The University of Texas at Arlington's College of Education has received a $300,000 grant from the Fort Worth Education Partnership to support its new paid teacher residency program.
The three-year grant will help UTA develop the program, which will give aspiring teachers the opportunity to spend a full academic year gaining hands-on experience in a classroom before graduation.
The funding will support UTA's participation in the US PREP Coalition as the College of Education prepares to welcome its first teacher residency cohort in fall 2027. US PREP will work with UTA as it develops the program and builds partnerships with area school districts.
"This funding allows us to move from planning to implementation as we build a residency program that fully immerses our students in classroom teaching and authentically prepares them for this great profession," said Ann Cavallo, interim dean of the College of Education. "We are grateful to the Fort Worth Education Partnership and US PREP for investing in UTA and in the future of teaching across North Texas."
UTA announced plans for the paid residency program in June after the College of Education was accepted into the US PREP Coalition, a network of more than 40 universities nationwide working to strengthen how future teachers are prepared for the classroom.
Through the program, aspiring teachers will have the option to spend their final year of undergraduate study working alongside experienced educators in local schools. The yearlong experience will give students more time to develop their teaching skills and become familiar with the day-to-day responsibilities of being a teacher.
The residency will also be paid, helping reduce the financial burden students can face while completing the classroom experience required to become a teacher.
The Fort Worth Education Partnership grant runs through June 2029 and will help UTA establish the residency program and prepare it for continued growth in the years ahead.
About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)
The University of Texas at Arlington is a growing public research university in the heart of Dallas-Fort Worth. With a student body of over 42,700, UTA is the second-largest institution in the University of Texas System, offering more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Recognized as a Carnegie R-1 university, UTA stands among the nation's top 5% of institutions for research activity. UTA and its 300,000 alumni generate an annual economic impact of $28.8 billion for the state. The University has received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and has earned recognition for its focus on student access and success, considered key drivers to economic growth and social progress for North Texas and beyond.
