Transfer scholarships support ASU education majors

Amy Maple and Kathy Peach are two of the dozens of students in ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College who are benefiting from the support of transfer scholarships offered through Teachers College. Maple transferred to the West campus from Glendale Community College, while Peach attended Chandler-Gilbert Community College before transferring to the Polytechnic campus.

Scholarships provide $1,000 for a student’s first academic year of study at ASU. Those who maintain a 3.25 GPA receive $2,000 during their senior-year student teaching experience. Students majoring in elementary education, special education, and early childhood/special education are eligible.

“I chose Teachers College at ASU because in the research I did, I determined that it was the best program for me,” said Maple, a married mother of two who returned to college after devoting a few years to being a stay-at-home mom. “I heard nothing but good things about it and am very proud to be a part of such an amazing program.

“I have a lot of support from my husband and my kids. They are helping out quite a bit,” Maple said.

“Teachers College strives to provide opportunities for talented students to earn an education degree and become great teachers in Arizona classrooms, whether they enter ASU as freshmen or transfer from a community college,” said Hilary Misner, senior assistant dean for Teachers College. “We have put in place a number of programs designed to help students succeed, including the MAPP partnership with the Maricopa Community Colleges.”

The Maricopa to ASU Pathways Program (MAPP) is designed for students who want to start at the community college and plan to complete a bachelor’s degree at ASU. Students follow a prescribed sequence of coursework at a Maricopa Community College that meets the lower-division course requirements for an ASU major. When they complete the MAPP, they meet the requirements for an associate’s degree and are on track towards earning their selected bachelor’s degree. Benefits include guaranteed admission to ASU degree programs and eligibility for participation in the ASU Tuition Commitment program.

Peach said the MAPP program played a significant role in her decision to complete her degree at ASU.

“With MAPP I knew that all my coursework at the community college would transfer directly into the education degree program at ASU,” she said. “I was also interested in the tuition cap offered through the MAPP program.”

Learning about the Teachers College transfer scholarship gave Peach an additional incentive to excel in her coursework at Chandler-Gilbert. “I was delighted to learn that by keeping a strong GPA, I could participate in the scholarship pool. Realizing I could earn scholarship money by maintaining grades I intended to maintain anyway kept my motivation high,” Peach said.

“I am honored and grateful for the award,” she said. “It is proof that hard work pays off in more ways than one.”

Teachers College prepares successful and highly qualified PreK-12th grade teachers through its iTeachAZ program, the only one of its kind in Arizona. This model of teacher preparation provides increased hands-on experience in the PreK-12 classroom so that students who complete iTeachAZ have the needed skills and confidence to take on classrooms of their own. Because Teachers College has developed strong working relationships with school districts across Arizona, its alumni have a competitive advantage in the job market.

For students transferring to Teachers College from Arizona community colleges, the priority deadline to apply for a transfer scholarship is Dec. 1 for fall 2013 admission. More information is available at http://education.asu.edu/resources/scholarships/view/transfer-student-scholarship.