Early Childhood Educator Stipend Program
Investing in our youngest keiki ages 0-5 years old by investing in their educators
The Early Childhood Educator Stipend Program was established by the legislature through Act 210, in 2021 and was funded by a generous donation from the Samuel N. and Mary Castle Foundation. In 2023, our legislature approved $600,000 in additional funding to support our Early Childhood Educator Stipend program, which now becomes the first publicly funded tuition stipend program available to current and future practitioners in the early childhood field for both Hawaiian and English medium.
The State of Hawaiʻi Executive Office on Early Learning (EOEL) and the University of Hawaiʻi are proud to offer a tuition stipend to current and potential early childhood educators and caregivers! Stipends are available to individuals enrolled in a certificate, degree, or license program in early childhood education, including those focused on the Hawaiian language, within the University of Hawaiʻi system, with a stipend opportunity per Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) § 302L-9.
Participation in this program is voluntary. To qualify, the applicant must currently be enrolled in a generalist certificate, degree, or license program in early childhood education, including those in the Hawaiian language medium, within the University of Hawaiʻi system.
The goal of this tuition stipend program is to help increase qualifications of our ECE workforce. The stipend will cover partial or full tuition for anyone pursuing certificates, degrees and/or licensure in a generalist ECE degree program within the University of Hawai’i system (including community colleges). In exchange for funding ECE credentials, the EOEL asks for recipients to complete their credential and work for two years in a qualifying early learning setting as described in Hawai’i Revised Statute § 302L-2.
Who is the stipend for?
This stipend is for anyone who is:
- looking to work in an early learning setting directly serving children ages 0-5 years;
- new to the ECE field and needs immediate credit-bearing training (to earn a CDA or meet DHS licensing qualifications);
- ECE teaching staff who need to earn degrees to meet other staffing qualifications (Associates, Bachelors in ECE, HTSB licensure in ECE or EOEL EA requirements).
- anyone looking to further their qualifications by earning a higher degree in ECE (all the way up to a doctoral degree), and who will stay and grow within the early childhood field.
How to Apply
- Register for your courses for the upcoming semester. You must be registered for eligible courses in order to qualify for this stipend. If you are not yet enrolled in a qualifying early childhood program in the UH system, you must complete this step first by contacting the appropriate Admissions Office: https://apply.hawaii.edu/ UH campuses with early childhood programs that qualify for this stipend are listed below.
- Access the application on SurveyMonkey using this weblink: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FHGD75Y or QR code:
- Complete the application by the deadlines listed below.
- Tuition awards will be announced about one week before the semester begins.
- Awardees will need to sign a stipend agreement before awards are distributed.
Deadlines to Apply
Apply by the dates stated below for the term you wish to receive stipend funds:
- Summer term – apply by April 15
- Fall term – apply by July 15
- Spring term – apply by December 1
Qualifying programs are at the following UH campuses:
- UH Hilo (Hawaiian and Indigenous Language Medium Programs)
- Hawai’i Community College (Early Childhood Education)
- UH Maui College (Early Childhood Education)
- UH Mānoa (Early Childhood Teacher Licensure Programs)
- UH West Oʻahu (Early Childhood Education)
- Honolulu Community College (Early Childhood Education)
- Kauaʻi Community College (Early Childhood Education)
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NOTE: Any stipend received for tuition and fees will be considered as part of your financial aid eligibility. Any outside funding a student receives that pays for any portion of the student’s cost of attendance must be considered when determining eligibility for financial aid. This stipend is considered “outside funding.”
The Early Childhood Educator Stipend Program is a collaboration between the EOEL and the Graduate Early Childhood Education Programs at the College of Education, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
For further inquiries, please contact: