The University of South Florida (USF) recently received an $80,000 gift made by education technology company PowerSchool that will support USF College of Education students with the financial costs associated with state teacher certification exams.
The gift, made to the USF Foundation, will help College of Education students cover costs associated with initial teacher certification, such as testing fees, fingerprinting and background checks. The donation was made as part of the PowerSchool Education Fund, an initiative launched to address the national teacher shortage and attract underrepresented populations to the education profession.
“As the national teacher shortage continues, compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, certification fees should not create barriers or place additional burden on anyone wanting to join the teaching profession,” said Hardeep Gulati, PowerSchool CEO. “We’re proud to give back to our communities and help support a quality and equitable education for all."
For more than 60 years, the USF College of Education has offered bachelor’s and master’s degree programs that prepare aspiring teachers to serve in classrooms at the regional, national and international levels. The USF College of Education offers undergraduate and master’s level teacher preparation programs at all three USF campuses.
“We are incredibly grateful to PowerSchool for its gift in support of teacher candidates studying in the College of Education,” said R. Anthony Rolle, PhD, Dean of the USF College of Education. “The PowerSchool Education Fund will support our students’ success by helping them cover out-of-pocket expenses associated with becoming a certified teacher in Florida. We hope that this new initiative will motivate additional students to pursue careers in the education profession and to graduate with as little student debt as possible.”
The PowerSchool Education Fund will begin awarding scholarships to USF College of Education students this spring. For more information about eligibility requirements and how to apply, please contact the College of Education’s Scholarship Office at eduscholarships@usf.edu.
About the University of South Florida:
The University of South Florida is a high-impact global research university dedicated
to student success. Over the past 10 years, no other public university in the country
has risen faster in U.S. News and World Report’s national university rankings than
USF. Serving more than 50,000 students on campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee,
USF is designated as a Preeminent State Research University by the Florida Board of
Governors, placing it in the most elite category among the state’s 12 public universities.
USF has earned widespread national recognition for its success graduating under-represented
minority and limited-income students at rates equal to or higher than white and higher
income students. USF is a member of the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at
www.usf.edu.
About PowerSchool:
PowerSchool (NYSE: PWSC) is the leading provider of cloud-based software for K-12
education. Its mission is to power the education ecosystem with unified technology
that helps educators and students realize their full potential, in their way. PowerSchool
connects students, teachers, administrators, and parents, with the shared goal of
improving student outcomes. From the office to the classroom to the home, it helps
schools and districts efficiently manage state reporting and related compliance, special
education, finance, human resources, talent, registration, attendance, funding, learning,
instruction, grading, assessments and analytics in one unified platform. PowerSchool
supports over 45 million students globally and more than 12,000 customers, including
93 of the top 100 districts by student enrollment in the United States, and sells
solutions in over 90 countries.