Applications Now Open for Teaching Fellows

Organized by the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement (CERRA), Teaching Fellows is a competitive program that provides funds for aspiring teachers to attend college in South Carolina.

North Greenville University (NGU) was named a Teaching Fellows Institution in August of 2024, welcoming its first cohort this fall.

“Teaching Fellows provides an enhanced educational experience for the members of the cohort,” said Gretchen Pruden, NGU’s campus director of Teaching Fellows. “They will have more opportunities for professional development and training, and they will also be able to spend more time in the field than traditional students. Community service is also a big part of teaching, so we will provide opportunities for our fellows to be out serving in the Upstate.”

NGU’s Teaching Fellows cohort contains 12 students.

“I am thrilled with the quality of students who are in our inaugural cohort,” said Pruden. “They are hard-working, creative, and intentional about building relationships. I can’t wait to see how they continue to grow and lead.”

Hayden Dill, a freshman Elementary Education major, is one of those. She said she is excited about the community she has found in NGU’s College of Education.

“I chose Teaching Fellows because I wanted the community to have people to be around me and helping me with everything,” said Dill. “Teaching Fellows, yes, helps you in college, but it also helps you all throughout teaching so it’s just a great program.”

Dill said she is following in the footsteps of her mother, who has served as a preschool director.  

“I really just decided I would rather go to a school that loves Jesus like I do,” she said. “I want to be the light in schools.”

Interested and qualified students can apply between Oct. 1-Dec. 1 on CERRA’s website.  

Students of the program can receive a total of up to $24,000 from CERRA, in addition to other financial aid they receive from NGU, federal, and state.

NGU offers the following education degree paths: Early Childhood, Elementary, Math Education, English Education, Social Studies Education, Music Education, Physical Education, and Theater Education.

“Applicants can pursue any of these fields of education and be considered for the Fellowship,” said Pruden. “Come visit and see for yourself what Teaching Fellows is all about.”

To learn more about the Teaching Fellows program and how to apply, visit go.ngu.edu/teaching-fellows.