In Arizona, no-cost tuition and loan forgiveness programs are available for students who want to become teachers. Students at Arizona’s public universities – ASU, NAU and UArizona – can apply to the Arizona Teachers Academy, which provides tuition coverage for students who agree to teach in Arizona schools. Students attending private colleges can take advantage of the Arizona Teacher Student Loan Program. The current program expands eligibility to more students, simplifies the teaching requirements to any Arizona public school and shortens the teaching service obligation to a term equal to the number of years of loan received. To learn more about the program, or the previous version of the program in place prior to 2023, read here.
Loan agreement:
The Arizona Teacher Student Loan Program is available for students who are working to become teachers. Interested students must enter into an agreement to teach in an Arizona public school for every year loan funding is received. The agreement also includes eligibility requirements, conditions for program participation, service obligations and repayment obligations.
Program loans cover tuition, fees and instructional materials for:
- A maximum of two academic years or four semesters for students in an alternative teaching certification program.
- A maximum of four academic years or eight semesters for undergraduate university students.
- A maximum of two academic years or four semesters for graduate university students who do not have an undergraduate teaching degree.
To qualify:
- Arizona resident.
- Citizen or legal resident of the U.S. or otherwise lawfully present in the U.S.
- Admitted and enrolled as an undergraduate, graduate or postbaccalaureate student at a qualifying postsecondary institution.
- File a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year enrolled in the Arizona Teacher Student Loan program.
- Sign a student agreement that requires the student to meet eligibility requirements for the program and specifies continuing eligibility terms, post-graduation or post-certification service obligations and repayment obligations if a student fails to meet eligibility requirements or service obligations.
- Loan recipients have a grace period of 12 months after graduation or earning their teaching credential to begin teaching. (Deferment is possible if the recipient of the loan is temporarily unable to work; is called to active military duty; is enrolled in a graduate degree program that requires delaying the teaching requirement; or is unable to fulfill the teaching requirement due to circumstances beyond their control.)
More information is available in ABOR policy.