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T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA Recipient Policies and Procedures Manual
T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® MINNESOTA
Recipient Policies and Procedures Manual
T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® MINNESOTA* is administered by:
Child Care Aware of Minnesota
380 Lafayette Road E, Suite 103
Saint Paul, MN 55107
(651) 290-9704
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*T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® MINNESOTA is a licensed program of Child Care Services Association.
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T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA Recipient Policies and Procedures Manual
Dear Scholarship Recipient,
Welcome to the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® MINNESOTA scholarship program! We are very excited that you
have accepted the challenge of continuing your education while working in the early childhood education
and/or school-age care field. To ensure that you have a successful experience in our scholarship program, you
are receiving this handbook as part of your award packet.
Please carefully read through each section of this manual before signing your contract; we want you to have a
clear understanding of T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA and our expectations. Each section is designed to provide you
with specific information about how the program works. At the end of the manual we have included a
T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA staff directory and contact information. Please contact us with questions or concerns
you may have. We are here to help you have a successful experience with T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA.
After reading this manual, please sign and return the Scholarship recipient Manual Compliance Page along
with an original contract. Both of these documents must be mailed to us; we need your original signature on
file. We will not authorize or disperse any funds on your behalf until we have received both of these
documents.
We wish you the best and look forward to working with you as you pursue your educational goals.
Sincerely,
T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA scholarship program staff
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T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA Recipient Policies and Procedures Manual
T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA
Introduction and Program Overview
What is the Recipient Manual?
This manual is the Recipient Policies and Procedures Manual of Child Care Aware of Minnesota’s T.E.A.C.H.
Early Childhood® MINNESOTA program (hereafter referred to as T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA). The Recipient
Manual is referred to in and supplements the separate contract between Child Care Aware of Minnesota
(hereafter referred to as Child Care Aware) and each individual scholarship recipient. Child Care Aware
reserves the right to change, add to, eliminate or modify any of the policies and procedures in this Recipient
Manual at its discretion, with or without notice. The most updated version of the manual will always be
available on the T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA website.
What is the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Program?
T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA is a higher education scholarship program intended to help early childhood and schoolage care professionals increase their levels of education, compensation and commitment to the field.
History of the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Program
The Teacher Education And Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H.) Early Childhood® Program began as a program of
Child Care Services Association, located in North Carolina, in 1990 to upgrade the level of education of
providers working with young children, while making the educational process affordable, increasing wages and
reducing turnover.
Over the past two decades, the program has received national attention as one of the first to link teacher
education and compensation. Because of the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® project child care professionals have
completed on average 14 credits each year, turnover rates have decreased and salaries have increased. The
program has expanded to more than 20 states across the nation. For more information on the creation of
T.E.A.C.H. in North Carolina and states that currently administer the program, visit www.childcareservices.org.
History of T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® MINNESOTA
T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA, a program of Child Care Aware of Minnesota, began in 2002. In its first year, T.E.A.C.H.
MINNESOTA served a select portion of Minnesota only, offering the CDA assessment fee and associate degree
scholarship options. During the fall of 2003, T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA awarded its first bachelor’s degree
scholarship. Currently T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA serves child care providers and sponsoring centers statewide,
and it focuses solely on scholarships that cover higher education expenses. The CDA assessment fee is now
covered by another program of Child Care Aware.
As the licensee agency, Child Care Aware sets the policies and procedures for operating the T.E.A.C.H.
MINNESOTA program in the state of Minnesota within the guidelines established by Child Care Services
Association, the license holder of T.E.A.C.H Early Childhood®. When making decisions that may impact the
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T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA Recipient Policies and Procedures Manual
T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA program, Child Care Aware utilizes input from the T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA Advisory
Committee and other key early care and education stakeholders.
To continue operating a successful program, T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA annually surveys T.E.A.C.H. Early
Childhood® MINNESOTA scholarship recipients and sponsoring centers to better understand their experience
with the program and to make necessary changes for improvement. Additionally, T.E.A.C.H. regularly surveys
higher education staff and faculty to learn their perspectives of the program.
T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA’s Mission Statement
The mission of T.E.A.C.H. is to promote and provide support needed for child care professionals to increase
their level of education, retention and compensation, while ensuring that it is economically and professionally
feasible for individuals to stay in the field.
Administering Organization
Minnesota Child Care Resource & Referral Network, a Minnesota nonprofit corporation, which operates under
the name Child Care Aware of Minnesota, administers T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA. Child Care Aware is dedicated
to assisting families, providers and communities with child care information and services. For more
information about Child Care Aware visit http://childcareawaremn.org/.
Funding
T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA is funded largely through federal dollars but also receives some foundation support. In
December 2011 Minnesota received a federal Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Grant, which will
increase the amount of federal dollars available for T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA’s higher education awards.
T.E.A.C.H., the scholarship recipient and the sponsoring child care sponsoring center (when applicable) all pay
a portion of educational costs.
Available Scholarships
 CDA Training for College Credit
o This scholarship helps cover college credits designed to meet the 120 hour training requirement
for the National Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential. Visit the T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA
website for a list of colleges that currently provide credits for this credential.
 Associate Degree Scholarship
o This scholarship is for child care and school-age care professionals who are taking classes
towards a two year degree in Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood Special Education or
Child Development.
 Bachelor Degree Scholarship
o This scholarship is for child care and school-age care professionals who are taking credits
towards a four year degree in Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood Special Education or
Child Development.
