The MI Future Educator Fellowship — a groundbreaking new program to provide $10,000 scholarships to 2,500 future educators in Michigan every year — is not open for applications yet. But the state has put out a new FAQ and a sign-up form to be notified when the application opens.

To be eligible, students must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), be a Michigan resident since July 1 of the previous calendar year, be enrolled in an eligible Educator Preparation Program, and commit to teach in Michigan for a specified time, among other requirements.

The MI Future Educator Fellowship was created under a historic 2023 state education budget signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in July, which also includes new stipends for student teachers and additional funding for Grow Your Own programs — all to address the growing educator shortage.

These visionary programs are part of a final state budget that invests a record $19.6 billion on PreK-12 schools, $530 million on community colleges and $3.5 billion on universities — all without raising taxes.

The state is also in the process of developing rules and eligibility for a new program for student teacher stipends — stay tuned to MEA communications for more information about that program as it’s available.