Call For Applications: Yale Teaching Fellowship Cohort 3 – Full Tuition and $47,380 First-Year Stipend for Aspiring Teachers

Application Deadline: January 1, 2027

About the Fellowship

The Yale Teaching Fellowship Cohort 3 is now open for applications. This is an intensive graduate education and teacher preparation program designed to build a strong, diverse, and long-term teaching force for New Haven Public Schools in Connecticut, USA. The program is a collaboration between Yale University, New Haven Public Schools, New Haven Promise, and Southern Connecticut State University. It provides fully funded graduate tuition, teacher certification, structured classroom practice, mentorship, and a clear pathway into high-need teaching positions. Depending on the track, fellows earn a Master of Arts in Teaching or a Master of Science degree from Southern Connecticut State University while preparing to serve New Haven students. The fellowship focuses primarily on mathematics, science, and special education areas that New Haven Public Schools has identified as critical teacher shortage areas. Applications for Cohort 3 are now open and close on January 1, 2027.

Why the Yale Teaching Fellowship Matters

The Yale Teaching Fellowship was built around a straightforward problem: public-school systems need well-prepared teachers, but financial barriers, the cost of graduate education, and limited access to extended classroom training can prevent promising candidates from entering or remaining in the profession.

The fellowship addresses those barriers through an integrated model that includes:

• Full graduate tuition rather than partial tuition assistance
• A substantial first-year living stipend for eligible Teacher Pipeline fellows
• A degree pathway aligned with Connecticut teacher certification
• Extended clinical experience in New Haven Public Schools
• Guidance from experienced mentor teachers
• A cohort-based learning experience
• A transition from graduate study to responsibility as a teacher of record
• Ongoing mentorship during the required period of service

This structure gives aspiring teachers time to develop their skills before assuming full classroom responsibility. It also enables current teachers to gain specialist qualifications in an area where the district has identified a serious need.

The Four Partner Institutions and Their Roles

• Yale University: Supplies the program’s principal financial investment. It covers full tuition for fellows in both tracks and provides the advertised $47,380 first-year living stipend to Teacher Pipeline Track participants. Yale also supports the cohort experience and the fellowship’s broader mission of serving and strengthening New Haven.
• Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU): Provides the graduate education. Teacher Pipeline fellows work toward a Master of Arts in Teaching and initial Connecticut teacher certification, while eligible current teachers pursue a Master of Science and special education cross-endorsement. SCSU independently controls admission to its degree programs, so selection as a fellowship finalist does not by itself guarantee university admission.
• New Haven Public Schools (NHPS): Identifies the staffing areas that the program should prioritize. The district supplies classroom settings, mentor teachers, residency placements, and the employment environment in which fellows complete their required service.
• New Haven Promise: Assists with recruitment, application support, and professional guidance. Its involvement helps connect the fellowship to New Haven residents, school employees, and candidates who have demonstrated a commitment to the city and its young people.

Priority Teaching Areas

Southern Connecticut State University has developed fellowship-aligned academic schedules in three main areas identified by New Haven Public Schools:

• Mathematics
• Science (biology, chemistry, earth science, or physics)
• Special Education

The Teacher Pipeline Track may consider a candidate seeking another licensure area if that person can complete the selected program within the same timeframe as the priority programs. However, the fellowship gives preference to mathematics, science, and special education because these represent the district’s greatest teacher shortages.

Program Overview

• Lead Funder: Yale University
• Academic Institution: Southern Connecticut State University
• School District: New Haven Public Schools
• Recruitment Partner: New Haven Promise
• Location: New Haven, Connecticut, USA
• Priority Subject Areas: Mathematics, Science, and Special Education
• Available Tracks: Teacher Pipeline Program and Current Teachers Program
• Graduate Award: Master of Arts in Teaching or Master of Science (depending on track)
• Tuition Support: Full tuition for both tracks
• Living Support: $47,380 first-year stipend for Teacher Pipeline Track fellows
• Fellows per Cohort: Up to 20 Teacher Pipeline Fellows and up to 5 Current Teachers
• Service Requirement: At least three years of full-time employment after completing the degree
• Application Deadline: January 1, 2027

Teacher Pipeline Track

The Teacher Pipeline Track is the main entry route for college graduates who do not already hold a teaching certificate. New Haven Public Schools paraprofessionals and other student-facing support staff are especially encouraged to consider this pathway. Up to 20 college graduates may enter this track in each fellowship year.

Participants pursue Connecticut teacher certification and a two-year Master of Arts in Teaching at Southern Connecticut State University. The academic sequence covers five terms: fall, spring, summer, fall, and spring.