 Student Teaching Scholarship
o This scholarship is available to child care and school-age care professionals who are enrolled in
Student Teaching and are able to work 10 hours per week while completing their student
teaching requirements. We do not provide the application for the student teaching stipend on
our website; you must contact a counselor for more information about this award.
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T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA Recipient Policies and Procedures Manual
Judy Lindman Memorial Scholar Forgivable Loan Program
o This forgivable loan is available to high school seniors who want to pursue a two year degree in
an approved higher education program.
With the exception of the Judy Lindman Memorial award, all scholarship models are available to Minnesota
early childhood and school-age care professionals who work full-time or part-time in a legally regulated or
licensed child care/school-age care program or operate a licensed family child care program and meet the
eligibility requirements.
In some rare cases it is possible that a scholarship recipient may have more than one scholarship at a time. To
learn more about this possibility, please speak with a T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA program counselor.
Eligibility Requirements (do not apply to the Judy Lindman award; see website for more information)
 Be 18 years of age or older
 Be a U.S. citizen or legal resident
 Work in a child care or school-age care program in Minnesota
 Have a high school diploma or GED
 Work directly with children for a minimum of 780 hours per year (averaging at least 15 hours per week)
 Be employed by your current program or working under your current family child care license for at
least the past six months at the time of application
 Be accepted into an approved Minnesota accredited college or university with an early childhood
education, early childhood special education or child development degree program or be pursuing a
National Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential through a higher education CDA program
 Agree to continue working at least one additional year beyond your contract year at your current child
care or school-age care program (i.e. commitment year)
Role of the Counselor
T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA counselors answer questions regarding scholarship contracts and policies/procedures
and provide suggestions regarding scholarship options. They also provide suggestions of college options for
potential applicants or current recipients planning to change schools or degree programs. The counselor
communicates on behalf of recipients with participating colleges and universities to ensure prompt payment
for approved classes. Counselors are an important component of the program; they help make T.E.A.C.H.
MINNESOTA a success for everyone.
College Application & Admissions Process
I.
Applying for Financial Aid
T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA scholarship recipients are required to apply for other sources of financial aid. Working
full-time and attending school is challenging, and financial aid can alleviate financial stresses. Recipients must
apply for both federal and state funded financial aid by completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal
Student Aid) form. For more information, visit www.fafsa.ed.gov/index.htm or call 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-8005
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T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA Recipient Policies and Procedures Manual
433-3243). Recipients should also contact their college’s financial aid office for additional information on
financial aid opportunities available.
If a scholarship recipient receives a federal or state grant or other scholarship funds (excluding loans), those
dollars will first be applied toward the maximum of 15 semester credits covered by T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA.
This allows our dollars to support more child care professionals, many of whom do not receive other financial
aid in the form of scholarships or grants.
a. FEDERAL AND STATE STUDENT FINANCIAL AID
i. Federal Pell Grants: The Federal Pell Grant is the largest federal grant program for
undergraduate students. It is specifically targeted for the neediest students in the country.
The Federal Pell Grant is not a loan, so it does not have to be repaid after you graduate. The
amount of the Federal Pell Grant award varies by enrollment level—full-time, three-quartertime, half-time and less than half-time. Federal Pell Grants are “portable,” meaning that if you
qualify for a Pell Grant at one school, you are likely to qualify for a Pell Grant at other schools.
Pell Grants are limited to students who have not yet received a bachelor’s degree.
ii. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant: The FSEOG is another grant program
for the very neediest students. Unlike the Pell Grant, each school awards the FSEOG from its
allocation, so awards will vary from school to school. FSEOG funds are also limited to those
who have not yet received a bachelor’s degree.
iii. Minnesota State Grant: The Minnesota State Grant program is the largest grant program to
students administered by the state. Minnesota State Grants are similar to Pell Grants in that
they do not have to be repaid after graduation, and they are portable. However, because the
Minnesota State Grant is based in part on the tuition cost of the school, there will be some
variance in award amounts from school to school.
b. Outside Scholarships are scholarships that are from sources outside the school. You need to print
off an application from the scholarship website and submit it to the scholarship agency. Your college
may know about some of these scholarships.
c. Foundation Scholarships are scholarships that the school administers. You must have completed
the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and be enrolled in six or more credits to qualify
for these funds. The funds come from outside agencies, former employees and internal donations.
You need to contact the college/university’s financial aid department to see if these scholarships are
available to you. College/universities typically have a Foundation Scholarship Application that you
can print off from their website.
d. GI Bill Program is designed to provide postsecondary financial assistance to eligible Minnesota
veterans and to the children and spouses of deceased or severely disabled eligible Minnesota
veterans.
