Show-Me State Times

Saint Louis University’s School of Education has announced the launch of the StayTeachLead Scholarship Program, a new initiative aimed at addressing teacher shortages in the St. Louis area by providing substantial financial support to students pursuing education degrees.

The program will offer half-tuition scholarships, valued at more than $28,000 per year, to selected students nominated by leadership from participating local schools and districts. Each recipient may also qualify for additional scholarship funding beyond this amount. The total investment in each student over their undergraduate studies will exceed $100,000.

Eligible partner institutions include traditional public schools, charter public schools, and private schools across the region. Through this partnership model, each school or district can nominate two students who plan to study education at Saint Louis University (SLU).

“Our mission calls us to both support our communities and to inspire educators as leaders of change, with and for others, through intentional relationships and responsive action,” said Gary Ritter, Ph.D., dean of the School of Education. “The StayTeachLead Scholarship Program embodies that mission. By working hand-in-hand with district partners to support talented future educators, we are strengthening the very schools we serve. This partnership ensures that students in our region benefit from outstanding teachers who are prepared not only to teach but also to lead.”

SLU has already piloted similar scholarship efforts in districts such as Ritenour Public Schools, University City, and St. Louis Public Schools through its Grow Your Own teacher education scholarships. The new program aims to expand partnerships with approximately 25 local districts and schools.

A requirement for scholarship recipients is that they complete their fourth year student teaching in a local school setting.

Chris Kilbride, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools for the Ritenour School District, expressed appreciation for SLU’s efforts: “We in Ritenour are so pleased to create opportunities for our fantastic graduates to enter the teaching profession,” he said. “I am grateful for Saint Louis University leading the way in making a degree in education affordable and attainable for our Ritenour students.”

Kori Seals, currently a junior at SLU’s School of Education who has benefited from a similar scholarship program, described her academic journey: “My experience in SLU’s School of Education has been both invigorating and introspective,” she said. “Starting in my freshman year, I took classes that pushed me to answer questions about myself, my values, and my beliefs.

“Now, as a junior, I am still engaging in that same critical reflection, but I am also building on it with specific pedagogical knowledge and socially just teachings. The way SLU intertwines the art of becoming a teacher with curriculum and lesson plan development is impressive.”

The StayTeachLead Scholarship Program is part of Saint Louis University's ongoing commitment to supporting K-12 education within the St. Louis community.