Kansas Teacher Service Scholarship

The Kansas Teacher Service Scholarship is a merit-based service obligation scholarship program that provides financial assistance to both students pursuing bachelor's degree programs and currently licensed teachers pursuing an endorsement in hard-to-fill disciplines or master's degrees in hard-to-fill disciplines or either group planning to teach in an underserved geographic area. Recipients sign agreements to teach one year for each year of scholarship support in Kansas. Recipients are eligible to receive this scholarship for up to ten semesters, which includes both undergraduate and graduate work.  

Priority Date: June 1.This service obligation scholarship program provides financial assistance to students pursuing bachelor’s or master’s degree programs as well as currently licensed teachers pursuing new endorsements in hard-to-fill disciplines or master’s degrees in hard-to-fill disciplines or either group planning to teach (K-12) in an underserved geographic area in Kansas. To complete the service obligation, recipients must complete one year of teaching for each year of scholarship funding received. Teaching service is not counted until the recipient has completed the degree program for which they received the scholarship.

The Kansas Teacher Service Scholarship was enacted to support the need for licensed and fully endorsed teachers in the hard-to-fill disciplines and underserved geographic areas in the State of Kansas.

This scholarship is not a resource for Counseling, Administration, or Library/Media Specialist degrees. Eligible degrees must have a focus on developing classroom teaching skills.

Applicants must be a resident of the State of Kansas, attending a Kansas higher educational institution, AND

1. Enrolled in a program leading to licensure as a teacher in an identified hard-to-fill discipline* or underserved geographic area in Kansas; OR
2. Currently licensed as a teacher and enrolled in a program leading to a new endorsement in one of the hard-tofill disciplines* or teach in one of the underserved geographic areas** in Kansas; OR
3. Currently licensed teachers enrolled in a program leading to a master’s degree in an identified hard-to-fill discipline or underserved geographic area**

Identified Hard-to-fill disciplines for 2025-2026 are: Elementary Education, English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Special Education.

Underserved Geographic Areas are: USD 501 Topeka; USD 500 Kansas City, KS; USD 259 Wichita, and

Kansas State Board of Education Districts 5, 7, & 9 (https://www.ksde.org/Board).

APPLICANT INSTRUCTIONS:

NEW applicants must:

• Submit the State of Kansas Student Aid Application online. Priority Deadline is June 1; however, applications will be accepted past that date if funding allows.
• Submit official college transcripts from all schools where you’ve completed coursework.
• Submit at least one letter of recommendation on letterhead; academic or employment related.
• If a current teacher, submit a copy of your teaching certificate or licensure.

High school transcripts are not accepted. If you have graduate school hours, include a transcript of your graduate work to date in addition to your undergraduate transcript(s).

All supporting materials should be uploaded through the application website (sfa.kansasregents.gov) using the Upload Documents button at the top of the Scholarships screen.

Alternatively, you may email your materials to scholars@ksbor.org.