10,000 ($5,000 from CDHE + $5,000 from your college)
- Who qualifies
- Enrolled in an authorized Colorado teacher preparation program and placed in a year-long clinical experience in a Colorado rural school for the final year; commit to two years of teaching there.
- For undergrads, grad students
- For education students
- When to apply
- Opens later Applications for the next school year accepted roughly April 30 - August 15.
- How to apply
- Your educator preparation program applies to CDHE on your behalf with a partnership agreement and your signed individual agreement (email educator.preparation@dhe.state.co.us)
- Talk to your program early
- What you'll need
- school nomination
- Last checked
- October 5, 2026, against the official page (cdhe.colorado.gov), page 2 and page 3
The details
Fellows receive $5,000 from their college and $5,000 from CDHE, as a lump sum (taxable) or as a scholarship, during their final year of licensure preparation. Fellowships are created through partnerships between educator preparation programs and rural schools/districts/BOCES/charters with serious hiring and financial need. Fellows commit to two years of teaching in the rural school/district of their clinical year after licensure. Priority may go to the neediest rural partners and to candidates from the area.
More money from Colorado
- CTE Grant (Tuition Assistance for Short CTE Certificates)Up to $7,395 (2025-26; equal to the maximum Pell Grant)
- COSI Matching Student Scholarships (Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative)Varies by local program
- College Opportunity Fund (COF) Stipend$116 per credit hour at public colleges; $58 per credit hour at participating private colleges (2026-27)
- Colorado Graduate GrantVaries; set by your college
- Colorado Promise: Two Free Years of College ExpandedReimbursement of out-of-pocket tuition and fees for up to 65 credits
Keep looking
- Answer a few questions to see every program you qualify for
- Nearby states: Arizona, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, Wyoming
- Federal aid and national scholarships (open to students in any state)
- The FAFSA in plain English (2027-28)
- Should I file the FAFSA if I don't think I'll qualify?
- FAFSA deadlines by state (2027-28)
- The FAFSA for parents: what you need to do
- How to save on textbooks: free, rented and cheaper options
We list programs; we don't decide who gets them. Always check the official page before you apply. Spot something wrong? Tell us.