Teacher Assistant to Teacher

Next Stop: Teach UCPS has four pathways; three for high school students and one for current instructional assistants who intend to pursue careers as licensed teachers. Current UCPS high school students can begin taking classes in ninth grade, earn an associate's degree from South Piedmont Community College, and then enroll in the Road to Wingate program to complete a bachelor's degree. 

Current UCPS instructional assistants can follow a similar path to become a licensed teacher. The online Adult Bachelor Degree Program is designed to develop the internal teaching talent of current instructional assistants who intend to pursue careers as licensed teachers. This scholarship opportunity is made possible by a collaborative recruitment and retention partnership between Union County Public Schools and Wingate University. 

Incentives

• Earn an Associate's Degree from South Piedmont Community College
• Apply/receive the Gateway to Wingate Scholarship that provides the cost of tuition at no more than $2,500 per academic year
• Become a classroom teacher within two to four years of earning the bachelor's degree
• UCPS Scholarship  - UCPS pays up to $2,500 per year of tuition 

Qualifications

• At least 1 year service in current Instructional Assistant position with UCPS 
• Must be willing to be a teacher within UCPS district for 3 years after successful completion of the degree program

Additional Details

• Participants must have an Associate Degree or equivalent
• 60 additional hours (approximately 2 years) of coursework will result in a bachelor’s in Educational Studies

Apply

Complete the Adult Bachelor Degree program application at Wingate. Contact Sandy Leyva, s.leyva@wingate.edu or (704) 233-8075, with any questions about the application process.