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T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA Recipient Policies and Procedures Manual
e. Minnesota Indian Scholarship Program is designed to provide postsecondary financial assistance to
eligible Minnesota resident students who are of one-fourth or more American Indian ancestry and
demonstrate financial need for an award.
f. Minnesota Public Safety Officers Survivor Grant Program is designed to provide financial assistance
to students pursuing postsecondary education who are spouses or dependent children of public
safety officers killed in the line of duty. The Minnesota Office of Higher Education (the Agency)
administers the education benefit portion of the Public Safety Officers Survivor Benefits.
g. Alliss Educational Foundation Grants: The Alliss grant is an opportunity grant, designed to help
adult learners begin college or return to college. The grant is not based on family income and is
available to all new Minnesota community college students who qualify. The grant provides
payment of tuition for one course—up to five semester credits—and also covers the cost of
required textbooks for that course. To qualify, the course selected must be a transferable course
that would be accepted as an integral academic part of an A.A., A.S., or A.A.S. degree program or a
preliminary or developmental-level course if it is required for the student to start a degree
program. Certificate and diploma programs are ineligible as are on-the-job customized training
courses. Grant recipients must be out of school for at least seven years.
h. SELF Loan Program is designed to provide educational loans to Minnesota postsecondary students
who are unable to obtain sufficient funds from other non-loan financial aid programs to meet their
financial need.
i. Subsidized loans are awarded on the basis of financial need. You will not be charged any interest
before you begin repaying the loan because the federal government subsidizes the interest during
this time. This type of financial aid does need to be paid back.
j. Unsubsidized Loans have interest that is charged from the time the money is first disbursed until it
is paid in full. The interest is compounded (capitalized), meaning that you pay interest on any
interest that has already accrued. One way to minimize how much interest accrues is to pay the
interest as it accumulates. This type of financial aid does need to be paid back.
While loans are an option for students, we encourage recipients to attend school at a pace that allows them
to complete a degree program without loans.
II.
Applying for Admission
Scholarship recipients must apply to their college or university for admission by contacting their chosen
college’s admissions office for an application or visiting its website. Typically colleges or universities charge a
one-time application and/or admission fee and require payment of the fee at the time the application is
submitted. T.E.A.C.H. does not reimburse college application and/or admission fees; scholarship recipients
must pay this fee. Colleges often require scholarship recipients to take an Accuplacer test prior to being
accepted as well. Scholarship recipients should contact their college of choice to find out the requirements for
acceptance into the college. For a list of colleges who offer an approved early childhood/child development
program visit our website at http://www.childcareawaremn.org/teach_schools.
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T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA Scholarship Recipient
Procedures and Policies
Contract Requirements & Eligibility
To help individuals understand the paperwork required for our program, new T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA
scholarship recipients receive a packet or binder including their contract, a recipient handbook and other
useful information. In all scholarship award mailings (with or without binder/packet), each T.E.A.C.H. recipient
receives two copies of the scholarship contract that outlines the agreement and each participant’s
responsibilities. All contracts must be signed by a T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA staff person, the scholarship
recipient and their sponsoring center (if applicable). Recipients are required to mail in one of the signed
contracts to T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA; this must be mailed with the original signature on it (not a copy). The
remaining contract is for the scholarship recipient and the sponsoring center. Sponsoring centers are
encouraged to make a copy of the contract to keep on file. The contract outlines each party’s responsibilities.
In addition to the contract, scholarship recipients must sign and return the Recipient Manual Compliance
Form, which confirms that the recipient has read the manual and will comply with its contents. The manual is
considered an addendum to the contract.
Requirements of the Scholarship Recipient
 Each “active” quarter or semester (meaning at least one credit is approved by T.E.A.C.H.
MINNESOTA), scholarship recipients are responsible for paying a portion of tuition and books. Any
outstanding balance owed for your tuition and books must be paid before Child Care Aware will
authorize payment for a new semester or quarter.
 The contract runs for a full calendar year from the term that it is awarded (i.e. Fall 2012 through
Summer 2013). The scholarship recipient must successfully complete a minimum of nine semester
credits within the contract year to be eligible for the bonus or raise, but T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA will
cover up to a maximum of 15 semester credits. (As mentioned earlier, authorized credits covered
by the Pell Grant or other outside funds do count toward the credit maximum. This allows
T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA to support a larger number of child care professionals in their educational
pursuits.)
 Scholarship recipients who choose to take additional credits above the contract limit can pay for
the credits themselves or use loans, if eligible. However, Child Care Aware does not encourage
scholarship recipients to take out loans to complete their educational studies.
 Upon successful completion of the contract year and full payment of any sums owed to Child Care
Aware, scholarship recipients will receive compensation in the form of a bonus or a raise from their
sponsoring center (if applicable) and/or from Child Care Aware depending upon the scholarship
model. However, in order for Child Care Aware to issue a bonus to the scholarship recipient and/or
a compensation letter to the sponsoring center, scholarship recipients must submit all required
grade reports and paperwork to their T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA counselor. Scholarship recipients
must also not owe any sums to Child Care Aware.
 If a scholarship recipient fails to submit all information and documents required by Child Care
Aware for participation in the program by the deadlines established by Child Care Aware (e.g. grade
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reports, program forms, information update forms, and other requested documents), a T.E.A.C.H.
MINNESOTA counselor will attempt to collect necessary information and documents by emailing,
calling and/or mailing letters to the scholarship recipient. After three unsuccessful contacts, Child
Care Aware may rescind the scholarship contract. In that case, the scholarship recipient will be
responsible for repaying Child Care Aware all monies expended on the scholarship recipient’s
behalf for their scholarship and will forfeit their bonus. The scholarship recipient may also be
ineligible for future scholarships from Child Care Aware.
