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CUGMEC Scholarship

CUGMEC Scholarship

The University of St. Thomas is committed to increasing teacher diversity in Minnesota. The Collaborative Urban and Greater Minnesota Educators of Color (formerly the Collaborative Urban Educator, or CUE) Scholarship Program is a public/private partnership between the University of St. Thomas and the state of Minnesota dedicated to increasing teacher diversity in Minnesota. This program has been in existence at the University of St. Thomas since 1991, and has supported over 500 participants of color achieve teaching licenses who are now employed in more than 125 Minnesota schools.

The ongoing goal of this partnership is twofold. First, it is to effectively recruit and support people of color and American Indians into the teaching profession. Second, it is to support all teacher license candidates at the university in achieving greater cultural awareness and ability to effectively educate students from diverse backgrounds.

Contact

Ea Porter

Assistant Director, Community Engagement and Recruiting
Phone Number
651-962-4657
Student hugging family after graduating

More Details

The University of St. Thomas CUGMEC Scholarship Program is a competitive program that awards scholarship dollars, which are in addition to any other merit-based scholarship dollars or other grants offered by the university. The scholarship program only supports students to acquire an initial teaching license. (The School of Education alumni discount program helps our graduates to obtain subsequent licenses and degrees at the University of St Thomas.) Any remaining tuition and fees are the responsibility of the student. The cost of your program will depend on the licensure program you choose.

We are looking specifically to support candidates who:

  • Are committed to serving as a licensed teacher in Minnesota for at least 3 years
  • Have observable commitment to advancing cultural competency and equity
  • Have demonstrated interest in social justice and change
  • Show potential to be successful in the diverse classroom

CUGMEC Program Requirements

  • Requirements​
  • Application Materials​
  • Supplementary Materials​
  • Requirements​

    Candidates must meet the following requirements:

    • A Bachelor's Degree from a regionally accredited institution
    • Seeking an initial, first-time Minnesota teaching license
    • A cumulative minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (4.0 scale). If below 3.0, please reference our provisional admission policy.
    • A commitment to serving students in diverse school settings for at least 3 years
    • Demonstrate a strong background in successfully working with diverse K-12 student populations

    *Application for admission to the University of St. Thomas is separate and required prior to starting the CUGMEC Scholarship Program.

    Application Materials​

    Submit the following application materials:

    • Applicants who meet the scholarship program requirements may be invited to an interview.
    • The CUGMEC Interest Survey
    • A University of St. Thomas application (Select your licensure program of interest)
    • Two letters of reference from a supervisor and a professional colleague
    • Official transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate work (unless that work was completed at the University of St. Thomas) sent from the educational institution
    • Submit transcripts to Graduate Admissions, University of St. Thomas, Box 5 1000 LaSalle Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55403 or gradadmissions@stthomas.edu
    • Personal Statement

    Supplementary Materials​

    Submit the supplementary materials:

    • MTLE Basic Skills required prior to admission.
    • If you have questions regarding this requirement, please email us directly at education@stthomas.edu.
    • Transcript Evaluation: All international transcripts must be reviewed by an accredited evaluation service to determine U.S. equivalency of the degree awarded and the institution awarding the degrees. Applications will not be reviewed for admission until after the evaluation has been received.
    • Submit evaluation to: Graduate Admissions, University of St. Thomas, Box 5, 1000 LaSalle Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55403

    Requirements​

    Candidates must meet the following requirements:

    • A Bachelor's Degree from a regionally accredited institution
    • Seeking an initial, first-time Minnesota teaching license
    • A cumulative minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (4.0 scale). If below 3.0, please reference our provisional admission policy.
    • A commitment to serving students in diverse school settings for at least 3 years
    • Demonstrate a strong background in successfully working with diverse K-12 student populations

    *Application for admission to the University of St. Thomas is separate and required prior to starting the CUGMEC Scholarship Program.

    Application Materials​

    Submit the following application materials:

    • Applicants who meet the scholarship program requirements may be invited to an interview.
    • The CUGMEC Interest Survey
    • A University of St. Thomas application (Select your licensure program of interest)
    • Two letters of reference from a supervisor and a professional colleague
    • Official transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate work (unless that work was completed at the University of St. Thomas) sent from the educational institution
    • Submit transcripts to Graduate Admissions, University of St. Thomas, Box 5 1000 LaSalle Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55403 or gradadmissions@stthomas.edu
    • Personal Statement

    Supplementary Materials​

    Submit the supplementary materials:

    • MTLE Basic Skills required prior to admission.
    • If you have questions regarding this requirement, please email us directly at education@stthomas.edu.
    • Transcript Evaluation: All international transcripts must be reviewed by an accredited evaluation service to determine U.S. equivalency of the degree awarded and the institution awarding the degrees. Applications will not be reviewed for admission until after the evaluation has been received.
    • Submit evaluation to: Graduate Admissions, University of St. Thomas, Box 5, 1000 LaSalle Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55403

    Frequently Asked Questions​

    The scholarship is offered to qualified candidates when the funds are available and until funds are exhausted. Any remaining tuition and fees are the responsibility of the student.

    Typical costs include such items as tuition, textbooks, class materials, printing, parking in downtown Minneapolis campus area, any St. Thomas and PELSB testing requirements, license fees, transcript and technology fees, fees for background checks prior to any field experience or clinical practice in school settings and liability insurance.


    License options are elementary, secondary or special education.


    No, the CUGMEC Scholarship Program is for first-time licensure only.


    There is no due date for CUGMEC Scholarship Program applications as the program is offered to qualified students as the funds are received from the Legislature and until funds are exhausted. We will screen and select applicants for interviews as soon as they are reviewed.


    Course completion is based on academic program chosen by student.


    Each of our programs uses an assessment to assist in making admissions decisions. Specific requirements can be found here.

    Upon completion of your license coursework, the state of Minnesota requires tests in pedagogical knowledge and content area knowledge.