QUALITYstarsNY Academic Scholarship

If you work in an early childhood program participating in QUALITYstarsNY and you are pursuing an early childhood education degree or credit-bearing coursework, you may be eligible for a QUALITYstarsNY Academic Scholarship!  

The new QUALITYstarsNY Academic Scholarship, made possible by a partnership between QUALITYstarsNY and the Early Childhood Career Development Center, funds tuition for one course per semester (a maximum of two courses per year) for eligible QUALITYstarsNY participants.

To qualify for a QUALITYstarsNY Academic Scholarship, you must: 

  • Be working 20 or more hours per week in a participating QUALITYstarsNY program in a teaching or leadership role.
  • Be a full-time or part-time student taking coursework in early childhood education at a CUNY or SUNY college.
  • Be using or have exhausted your Educational Incentive Program (EIP) funding, if eligible.
  • Have an active, current Aspire Registry ID number and profile.
  • Be in good standing with the Career Center (i.e., if you are currently a Career Center client, be up to date with required meetings, grade submissions, etc.).
  • Be prepared to meet with a Career Center advisor three times per semester.
  • Report your grades to the Career Center.
  • Have been continuously employed for at least 12 months at a QUALITYstarsNY participating program.*

*Multiple locations will count
*Applicable only to tuition scholarships

Application Process

The QUALITYstarsNY Academic Scholarship online application will open on July 1, 2024 on the Career Development Center website. The deadline to submit the application is July 14, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. No exceptions will be made for late submissions. 

Getting ready to apply 

To complete the application, you’ll need to know your current, active Aspire Registry member ID number. Before you apply, log into your Aspire Registry profile and make sure your information is accurate and up to date. Be sure that your QUALITYstarsNY program has verified this information in the Aspire Registry: 

  • Your current employer/QUALITYstarsNY program name 
  • Your position title 
  • Your start date at your QUALITYstarsNY program 

Also review your: 

  • School, degree and major
  • Study plan status, if applicable 

You should also be prepared with the following information: 

  • The number of credits you need to complete your degree 
  • The names and codes of the courses you plan to take in the upcoming semester, if available 
  • Proof of your enrollment (such as an e-bill or student transcript), if available 
  • Proof of the estimated cost of your tuition (such as an e-bill or screenshot of an invoice), if available 
  • Proof of award or denial of funding from the Educational Incentive Program (EIP), if applicable 

The online application should take about 15-20 minutes to complete. You’ll be able to save your progress and return to your application before you submit. 

Applicants will be notified about their funding decision during the week of July 22, 2024. 

Download the QUALITYstarsNY Academic Scholarship Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) in English and Spanish to learn more. You can also check out the list of FAQ questions on the QUALITYstarsNY Academic Scholarship page on the Career Development Center website.

If you still have questions about the QUALITYstarsNY Academic Scholarship, please reach out to your Career Advisor or the Career Development Center at careeradvisor@earlychildhoodny.org.

Scholarship Benefits

  • Scholarship funds to complete an early childhood education degree or credit-bearing certification, credential, or coursework. Scholarship funds may cover one course per semester (maximum of 2 semesters per year).   
  • College and career advisement from the Career Development Center to ensure you are on the correct pathway for your personal career journey 

Additional funding support

Funding for teacher certification exams and international transcript translation and evaluation is available through the workforce scholarship application. Applications will continue to be reviewed on a rolling basis. 

Download the QUALITYstarsNY Academic Scholarship flyer in English and Spanish for the Fall 2024 Semester to share with your staff or a colleague who may be interested and eligible to apply.