The general process by which counselors notify scholarship recipients of outstanding grade reports
and other paperwork needed is as follows:
1. E-mail, phone-call or letter reminder
2. Second notice reminder by e-mail, phone call or letter
3. Final notice by email, phone call or letter
4. Rescind scholarship letter

If a scholarship recipient submits the required information and documents to Child Care Aware
after the scholarship has been rescinded, T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA will reverse the charges, but the
scholarship recipient will still be ineligible for receiving additional funds under the affected contract
and will not be eligible to receive the bonus. However, the scholarship recipient may be eligible to
apply for future T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA scholarships; this decision will be made at the discretion of
T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA.
Current and future contract eligibility
If a scholarship recipient defaults on a contract or does not successfully complete a contract due to
terminating a contract, T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA reserves the right to not award additional scholarship awards
to the scholarship recipient. Additionally, if a scholarship recipient defaults on or fails to successfully complete
a contract, the scholarship recipient’s eligibility with other programs supported by Child Care Aware (e.g.
REETAIN) may be affected. (See Addendum for additional items.)
The occurrence of any of the following events will constitute a default by the scholarship recipient:
1. Failure to maintain the required GPA (2.0 over the course of one contract year);
2. Withdrawing from or terminating two or more contracts with T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA;
3. Dropping or withdrawing from two or more classes after the drop/add deadline without a medical
reason or other extenuating circumstance;
4. Failure to pay any sum owed to Child Care Aware within three months of the date of the invoice from
Child Care Aware;
5. Withdrawal or expulsion from the college;
6. Failure to notify Child Care Aware of a change in the scholarship recipient’s name, address (both U.S.
Mail and email addresses) or school enrollment status;
7. Terminating the scholarship recipient’s current work position, or being terminated from scholarship
recipient’s current work position for performance issues, during the term of the contract or during the
commitment year;
8. Losing the ability to work/operate under the scholarship recipient’s current child care program license
and/or having a negative action on that license, defined as a conditional license, suspension or
temporary immediate suspension or a maltreatment finding in which the program is responsible. Fines
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are not considered a negative action. A program may reapply for T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA after
resolution of the negative action.
9. Any statement, representation or warranty made by the scholarship recipient to Child Care Aware at
any time is incorrect or misleading in any material respect when made;
10. Conviction of, or a plea of guilty by, the scholarship recipient of a felony or misdemeanor, other than
minor offenses such as traffic cases;
11. Any breach or default in the performance of the scholarship recipient's obligations under this Manual
or in the payment of any amount owed by scholarship recipient to Child Care Aware under this
Manual;
12. The bankruptcy or insolvency of the scholarship recipient;
13. The filing of a voluntary or involuntary proceeding in bankruptcy or receivership against the scholarship
recipient in a court of competent jurisdiction or appointment of a trustee or receiver as a result of a
said action and proceeding in a court of competent jurisdiction and, in the case of an involuntary filing
with respect to which the debtor did not consent, the continuance of such proceeding for a period of
ninety (90) days without dismissal;
14. The entry into any assignment, arrangement, composition or reorganization for the benefit of
creditors, of the scholarship recipient;
15. Any breach or default under, or if an event of default occurs and continues under, the terms of any
other document given to Child Care Aware by or on behalf of the scholarship recipient;
16. One or more judgments, decrees, or orders for the payment of money in excess of $1,000.00
individually, or $3,000.00 in the aggregate, is rendered against the scholarship recipient, and such
judgments, decrees, or orders continue unsatisfied and in effect for a period of thirty (30) consecutive
days without being vacated, discharged, satisfied, or stayed or bonded pending appeal;
17. The issuance or levy of any writ, warrant, attachment, garnishment, execution or other process against
any property of the scholarship recipient;
18. The attachment of any tax lien to any property of the scholarship recipient; or
19. There is a material adverse change in the condition (financial or otherwise), business or property of the
scholarship recipient; or
20. Child Care Aware in good faith believes that the prospect of due and punctual performance of the
scholarship recipient's obligations under this Manual or payment of any amount owed by scholarship
recipient to Child Care Aware of Minnesota under this Manual or any contract or agreement between
the scholarship recipient and Child Care Aware of Minnesota is impaired.
The failure of Child Care Aware to exercise any option available to Child Care Aware in the event of a default
by the scholarship recipient will not constitute a waiver of Child Care Aware’s right to exercise such an option
in the event of a future default by the scholarship recipient. No delay or omission on the part of Child Care
Aware will operate as a waiver of such right. Upon default, Child Care Aware will notify the scholarship
recipient, in writing, of such default, at scholarship recipient’s last known address.
It is essential that you read your contract and this manual very carefully. Once a contract is signed, an
account will be set up for you that will record what the T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA program has paid for you
and what you owe the program. You will be responsible for the things that you agreed to in your contract
and for complying with the contents of this manual. If you have questions regarding the terms listed in your
contract or with the content of this handbook, you should contact the T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA office before
you sign and send in the contract.
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Registration and Charging Tuition to T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA
BEFORE registering each semester:
1. Child care or school-age care program employee scholarship recipients must meet with their
program director(s) to discuss their class schedule and release time plan. This will help to ensure
that the sponsoring center can provide the scholarship recipient with the paid release time hours
for which the scholarship recipient is eligible and to arrange substitute coverage, if needed.
2. In order to charge tuition to T.E.A.C.H., scholarship recipients must submit the Pre-Authorization
request form by the specified semester/quarter deadlines. (Deadlines are posted on our website.)
The program counselor will confirm the courses that have been approved. You may register for the
classes before or after submitting the pre-authorization request form. However, we need your preauthorization form to let the school know what credits we are covering prior to the school’s third
party billing deadline. If you submit your form late, you may be responsible for paying the school
first and then being reimbursed by T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA.
3. After approving the courses the counselor will notify the college or university and give permission
for the scholarship recipient’s tuition to be billed to Child Care Aware.
4. Once scholarship recipients register for classes they will be able to access their class schedule. This
will show the course codes, titles and dates of the semester. Submit a copy of this along with your
completed Form B and copy of book receipt(s). T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA will not pay your tuition bill
until all these required documents are on file. The Form B is available on our website:
http://www.childcareawaremn.org/teach_forms.
5. Scholarship recipients may receive a bill from the college or university. This is standard procedure
with third party billing agreements like those arranged with Child Care Aware and participating
schools. If scholarship recipients continue to receive bills that indicate their classes may be
dropped, they should contact their T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA counselor immediately.
*Please note: When Child Care Aware establishes a third party billing arrangement with the college
or university, Child Care Aware asks the college to apply all other funding (excluding loans) before
applying T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA dollars. For example, if a scholarship recipient receives Pell Grant
monies those dollars will be applied to the 15 credits approved by T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA. This allows
Child Care Aware to maximize its funds and help more child care professionals pay for college.
Adding, Dropping or Withdrawing from a Class
Scholarship recipients must drop or withdraw from a class before the school’s drop/add deadline in order to
avoid paying tuition charges. If at any time a scholarship recipient decides to drop or withdraw from a course
he or she should contact a T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA counselor first. Scholarship recipients who drop or withdraw
from a course after the semester begins may be held responsible to pay all tuition charges or reimbursements
made on their behalf by Child Care Aware for their scholarship. This may result in suspension of the
scholarship recipient’s third party billing privileges; it may also impact the scholarship recipient’s eligibility for
future awards.
Grades
All scholarship recipients must submit a copy of their grades to Child Care Aware of Minnesota upon
completion of their courses. Scholarship recipients who receive an “F” for a course(s) will be held responsible
for repaying to Child Care Aware all tuition and fee charges paid by Child Care Aware on the scholarship
recipient’s behalf, unless the scholarship recipient provides Child Care Aware with documentation of a medical
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reason or other extenuating circumstance which is acceptable to Child Care Aware. The scholarship recipient’s
repayment obligation includes only tuition and fee charges for the failed class. Scholarship recipients must
submit grade reports to T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA no later than three weeks after each semester/quarter ends.
Because not all colleges or universities issue hard copies of grade reports, scholarship recipients are
responsible for retrieving their grade report from the school’s website or requesting an unofficial transcript
from their school and submitting it to T.E.A.C.H. If scholarship recipients need help accessing grade reports
from the website, they can contact their college faculty advisor.
A scholarship recipient who does not submit grade reports by this deadline will be removed from the third
party billing authorization letter that T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA provides to the college/university and will be
responsible to pay all tuition charges to the scholarship recipient’s college/university. Additionally, a
scholarship recipient who does not submit grade reports by the end of the contract period will not be eligible
to receive the bonus and/or raise as stipulated in the T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA contract until all grade reports
and additional paperwork are received.
Bonus and/or Raise
Sponsoring Center Staff Compensation
Upon successful completion of the contract, at the end of the term of the contract, scholarship recipients will
receive a bonus payment from Child Care Aware as a recognition of their academic achievement. Additionally,
scholarship recipients working for a child care sponsoring center program will receive a bonus or raise six
months later from their employer (with the exception of those scholarship recipients who have an “Option 3
contract,” in which case T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA will pay a larger bonus and will not reimburse the sponsoring
center program for release time). The sponsoring center compensation in the form of a bonus or raise is in
addition to any other annual raise or bonus the sponsoring center pays the scholarship recipient. T.E.A.C.H.
MINNESOTA will notify the sponsoring center director approximately six months following the end of the term
of the contract to award compensation to the scholarship recipient as outlined in the contract. Child Care
Aware will not be responsible for any delay or failure by the sponsoring center to pay any compensation to the
scholarship recipient regardless of the form, purpose or nature of the compensation. T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA
will not send a reminder letter to the sponsoring center if the scholarship recipient’s file with Child Care Aware
is incomplete. (For example, if the scholarship recipient has failed to provide grades or closing contract
paperwork to Child Care Aware.) If a scholarship recipient is not sure if the scholarship recipient’s file with
Child Care Aware is complete, the scholarship recipient should contact a T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA counselor.
Bonus Payments
The sponsoring center will pay the scholarship recipient a bonus approximately six months after the
scholarship recipient has successfully completed the scholarship recipient’s contract. The bonus is
issued in addition to any other bonus or raise paid by the sponsoring center to the scholarship
recipient in that year.
Raise Payments
The sponsoring center will pay the scholarship recipient a raise (as stipulated in the scholarship
contract) approximately six months after the scholarship recipient has successfully completed the
scholarship recipient’s contract. The raise is in addition to the scholarship recipient’s normal raise
schedule.
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If the scholarship recipient chooses to terminate the scholarship recipient’s employment at the sponsoring
center, or if the sponsoring center terminates the scholarship recipient’s employment due to the scholarship
recipient’s performance, before the scholarship recipient has successfully completed the scholarship
recipient’s contract or before the scholarship recipient has successfully completed the commitment year, the
scholarship recipient will forfeit all future bonus and raise payments, if any, and will be responsible to repay to
Child Care Aware all tuition charges and reimbursements (such as travel stipend and bonus payments) made
on their behalf by Child Care Aware.
