Fifth Year in Teaching
The Fifth Year in Teaching Scholarship provides a limited number of awards for full tuition for graduate study to University of Rochester undergraduates who apply for admission to the Warner School during their senior year. Successful applicants are accepted into the Urban Teaching and Leadership Program (UTL) where they will complete a Master of Science (M.S.) or Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) degree and two years of teaching in an urban school. The UTL program combines theory, practice and activism to help candidates develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions required to become effective educators and advocates for students and their families. The goal of the UTL program is to prepare urban educators who have the courage and conviction to lead struggles for social justice, in-depth knowledge of the subjects they teach, and the skills and understanding needed to help all students develop to their fullest potential.

The Fifth Year in Teaching Scholarship has been designed to help the Warner School address the needs of urban schools by encouraging qualified University of Rochester undergraduates to become skilled teachers in urban areas. Recipients of the award will include individuals who are able to increase the diversity of the urban teacher population or increase the number of certified teachers in specializations where there are the highest shortages in the Rochester area.

Upon acceptance of the Fifth Year in Teaching Scholarship, candidates make a commitment to successfully obtain their master's degree from the Warner School , become certified to teach by the NYS Department of Education, and to teach in an urban school for two complete academic years. Candidates will be required to repay the full monetary value of the scholarship if any part of this commitment is not fulfilled.

Eligibility Criteria  

• Conferral of your bachelor’s degree no later than the May of your first year in the master’s program. You cannot begin coursework for the master’s degree until all requirements for the bachelor’s degree are complete and a letter confirming this has been forwarded to the director of admissions. The Warner School will withdraw offers of admission to those who do not officially graduate.

• Strong academic background (3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA preferred).

• Good communication and interpersonal skills.

• Demonstrated interest in urban education (to be determined during your interview and through your personal statement and written recommendations).

• Demonstrated commitment to urban children, families and communities (to be determined during your interview and through your personal statement and written recommendations).

• Volunteer or work experience in an urban or rural community or school that included direct contact with underachieving students.

• Desire to work with diverse and underachieving student populations.

• Written statement about why you want to teach in an urban school.
  
  
• Career goals, professional interests, and attitudes that are consistent with the programs offered and the stated goals of the Warner School mission.  

Expenses Covered by the Fifth Year in Teaching Scholarship

Application Fee
The $40.00 application fee will be waived for all Fifth Year in Teaching applicants.

Tuition
The Fifth Year in Teaching Scholarship will provide tuition for a maximum of 45 credit hours toward one teaching certification, plus 9 credits to cover UTL program requirements. Candidates who decide to pursue additional certifications (i.e. inclusion extension) must pay for the additional credit hours. The scholarship does not cover courses taken outside the Warner School as part of the Master of Science (M.S.) program, the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) program, or professional development.

Room and Board
Room and board is provided for candidates only while they are completing their master’s degree. The Fifth Year in Teaching award will provide four continuous semesters of on-campus room and board based on financial need as determined by the University Financial Services Office. Four continuous semesters include summer, fall, spring, and summer.

Students who are not eligible for on-campus room and board may apply for a loan for on-campus room and board. The loan is forgivable after teaching full-time for two years in an urban public school. Room and board is not provided during the interims between fall and spring semesters, between semesters and summer sessions, or during your first two years of paid employment. Finally, children of scholarship holders are not allowed to live in the on-campus housing reserved for UTL candidates.  

Restrictions

• All applicants for the Fifth Year in Teaching Scholarship must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States.

• Applicants are eligible to apply only during their senior year and may not defer entry into the program (except for documented medical reasons).

• Applicants must matriculate in the summer semester immediately following graduation.

• University of Rochester undergraduates may not take a year off before applying for the scholarship or before seeking employment after graduation.

• Candidates will not receive room and board for semesters during which they are not enrolled and may live off campus, however, the University will not provide for living expenses or offer a forgivable loan for your expenses. You can, of course, apply for federal loans to cover off-campus living expenses.

• Candidates who are married or have dependent children must live off campus. However, these individuals may apply for a grant or forgivable loan equal to the cost of on-campus room and board.

• Applications must be received by the February 1 or April 1 deadlines of their senior year.

Further Information

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