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Colorado Rural Teaching Fellowship

The Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) and the Colorado Center for Rural Education (CCRE) encourage talented teacher candidates to teach in Colorado rural school districts and eventually become teachers in Colorado rural schools. The value of the Rural Teaching Fellowship is $10,000 given to selected candidates who complete a year-long clinical experience in a rural school during the final year of their teacher preparation program and commit to teaching for two years in a rural district after program completion. Candidates who are selected for this program, Rural Teaching Fellows, receive $5,000 from their institute of higher education (IHE) and $5,000 from the Colorado Department of Higher Education as a lump sum (taxable income) or as a scholarship (may interfere with financial aid package) during their final year of licensure preparation. Year-long fellowships are created via partnerships between educator preparation programs and rural Colorado schools, districts, BOCES, and charter schools.

Application Requirements

Please Note: This application differs from all other stipend applications via the Center for Rural Education because educator preparation program leaders submit applications to CDHE on behalf of their candidates and the districts with which they partner. Applications must contain the following documents:

1. One completed agreement per partnership between an educator preparation program and a Local Education Provider (LEP)

2. An individual agreement for and signed by the teacher candidate that outlines the financial terms of the fellowship if awarded.

The individual agreement for each teacher candidate can be created on a CDHE-provided template or created by the IHE on institution letterhead and must include the financial agreement details. This agreement must also include the name of the school, grade level(s) and endorsement area(s) in which the fellow would serve for the fellowship year.

Eligible Partnerships

Eligible Partnerships between the IHEs and LEPs must meet the following criteria:

• The rural LEP must demonstrate serious need in hiring or retaining teachers and serious financial need that makes provision of any fellowship monies a hardship

• There must be a written and submitted agreement between the IHE and LEP to design an individualized, one-year teaching fellowship or each selected fellow, outlining the roles and expectations of both parties, including: 

  • The selection criteria of the prospective fellow
  • The LEP's selection of a member who is an effective educator
  • A plan for year-long support and assessment of the fellow
  • The LEP's commitment to extend an offer of employment to the fellow if all criteria for program completion are met

Eligible Applicants Must Meet the Following Criteria:

• Be enrolled in an authorized Colorado teacher preparation program

• Be placed in a year-long clinical teaching experience within a Colorado rural school for the final year of their preparation program

• Be willing to commit to two years of teaching in the rural school/district of the year-long clinical experience upon completing their preparation program and securing a Colorado license

• A commitment to maintain communications with CCRE and CDHE staff during the year-long clinical experience and the two-year teaching commitment to share experiences, complete surveys, and provide any necessary documentation

Candidates must teach in a Colorado rural school that has critical shortages of qualified teachers to fill needed positions. If the number of applicants exceeds the number of total fellowships available, priority may be given to rural schools based on the level of chronic hiring difficulty and financial need demonstrated by the LEP. Priority may also be given to a candidate who resides within the area of the LEP and seeks to return there as a teacher.

Application Due Date

Applications for the 2025-26 school year will be accepted from April 15-August 15, 2025. Please submit all materials to CDHE staff at educator.preparation@dhe.state.co.us. Please use that contact email for any questions about application materials as well.

Colorado Rural Teaching Fellowship Handout 2025-26