Family Provider Bonus
Upon the scholarship recipient’s successful completion of the contract, the family provider scholarship
recipient will receive compensation in the form of a bonus from T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA. The scholarship
recipient will not receive this compensation if the scholarship recipient’s file with Child Care Aware is
incomplete. (For example, if the scholarship recipient has failed to provide any grades, information update or
wage information.) The scholarship recipient will also not receive this compensation if the scholarship
recipient owes Child Care Aware any sums. If a scholarship recipient is not sure if the scholarship recipient’s
file with Child Care Aware is complete, the scholarship recipient should contact the scholarship recipient’s
counselor. If the scholarship recipient chooses not to work under the scholarship recipient’s current family
child care program license before the scholarship recipient completes the commitment year, the scholarship
recipient will forfeit all future bonus and raise payments, if any, and will be responsible to repay to Child Care
Aware all tuition charges and reimbursements (such as travel stipend and bonus payments) made on their
behalf by Child Care Aware.
Commitment year
For each contract period the scholarship recipient completes, the scholarship recipient commits to working at
least one additional year at the scholarship recipient’s sponsoring center or under the scholarship recipient’s
current family child care program license. A commitment year immediately follows the completion of the term
of the contract. All scholarship models require a commitment year.
Failure to complete contract or commitment year
A scholarship recipient will not be required to repay to Child Care Aware tuition charges and reimbursements
(such as travel stipend and bonus) made on the scholarship recipient’s behalf by Child Care Aware if:
 Medical reason(s) made it impossible for the scholarship recipient to complete the terms of the
contract. (The the scholarship recipient will be required to submit to Child Care Aware a letter from the
scholarship recipient’s physician stating that medical reasons (including the specific reasons) made it
impossible for the scholarship recipient to complete the terms of the contract);
 The scholarship recipient was terminated from the scholarship recipient’s employment at the
scholarship recipient’s sponsoring center due to low enrollment, the closing of the scholarship
recipient’s sponsoring center, or other reasons not related to the scholarship recipient’s performance.
(The scholarship recipient will need to submit to Child Care Aware a statement signed by the
sponsoring center’s director stating that the scholarship recipient was terminated and the reasons for
the termination); or
 There are any other extenuating circumstances that Child Care Aware determines, in its sole and
absolute discretion, are appropriate reasons not to require the scholarship recipient to repay to Child
Care Aware tuition charges and reimbursements (such as travel stipend and bonus payments) made on
the scholarship recipient’s behalf by Child Care Aware.
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A scholarship recipient will be required to repay to Child Care Aware of Minnesota tuition charges and
reimbursements (such as travel stipend and bonus payments) made on the scholarship recipient’s behalf by
Child Care Aware of Minnesota if:
 The scholarship recipient terminates the scholarship recipient’s current employment at the scholarship
recipient’s sponsoring center;
 The sponsoring center terminates the scholarship recipient’s employment due to the scholarship
recipient’s job performance, as reported by the sponsoring center and documented in T.E.A.C.H.
MINNESOTA’s employment verification form;
 The scholarship recipient loses the scholarship recipient’s ability to operate under the scholarship
recipient’s child care license (e.g. the scholarship recipient violated the terms of the scholarship
recipient’s license, or the license was suspended or revoked);
 The scholarship recipient changes the scholarship recipient’s major or field of study and ceases to
pursue a degree in Early Childhood Education/Child Development; or
If the sponsoring center terminates the scholarship recipient’s employment or the scholarship recipient
terminates the scholarship recipient’s employment with the sponsoring center anytime during the term of the
contract or the commitment period, or the scholarship recipient fails to operate their family child care under
their current family child care program license, the scholarship recipient’s contract is terminated without any
notice to the scholarship recipient as of the last day of the scholarship recipient’s employment with the
scholarship recipient’s sponsoring center or the last day the scholarship recipient operated their family child
care under their current family child care program license . The scholarship recipient agrees to notify Child
Care Aware and contact the scholarship recipient’s counselor at Child Care Aware if the scholarship recipient’s
employment status changes.
A scholarship recipient who fails to fulfill all the scholarship recipient’s contract obligations will no longer be
eligible for the scholarship and, at Child Care Aware sole and absolute discretion, other programs offered
through T.E.A.C.H. or Child Care Aware (e.g. REETAIN). A scholarship recipient will be responsible to repay to
Child Care Aware all tuition charges and reimbursements made on the scholarship recipient’s behalf by Child
Care Aware, and will be responsible to repay to the scholarship recipient’s sponsoring center all release time
paid by the sponsoring center (if the sponsoring center elects to bill the scholarship recipient). If the
scholarship recipient loses the scholarship recipient’s position or stops operating the scholarship recipient’s
family child care business due to reasons not within the scholarship recipient’s control, the scholarship
recipient will not be responsible to repay amounts paid out on the scholarship recipient’s behalf. Scholarship
recipients should contact a T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA counselor for more information regarding any such policies.
Contract Renewals
If a scholarship recipient is interested in applying for another T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA scholarship, the
scholarship recipient must complete an application and return it to a T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA counselor by the
specified deadline. Failure to submit a new application by the specified deadline may jeopardize a scholarship
recipient’s ability to receive another T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA scholarship; T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA does not
accept late applications. If the scholarship recipient is not interested in applying for another T.E.A.C.H.
