State Funding for JET – September 2018

JET is excited to announce that it has received funding from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. JET receives its funds through the Department of Higher Education. The Department also administers the Massachusetts Paraprofessional Teacher Grant, which JET participants use to complete undergraduate course work for their bachelor’s degrees and become teachers. Most urban school paraprofessionals do not have bachelor’s degrees, yet have valuable instructional classroom experience. One of JET’s goals with this state funding is to increase awareness of this grant across the state so that more paraprofessionals can take advantage of this unique financial aid opportunity to help them become licensed teachers. The grant is NOT need-based. Currently only a handful of paraprofessionals apply for this grant. Online Applications become available annually from April 1 – June 1. Paraprofessionals are well positioned to become teachers and part of a community teacher pipeline that will diversify the teacher workforce.