Grants and Scholarships for Children of Educators

Financing a college education can be an expensive endeavor. There are many federal grants and loans as well as private scholarships available to help students pay for their tuition and other expenses. For students who are the dependents of educators, there are additional financial awards available.

State Teacher Associations

State teacher associations support educators in public schools and colleges. In addition, some associations offer programs that benefit the family members of the educators. The California Teachers Association offers the CTA Scholarship for Dependent Children. This scholarship is granted to dependents of an active or retired CTA member. Applicants must have a high school GPA of at least 3.5 and provide letters of recommendation and a record of community involvement with their application. The CTA also awards the Del A. Weber Scholarship for Dependent Children Attending Continuation High School/Alternative Education Programs. Applicants must be a dependent of an active or retired CTA member, submit letters of recommendation and have at least a 2.0 high school GPA.

Private Scholarships

Private nonprofit organizations are among resources that award college scholarships to promising students. The Colleen and Erin Marlatt Scholarship is specifically for dependents of educators who work in Catholic schools. The scholarship fund is a 401c3 organization based in Clarksville, Maryland, established in memory of two sisters killed tragically by a tornado at the University of Maryland in 2001. The parent of the applicant must be a full-time teacher, principal or vice principal. Students must also submit financial aid information, letters of recommendation and an essay.

Teachers Unions

State teachers unions further the professional careers of its members and provide mentoring as well as personal resources. The Illinois Federation of Teachers, a member of the ALF-CIO, awards the Carl J. Megel Special Education Scholarship to a special education student whose parent is an active member of the IFT or was a member in good standing, if the parent is deceased. Alternatively, the student may be sponsored by a special education teacher who is an IFT member. As of 2011, the scholarship is awarded in the amount of $1,000.

Employee Benefits

Some colleges and universities offer free or reduced tuition to the dependents of their employees. If a school is part of a consortium, this benefit is often extended so that the student can receive the tuition waiver at any member institution. As an example, Bridgewater State University in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, offers tuition remission benefits to the employee, their spouse and dependent children. The program extends to community colleges as well as state colleges or universities in Massachusetts, excluding the M.D. Program at UMass Medical School.