MINNESOTA scholarship, the scholarship recipient must complete an information update and other required
documents in order to close out the scholarship recipient’s contract and receive a T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA
bonus. Counselors track compensation through the application or the information update form and proof of
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income. The scholarship recipient’s failure to return to Child Care Aware the paperwork that is required to
close out the scholarship recipient’s contract will delay or stop payment of the bonus.
Graduating
If a scholarship recipient graduates or completes the scholarship recipient’s national CDA credential through
college courses, the scholarship recipient must send Child Care Aware a copy of the scholarship recipient’s
certificate or diploma/transcript. If the scholarship recipient fails to send Child Care Aware a copy of the
scholarship recipient’s certificate or diploma/transcript, the completed information update, proof of income
(current Schedule C for family child care providers and recent pay stub for child care sponsoring center
employees), and copy of the scholarship recipient’s current child care license, Child Care Aware will not send
the scholarship recipient the scholarship recipient’s T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA bonus.
Reimbursement Forms and Procedures
Once a contract is signed, an account will be set up for the scholarship recipient that will record what the
T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA program has paid for the scholarship recipient and what the scholarship recipient owes
the program. The scholarship recipient will be responsible for meeting the agreed upon terms explained in the
manual and the contract.
Scholarship recipients should make additional copies of forms requested by T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA in case
they need to re-submit them.
Tuition Payment
While Child Care Aware covers 80 percent of the tuition and fees (with the remainder covered by the
scholarship recipient and the sponsoring center), Child Care Aware will pay 100 percent of the tuition bill to
the college (for up to 15 semester credits/22 quarter credits per year). To do this, Child Care Aware will set up
third party billing arrangements with every school where the scholarship recipient is taking approved credits.
Beforehand, however, Child Care Aware needs to receive the scholarship recipient’s completed preauthorization form by the deadline posted on the T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA website. Failure to send the form in
by T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA’s deadlines may result in the scholarship recipient having to pay for the scholarship
recipient’s tuition and then get reimbursed by Child Care Aware. (See below.) T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA must let
the school know about its authorization for payment by their third party billing deadline, which is why it is
necessary for the scholarship recipient to send the form on by the appropriate deadline. All deadlines are
listed on the T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA website.
Once the college has received T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA’s third party billing authorization letter, the college will
apply the letter as “payment” to the scholarship recipient’s student account balance. The college usually bills
Child Care Aware one to two weeks after the college’s drop/add deadline. (Some schools differ.) T.E.A.C.H.
MINNESOTA will pay for tuition and process the scholarship recipient’s additional paperwork (e.g. Form B,
etc.) to send the scholarship recipient a check or an invoice, depending on the status of the scholarship
recipient’s account with T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA. T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA usually mails the check or invoice
around the middle of the semester or quarter.
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Reimbursement of Tuition
If the scholarship recipient pays for tuition directly, the scholarship recipient must send T.E.A.C.H.
MINNESOTA a copy of proof of payment (e.g. copy of card statement, cancelled check), along with a
completed Form B, a copy of the current college class schedule, a copy of the billing statement showing
the tuition/fee charges and copies of any book receipts. After T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA receives all these
documents, Child Care Aware will reimburse the scholarship recipient for all approved courses.
Books
Scholarship recipients are not able to charge books to Child Care Aware. Scholarship recipients must purchase
books upfront and submit receipts to Child Care Aware for 80 percent reimbursement of the cost of the books
(no reimbursement for sales tax, shipping costs and/or school supplies such as notebooks, calculators,
pens/pencils, etc). As soon as books are purchased, scholarship recipients should complete a Form B, attach a
copy of the book receipt and a copy of the class schedule and email, fax or mail the information to a T.E.A.C.H.
program counselor. Scholarship recipients should only list the books for approved courses. If a scholarship
recipient purchases books throughout the semester (e.g. for cohort courses), the scholarship recipient must
submit a new Form B and copy of book receipts for any new books received.
Travel
Each semester T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA awards a travel stipend to “active” scholarship recipients (meaning the
scholarship recipient is taking at least one T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA approved credit that semester or quarter) as
outlined in the scholarship recipient’s contract.
Release Time
Sponsoring Center Staff Release Time
Release time is a required component of the T.E.A.C.H. contract. Staff can use paid release time to attend
class, study or handle personal needs. A scholarship recipient and his or her director should meet before the
start of each semester or quarter to ensure that the sponsoring center can provide release time during work
hours that are convenient for the scholarship recipient (such as for a class or daytime study hours). Release
time is tracked on Form C, which T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA sends to the sponsoring center director along with
the award letter. Scholarship recipients should be paid their normally scheduled work hours, and the
sponsoring center should claim release time on Form C. All release time reimbursements are issued to the
sponsoring center to help subsidize the cost for release time paid to the scholarship recipient and/or for
substitute(s). Scholarship recipients should NOT sign Form C if they are not receiving release time. During a
normal 16 week semester, scholarship recipients receive 3 hours (full-time) or 1.5 hours (part-time) of paid
release time (at their current hourly rate) each week they are taking courses. T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA will
reimburse sponsoring centers for up to 36 hours per quarter or 48 hours per semester for a maximum of 144
hours per year. Sponsoring centers are reimbursed at a rate of $7.50 per hour.
