Unpaid student teaching has long been a barrier to entry into the teaching profession. Aspiring educators cannot afford months of unpaid work, and adults entering the profession as a second career are asked to give up a full-time income to meet the student teaching requirement—a major deterrent for many qualified professionals.
Thanks to a new Connecticut law, educators who recently completed their student teaching are now entitled to student loan reimbursement up to $5,000 a year for 50 or more hours of uncompensated work necessary to earn their degree. Under the program, a new grant round launches each year, providing reimbursements for payments made during the preceding calendar year with a maximum reimbursement of $20,000 over four years.
The Connecticut Student Loan Reimbursement Program has opened a new grant round and is accepting applications for student loan payments that were made during the 2025 calendar year.
Applicants must
- Be Connecticut residents and meet program residency requirements;
- Have made qualifying student loan payments during the 2025 calendar year;
- Have earned a degree from a Connecticut institution of higher education or completed a state-approved program required for professional licensure or certification;
- Meet income limits of $125,000 for single filers or $175,000 for married filers; and
- Have completed required community service (includes unpaid work as a student teacher).
