Northern Kentucky University and Covington Independent Public Schools (CIPS) announce a partnership that will provide a scholarship to students in the Master of Arts in Education (MAT) program with the goal of attracting and graduating diverse educators and preparing them for the market work.

NKU will contribute $10,000 to the scholarship, with CIPS contributing $4,000 for a total of $14,000, which is the approximate cost of the full MAT program. NKU’s contribution will come from the Diverse Educators grant received through the Council on Post-Secondary Education.

“Scholarships matter. Accessing higher education requires resources and the cost of tuition can be intimidating for families,” said Dr. Ginni Fair, Dean of NKU College of Education. “Covington’s commitment to the supplemental scholarships not only demonstrates its investment in diversifying its workforce, but it also helps break down the barrier that tuition fees can create. The combination of NKU and Covington scholarships means that an eligible Master of Arts in Education applicant who serves the Covington District will receive a full scholarship. Now is a great time for an interested educator of color to pursue a middle or high school education degree at NKU.

To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must be accepted into the MAT program, begin teaching in fall 2022, and teach at Holmes High School or Holmes Middle School.

“We are thrilled and grateful to partner with Northern Kentucky University to provide this opportunity to attract and retain more minority educators,” said Ken Kippenbrock, executive director of human resources for Covington Independent Public Schools.

“The district understands the importance of employing teachers who reflect our diverse student population.”

As part of the program, students will participate in PRAXIS study groups, mentoring relationships, and be offered the opportunity to attend a free summer success seminar.

For more information on the Master of Arts in Education program, visit https://www.nku.edu/academics/coe/programs/graduate/mat.html.