Family Child Care Provider Release Time
Family child care providers can use paid release time to attend class, study or handle personal needs. All
release time hours should be taken during the normal operating hours of the program. T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA
issues the release time reimbursement directly to the family child care provider; the release time
reimbursement may be used to cover the cost of a substitute if necessary. Family child care providers do not
submit release time claims. Child Care Aware automatically grants 16 hours of release time per semester or 12
hours of release time per quarter.
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Tax Information
Scholarship funds paid by Child Care Aware for the cost of tuition, fees, travel and book reimbursements are
not taxable income to the scholarship recipient. Scholarship funds paid by Child Care Aware for release time
and bonuses are taxable income to the scholarship recipient. Family child care providers who exceed the
maximum threshold in a calendar year for release time and bonuses will be issued a 1099-Misc. Form from
Child Care Aware, and Child Care Aware will be reporting it to the IRS. Every scholarship recipient who receives
or pays money to Child Care Aware will receive a Yearly Education Expense Memo. Scholarship recipients are
responsible for determining the tax consequences of all scholarship funds paid by Child Care Aware to the
scholarship recipient and for paying any taxes incurred by the scholarship recipient on all such funds.
Communication
Ongoing communication between T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA counselors and scholarship recipients is critical.
Scholarship recipients must have updated contact information on file at all times to ensure that they receive
important scholarship information, reminders and reimbursements. Email is the most frequent way counselors
contact scholarship recipients, so scholarship recipients must ensure that the T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA office has
the scholarship recipient’s most current email address on file, in addition to phone number and address.
T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA Newsletter
T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA electronically publishes the T.E.A.C.H. Tribune two times each year. In addition to
providing program details (such as upcoming deadlines), the T.E.A.C.H. Tribune also provides professional
development articles and information of interest to scholarship recipients and sponsoring center directors in
addition to outside stakeholders.
T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA Website
Stay connected to T.E.A.C.H. information and resources online anytime. Please find application materials,
program resources and announcements at: www.childcareawaremn.org/teach.
Contact Information
Child Care Aware of Minnesota
T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® MINNESOTA
380 Lafayette Road, Suite 103
Saint Paul, MN 55107
Phone: (651) 290-9704
Fax: (651) 209-1761
Website: www.childcareawaremn.org/teach
Ann McCully, Executive Director
annm@childcareawaremn.org, x 115
Shelly Hendricks, Program Counselor
shellyh@childcareawaremn.org, x 106
Erin Young, Program Counselor
eriny@childcareawaremn.org, x 200
Denise Kilgore, Bookkeeper
denisek@childcareawaremn.org, x 106
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ADDENDUM TO CONTRACT
The Scholarship Recipient further agrees as follows:
1. Attorney’s Fees. If Child Care Aware is required to engage legal counsel in connection with any failure by
another party (the “Defaulting Party”) to pay, when due, amounts due Child Care Aware, or to submit to Child
Care Aware when due any reports, information or supporting records, or in connection with any failure by the
Defaulting Party to otherwise comply with this contract, the Defaulting Party will reimburse Child Care Aware
for any costs and expenses incurred by Child Care Aware in collecting said monies and interest or in otherwise
enforcing and securing compliance with this contract, including without limitation reasonable attorney’s fee,
court costs and related expenses.
2. Cumulative Remedies. The various rights and remedies of Child Care Aware contained in this contract will be
construed as cumulative and no one of them will be exclusive of any of the other or of any legal or equitable
remedy which Child Care Aware might otherwise have in the event of breach or default, and the exercise of
one right or remedy by Child Care Aware will not impair Child Care Aware’s right to any other right or remedy.
3. Further Assurances. From time to time after the execution of this contract, on the request of Child Care
Aware, the other party will execute, deliver, and acknowledge all such further documents and perform all such
other acts and things that may reasonably be required by Child Care Aware to consummate the transactions
contemplated by this contract or to give effect to the terms and conditions of this contract.
4. Venue. Any action at law, suit in equity or judicial proceeding arising directly, indirectly or otherwise in
connection with, out of, related to or from this contract or any provision or amendment of this contract will be
litigated only in the courts of the State of Minnesota, County of Ramsey. The parties to this contract waive any
right they may have to transfer or change the venue of any litigation resulting under this contract.
5. Controlling Provisions. The terms and provisions of the Recipient Manual are incorporated into and made a
part of this contract, and in the event of any conflict between the terms and provisions of this contract and
the Recipient Manual, the provisions contained in this contract are controlling.
6. Right of Offset. In the event of a default by the Scholarship Recipient as set forth in the Recipient Manual, or
in the event there are any sums at any time due from the Scholarship Recipient to Child Care Aware, Child
Care Aware will have the right to apply against or offset, as Child Care Aware may elect, the amount of said
damages or sums against any amount due or to become due to the Scholarship Recipient by Child Care Aware
under this contract.
7. No Waiver. The failure of Child Care Aware to insist upon strict performance of any obligation of another
party under this contract, irrespective of the length of time for which such failure continues, will not be a
waiver of Child Care Aware’s right to demand strict compliance in the future. No consent or waiver, expressed
or implied by Child Care Aware, by Child Care Aware to or of any breach or default in the performance of
obligation under this contract by another party to this contract, will constitute a consent or waiver to or of any
other breach or default in the performance of the same or any other obligation under this contract.
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