Once Fellows have successfully completed Pre-Service Training and all Certification Requirements, they are eligible to be hired as a full-time teacher in an Arizona public school. Once hired, Fellows are considered full-time employees of the district at which they are employed, with the same starting salary and benefits as other first-year teachers. For the 2011-2012 school year, first-year teachers typically earned approximately $39,000 annually and received benefits that usually included medical, dental, vision, and life insurance coverage.

For more information, visit the website for each of Arizona Teaching Fellows' current partner school districts. Most sites will include information about current salary schedules and available benefits for teachers.

Education Award & Loan Deferment

Arizona Teaching Fellows is currently a member of AmeriCorps, the national service network. Through this relationship Fellows may be eligible to apply to enroll in the AmeriCorps Education Award for their service as a teacher in a high-need school. If accepted, Fellows must remain in good standing with Arizona Teaching Fellows, fulfilling all program requirements. The Education Award is $5,500 for a year of full-time service and can be used to pay education costs at qualified institutions of higher education, for educational training, or to repay qualified student loans. Once Fellows receive the award after their term of service, they have up to seven years to claim and use the award. For the 2012 Fellow cohort, AmeriCorps membership will be determined in September 2012 and is dependent upon availability of funds from grant sources.  This notification should not be taken as a guarantee that AmeriCorps funds will be available or distributed to Fellows. 

Fellows with Stafford and Perkins loans may be eligible for loan deferment or forgiveness. For details about eligibility, please contact your loan provider directly to confirm whether programs are available for individuals who make a commitment to teach full-time in under-resourced schools. You may also visit the Federal Student Aid website for more information about the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program.