Financial Support for Teacher Pipeline Fellows:

• Full tuition for the relevant SCSU graduate program
• A living stipend of $47,380 during the first fellowship year (September through August)
• A structured cohort experience

Training Sequence:

• Fall of first year: 20 hours per week in a fellowship mentor’s classroom
• Spring of first year: Full-time teacher residency in their school
• Second year: Full-time teachers of record under Connecticut’s Resident Educator Certificate while continuing the degree pathway
• After degree completion: At least three years of teaching in New Haven Public Schools with ongoing mentorship

Current Teachers Track

The Current Teachers Track is designed for eligible full-time teachers already working in New Haven Public Schools. Its purpose is to help qualified educators gain a Connecticut cross-endorsement in special education while earning an SCSU Master of Science. Up to five certified teachers may enter this track per fellowship year. The graduate program runs across four semesters summer, fall, spring, and summer and Yale pays full tuition. Participants continue working as full-time NHPS teachers while completing the program. After earning the Master of Science and cross-endorsement, they must secure and serve in a full-time special education teaching position in the district for at least three years.

Major Benefits

• Full Graduate Tuition: Both fellowship tracks provide full tuition support for the applicable SCSU master’s degree. $47,380 First-Year Living Stipend: Teacher Pipeline fellows receive a living stipend of $47,380 during their first year, from September through August.
• Master’s Degree and Professional Credential: Depending on the track, participants can earn an SCSU Master of Arts in Teaching with initial Connecticut certification or an SCSU Master of Science with special education cross-endorsement.
• Sustained Classroom Experience: The fellowship combines academic learning with direct practice, including mentor-classroom experience, a full-time residency, and a supported transition into teaching.
• Mentorship and Cohort Support: Fellows learn alongside a cohort and receive guidance from experienced educators.
• Route Into a High-Need Public-Service Career: The program prepares participants for roles in subjects where qualified teachers are urgently needed.

Application Materials

Applicants should prepare a complete application carefully and allow sufficient time for transcripts and recommendations. The published track requirements identify the following materials:

• Responses to short-answer questions
• Responses to essay questions
• A résumé or curriculum vitae
• Transcripts from every college or university attended
• A letter of recommendation (from a professor, mentor, or supervisor for Teacher Pipeline applicants; from an NHPS principal or assistant principal for Current Teachers Track applicants)

International Applicants: Applicants with degrees obtained outside the United States should be prepared to provide a course-by-course evaluation from World Education Services (WES) or an educational credential evaluation service.

The online form allows applicants to save an incomplete application and receive a return link. Candidates should copy or email that link to themselves so they can continue working before final submission.

Southern Connecticut State University Admission Process

Fellowship finalists must separately apply for admission to the appropriate Southern Connecticut State University graduate program. This is a mandatory second process. SCSU evaluates academic eligibility and retains sole discretion over admission decisions.

For Master of Arts in Teaching programs, the SCSU 2026–2027 graduate catalogue lists a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, or a recognized foreign equivalent, with a total undergraduate GPA of at least 2.70. Depending on the subject, applicants may also need appropriate subject-area preparation, general-education coursework, and Praxis Core or qualifying substitute scores.

Academic and Service Obligations

The Yale Teaching Fellowship is a significant funded commitment rather than an unrestricted scholarship. Fellows are expected to:

• Maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 at SCSU
• Complete the approved degree and certification or cross-endorsement pathway
• Participate fully in the required in-person academic and school-based activities
• Complete at least three years of full-time qualifying teaching service after finishing the degree

Repayment Schedule for Unfulfilled Service:

• $10,000 for completing less than one year
• $6,666 for completing more than one but less than two years
• $3,333 for completing more than two but less than three years

Important Note: If a fellow is not offered a full-time NHPS teaching position by July 31 of the year in which the fellow earns the SCSU degree, the service commitment may be completed in another Connecticut Alliance District after advance notice.

Application Deadline: January 1, 2027

All required materials should be submitted before the deadline. Candidates should allow sufficient time for transcripts, recommendations, and international credential evaluations.

How to Apply

Applicants can use the following process:

1. Read the current fellowship overview and compare the two tracks
2. Select the track that matches your existing certification and employment status
3. Review the relevant SCSU degree and Connecticut certification requirements
4. Arrange transcripts from every college or university attended
5. Obtain a WES or ECE evaluation if presenting an international degree
6. Ask an appropriate recommender early and explain the deadline
7. Prepare the short-answer and essay responses with clear evidence of readiness to teach and serve New Haven students
8. Upload the résumé or CV and all supporting documents
9. Save the in-progress application link securely if the form is not completed in one session
10. Submit the complete fellowship application before January 1, 2027
11. If selected as a finalist, complete the separate application to Southern Connecticut State University

Contact: Questions about the fellowship may be directed to Christine Gentry, Director of the Yale Teaching Fellowship, at christine.gentry@yale.edu.

Click here to apply

For More Information: Visit the Official Yale Teaching Fellowship Page