First Things First College Scholarship

The First Things First College Scholarship provides the early childhood workforce working directly with or on behalf of young children birth through age five access to education and training to achieve degrees, credentials and specialized skills to promote children’s development.

As the Spring 2016 semester approaches, it is time to begin the process of applying for the FTF Scholarship.

What the FTF Scholarship will fund:

1. Tuition, course and college fees and books for:
   1. Coursework leading to a CDA,
   2. Associate degree in ECE or related field
   3. College credits in business administration coursework designed to support staff management, human resources and financial management of early childhood program
2. CDA assessment fees

Who is Eligible?:

1. Those with the minimum age as defined by the college acceptance policy
2. If employed, earns $20.00 or less per hour
3. Evidence of Lawful presence per A.R.S. Section 1-502
4. Must be registered in the Arizona Workforce Registry
5. High school student in Early Childhood Career and Technical Education program dually enrolled for college credit
6. Scholars who are Arizona residents AND working in Arizona with or on behalf of children birth through age 5

Priority of Disbursement:

1. Applicant does not have an Associate or Bachelor’s degree and is currently:
   1. Working directly with children birth to age 5, not yet in kindergarten, in regulated schools, homes, and center-based settings, or
   2. An administrator working in regulated schools, homes, center-based settings and other programs that support children birth through age 5, not yet in kindergarten
2. Applicant currently has an Associate degree that is not ECE or related field and is:
   1. Working directly with children birth to age 5, not yet in kindergarten, in regulated schools, homes, and center-based settings, or
   2. An administrator working in regulated schools, homes, center-based settings and other programs that support children birth through age 5, not yet in kindergarten
3. Applicant is currently working in an early childhood focused position and is seeking a CDA credential or Associate degree:
   1. Coaches, mentors, Arizona Department of Education mentors, Smart Support consultants, child care health consultants, inclusion specialists, ECE independent consultants, surveyors, Department of Health Services licensing staff, supervisors, caseload managers, and others who guide those working directly with children
   2. Professional development providers who design and implement training and coursework for professionals working with or on behalf of children birth to age 5, not yet in kindergarten
4. Applicant does not have an Associate or Bachelor’s degree and is currently volunteering directly with children birth to age 5, not yet in kindergarten, in regulated schools, homes (including family, friend, and neighbor care settings), and center-based setting and is interested in working in the early childhood field
5. Scholar identifies activity that they could contribute in a meaningful way to the field as approved by the administrative home (e.g. professional association volunteer work, community early childhood events volunteer, early childhood systems efforts volunteer such as Read On Arizona)

How to Apply:
All applications will be submitted through the Arizona Early Childhood Workforce Registry (Registry). Please begin here and click on Registry.

Once you are logged in, you will see a link that states, Request Scholarship Assistance under My Scholarships. The Request Scholarship Assistance link will lead you through submitting for the First Things First Scholarship program.

While working through the scholarship application process, you will submit a scholarship request for each college course you wish to take. Each course will be a separate request. You will need to know your Course Prefix and Course Title for this process. You will also be able to Request a Scholarship for your course and college fees.

If you have any questions, please send an email to info@thearizonaregistry.org, or you can call 1-855-818-6613.

Tags: arizona early childhood workforce registry, child development, Early Childhood Career, early childhood workforce, first things first, scholarship, Scholarship Assistance

Category: Education, Educational Opportunities, General, Resources