Scholarships
Overview of ACRES Teacher Scholarship
The American Council on Rural Special Education (ACRES) offers a scholarship of up to $1,000 to give a practicing rural teacher an opportunity to pursue education and training that would not otherwise be affordable within his/her district. The scholarship must be applied to a formal program that leads to a specialized certificate, an additional endorsement or a graduate degree. Creativity in gaining and sharing information with others will be considered in awarding the scholarship.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for an ACRES teacher scholarship, an individual must be:- currently or recently employed by a rural school district as a certified teacher in regular or special education;
- working with students with disabilities or with regular education students and “retooling” for work in a special education setting;
- pursuing a goal of increasing skills in special education or “retooling” from a regular education to a special education career; and
- a citizen of the United States.
- a completed application form
- an essay describing the opportunities and challenges of rural special education, the reason why scholarship funds are needed, the plans for using the scholarship for further education or training, and how the information gained from the education or training will be shared with other educators in rural schools; and
- two letters of recommendation from persons in a position to judge capabilities as a rural special educator; at least one reference must be from an individual actively involved in rural special education.
Selection Process
The selection committee will consist of ACRES members who geographically and professionally represent all aspects of rural special education in the United States. These people may include rural parents, preservice educators, state education professionals, special education directors, teachers, and health and related service professionals. Selection of the award winner will be made on the basis of a completed application form, the essay, and two letters of reference. The award will be announced at the Annual ACRES National Conference. The scholarship must be used during the academic year immediately following notification of the award, and cannot be held for future use or transferred to other individuals. The award winner will also receive a one-year honorary membership in ACRES.
Application Process and Due Date
Completed application form must be submitted by FEBRUARY 1.
Scholarship notification will be made on or before MARCH 1.
The scholarship recipient will be notified prior to the annual conference and invited to attend the award presentation that will be made at one of the general sessions. The recipient does not need to be present to receive the scholarship but is encouraged to come to meet and network with other rural special educators.