HIDOE Special Education Teacher Tuition Stipend
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDOE) with the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Education
HIDOE pays tuition for special education licensure coursework at UH Mānoa (up to $8,640-$28,800, by program) in return for teaching special education in a Hawaiʻi public school for three years.
- How much
- Special education licensure tuition at in-state rates: $15,840 to $28,800 per program (total), or $8,640 for Add-a-Teaching-Field
- Who qualifies
- Admitted to an eligible UH Mānoa College of Education special education licensure program. Service commitment: teach special education in a HIDOE school for at least three years after finishing (one year for Add-a-Teaching-Field). Add-a-Teaching-Field candidates can't already hold a special education license.
- For undergrads, grad students, adults going back to school
- For special education, education students
- When to apply
- Apply any time Offered automatically with admission to an eligible program each enrollment year; return the stipend packet before your first semester. Program admission deadlines apply.
- How to apply
- No separate application
- Get admitted to an eligible UH Mānoa special education licensure program
- You'll automatically get the stipend packet, which you complete and return before your first semester
- Questions: spedinfo@hawaii.edu
- What you'll need
- See how to apply
- Last checked
- October 5, 2026, against the official page (coe.hawaii.edu) and page 2
The details
A year-to-year HIDOE-UH contract that has paid special education tuition stipends for over twenty years. It's offered automatically to every student admitted to an eligible UH Mānoa program that year. At current in-state tuition rates: BEd Early Childhood & Early Childhood Special Education (36 credits, $17,280); BEd Exceptional Students and Elementary Education (33 credits, $15,840); BEd Special Education (60 credits, $28,800); Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Special Education (33 credits, $15,840); Master of Education in Teaching, Elementary/Secondary and Special Education (31 graduate credits, $20,150). The stipend typically covers half or more of dual-licensure programs and most or all of special-education-only programs. Teachers already licensed in another field can get a stipend for the Special Education Add-a-Teaching-Field program (18 credits, $8,640) for a one-year special education teaching commitment. Non-residents may qualify but pay the difference above resident tuition. The stipend doesn't cover prerequisites, extra credits, travel, books or testing and licensure fees.
More money from Hawaii
- State of Hawaiʻi B Plus ScholarshipUp to $2,000 (per UH Mānoa); renewable up to four years, depending on funding
- Hawaiʻi Promise ScholarshipCovers unmet direct educational costs (tuition, fees, books and supplies) after other grants; amount depends on funding, need and credits
Keep looking
- Answer a few questions to see every program you qualify for
- 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.