$10,000 Stipends Aim to Open Doors for California’s Future Teachers

California has made another major investment in the next generation of educators, providing eligible aspiring teachers with $10,000 stipends to help offset one of the most significant financial barriers to entering the profession.

Through the new Student Teacher Stipend Program, candidates can receive the financial support while completing the classroom-based clinical practice required to earn a teaching credential — work that has traditionally been unpaid.

The investment is significant. 

The 2026-27 state budget allocated $408 million for the program, following a $300 million investment last year. Current funding is expected to support up to 12,500 student teachers every year, through 2032. 

Beginning with the 2027-28 school year, student teachers pursuing credentials in high-need fields such as science, math and special education will also be eligible for an additional $5,000 stipend.

“The new Student Teacher Stipend Program directly addresses this challenge by providing financial support for eligible student teachers while they work alongside experienced educators to develop the skills needed to lead their own classroom,” said Mary Vixie Sandy, executive director of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

The new financial incentive is a key message point of Teach for California, a statewide multimedia campaign designed to inform and inspire prospective educators and help strengthen California’s teacher pipeline.

The campaign has started reaching prospective educators through streaming television and radio, social media advertising, and stories from California teachers that highlight what draws people to the profession and inspires them to stay, according to Anita Fitzhugh, communications manager and public information officer for the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

A key part of that effort is making prospective teachers aware of the resources available to help them enter the profession. Now, schools, colleges, county offices of education and community organizations have new tools to help extend the campaign into their own communities.

Teach for California has launched a comprehensive Campaign Toolkit at https://teachforca.com/campaign-toolkit/ featuring ready-to-use and customizable materials that organizations can use to promote teaching careers and the $10,000 stipend opportunity.

Fitzhugh said the toolkit is designed to give education and community partners resources they can use to amplify the statewide campaign through their own outreach efforts.     

Assets include recruitment flyers, social media graphics, videos, customizable Canva templates, approved messaging, and other materials. Resources specifically addressing the Student Teacher Stipend Program are also available, including a fact sheet that organizations can share directly with prospective educators.

To qualify for the $10,000 stipend, candidates must be enrolled in a California Commission on Teacher Credentialing-approved preliminary teaching credential program and complete at least 500 of the required 600 hours of clinical practice.

Candidates do not apply for the stipend themselves. Once student teaching begins, the credential program and participating school district, county office of education or charter school work together to apply on the candidate’s behalf.

The program builds on California’s broader efforts to strengthen its educator workforce. The state has invested more than $2.3 billion since 2016 in teacher recruitment, preparation and retention initiatives. The Commission’s most recent Teacher Supply Report showed approximately 20,000 preliminary teaching credentials issued in 2024-25, the highest number in more than a decade.

For more information about the Student Teacher Stipend Program, visit https://teachforca.com/.