PrISM Tuition Assistance
The common tuition for PrISM courses beginning fall 2009 is $1,102 for a 3-credit course offered by a public university and $1,102 for a 2-credit course offered by an independent college/university (2 semester credits = 3 quarter term credits, so the tuition is identical on a per course basis). PrISM Oregon has tuition assistance available for courses that are listed on the PrISM website. Tuition assistance support is provided through the federally funded University/School Partnership Title II-A program and is restricted to teachers who are employed in Oregon pK-12 schools (public or private, full or part-time). PrISM partner Lewis & Clark College is administering the tuition assistance program on behalf of all PrISM students. The new tuition assistance amount is 50% of tuition/fees if you are employed by a non-high-need school and 60% if you are employed by a high-need school. (See the link to the high-need schools below.)
You must submit a PrISM application to be eligible for tuition assistance. The PrISM application only needs to be submitted one time unless key contact information changes in the future, e.g., new address, new email, new school.
You must submit a tuition assistance application for each term that you are requesting assistance. You should first register for the course, then submit the tuition assistance application. Your partial tuition reimbursement check will be issued after you successfully complete the course.
Here is a list of the eligible high-need schools for the 2010-2011 school year. According to the regulations of the Title II-A program that is funding the PrISM Oregon scholarships, the school district must first qualify as high-need according to U.S. Census figures AND with at least 2.5% of teachers who are considered non-highly qualified. Once the district has qualified, then schools with 40% or more students on free/reduced lunch are considered high need. We are aware that some districts that don't meet the federal high-need definition do have high poverty schools, but we are unfortunately unable to categorize these schools as high need for this program.
Additional tuition assistance for GEAR UP teachers
Oregon's second-round
GEAR UP project is providing additional tuition assistance so that teachers at the following middle and high schools will be reimbursed for the remainder of the course tuition not covered by PrISM tuition assistance. Email
Bonnie Morihara to be sure your tuition assistance application gets to both PrISM and GEAR UP if you teach at one of these schools and are taking a PrISM course.
- Aurora: North Marion MS, North Marion HS
- Brookings: Azalea MS, Brookings-Harbor HS
- Cottage Grove: Lincoln MS, Kennedy HS, Cottage Grove HS
- Glendale: Gendale 7-12
- Grants Pass: Fleming MS, North Valley HS
- Irrigon: Irrigon Jr/Sr HS
- LaPine: LaPine MS, LaPine HS
- Lincoln City: Taft 7-12
- Merrill: Lost River 7-12
- Myrtle Creek: Coffenberry MS, South Umpqua HS
- Stanfield: Sanfield Secondary
- Sweet Home: Sweet Home Jr. HS, Sweet Home HS
