The University of Colorado Denver partners with Colorado rural community colleges to create innovative pathways to a bachelor’s degree that can be completed entirely at the community college. They currently have partnerships with Otero College in La Junta, Trinidad State College in Trinidad, and Alamosa and Northeastern Junior College in Sterling.

The teacher preparation partnership brings together a top public urban research university and prestigious rural colleges to provide an affordable four-year pathway to teacher licensure. After successful completion of the four-year program, participants will graduate with a BA in Education and Human Development from CU Denver and a teaching license from the Colorado Department of Education.

The program prepares students with an education that is rooted in best practices and a strong commitment to working in rural communities. Hands-on learning opportunities are incorporated throughout, including early field training and a full year of teaching experience in a local classroom.

Key Features

●      Start taking classes at Northeastern Junior College (NJC) to earn your associate’s

●      Complete the rest of your classes as a CU Denver student in face-to-face classes taught by CU Denver faculty on NJC’s campus in Sterling or online.

●      Save money by opting into BA to MA (BAMA). In BAMA, three classes you take during your senior year double count towards both your bachelor’s and your master’s degrees and are billed at the undergraduate tuition rate.

●      Expand your options as an elementary education teacher by taking two extra classes and adding a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse endorsement education teaching license

●      Earn your degree in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Special Education, Middle School Mathematics, or Secondary Science

For more information about T-PREP at Northeastern Junior College

visit the University of Colorado Denver website or

Contact Jenny Smock by email at jenny.smock@ucdenver.edu or by phone at (970) 520-4971

The Northeast Colorado BOCES Alternative Teacher Licensure Program is a one-year program that allows qualified candidates who hold a bachelor’s degree to earn their initial teaching license in the state of Colorado. This program requires 225 hours of coursework through various formats. Please check out the calendar and program overview for more information about the specific nature of the program.

All candidates need to be employed at a school district and must demonstrate competency in their area of licensure either prior to or during the course of the program.  This can be accomplished by meeting the criteria for the corresponding worksheet set forth by the Colorado Department of Education. Licensure areas offered through this program are listed below. Visit the Colorado Department of Education website for more information about the specific requirements to demonstrate competency.

Alternative Teacher Licensure Program 2022-2023

Alternative Teacher Licensure Program Overview 2023-2024

The Northeast Colorado BOCES Alternative Teacher Licensure Program is authorized to offer the alternative licensure program in the following endorsement areas:

K-12: Dance, Drama Theater Arts, World Languages, Comprehensive Health, Instructional Technology, Music, Physical Education, Visual Arts, Agriculture & Renewable Natural Resources, Business/Marketing

Secondary (7-12): English Language Arts, Family and Consumer Studies, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Middle School Mathematics (6-8)

Elementary Education (K-6)

For more information about the Alternative Teacher Licensure Program contact Anthonya Kahrs at akahrs@neboces.org or call 970-630-3891

Educator Recruitment and Retention Program

The Educator Recruitment and Retention (ERR) program was created by SB21-185 to provide support to members of the armed forces and nonmilitary-affiliated educator candidates in pursuing a career as an educator and to provide support to local education providers to recruit, select, train, and retain highly qualified educators across the state. Under this program, qualified program applicants can apply for up to $10,000 in one-time financial assistance toward their educator preparation program costs if they commit to teaching in a shortage area (see FAQs for list) for three years. Applicants can meet eligibility criteria for the program by first being enrolled in a Colorado-approved traditional or alternative educator preparation program (EPP) (or institute of higher education for applicants pursuing a CTE credential)  and then through three different pathways:

1. Has an earned bachelor’s or higher degree from a regionally accredited college or university and has secured employment as an alternative teacher or temporary educator eligibility (TEE) educator in a shortage area; or

2. Is currently employed as a paraprofessional in a school district, charter school or BOCES and is working toward a baccalaureate degree as required to pursue a professional teaching license; or

3. Has secured a position as a CTE instructor in a rural or small rural district and meets state CTE requirements

Visit the Colorado Department of Education website for more information

TEACH Colorado

$100 Reimbursement

We’ll reimburse any cost required when you apply to or enroll in a teaching program. That includes expenses like:

●       Application fees

●       Transcript fees

●       Testing fees

●       Test prep materials

●       Program deposits

●       And more!

That’s guaranteed money back, just for applying!

Visit TEACH Colorado

$1,000 Scholarship

How to apply:

We love that you’re becoming a teacher. We love it so much that we’re offering a limited number of $1,000 scholarships to educator preparation program applicants.

Here’s how you apply:

1. Sign up for a TEACH Colorado account.

2. Submit an application to one of our partner educator preparation programs.

3. Complete the application form and provide proof of your application by April 30, 2023.

4. Once all of these steps are complete, you'll be entered to win a $1,000 scholarship to help cover the cost of your tuition.

 Visit TEACH Colorado

Colorado Rural Teaching Fellowship

The  $10,000 Colorado Rural Teaching Fellowship is available to selected candidates who complete a year-long clinical experience in a rural school district during the final year of their teacher preparation programs and commit to teaching for two years in a rural district after completion. Candidates who are selected for this fellowship, Rural Teaching Fellows, receive $5000 from their institute of higher education and $5000 from the Colorado Department of Higher Education as a lump sum (taxable income) or as a scholarship (may interfere with financial aid package). The year-long fellowships are created via partnerships between educator preparation programs (EPP) and rural Colorado schools / districts / BOCES or charter schools.

Visit Colorado Center for Rural Education for more information

 Other Funding Opportunities

Visit the Colorado Department of Education website