Educator Recruitment and Retention Program (ERR)

No, part-time employees are also eligible for these funds.

Eligible shortage areas list

To be considered an eligible public school, the school must be listed as a public school on the Colorado school list.

No. The three-year commitment must be served in a Colorado public school. 

The list of rural districts is updated annually.

Eligibility depends on whether the community college where you are incurring tuition charges is a Colorado-approved educator preparation program (EPP). If you are taking courses at a community college that is not an approved EPP, those tuition costs are not eligible for this program. Once you are enrolled in and incurring eligible tuition charges at an approved EPP, you may apply if you meet the other program requirements.

A paraprofessional is an individual who may not yet hold a Colorado teacher credential. A paraprofessional provides classroom support and assists the teacher of record in a school setting. Paraprofessionals may be actively working toward earning their Colorado teaching credential through a community college, alternative licensure program, and/or a four-year college. Keep in mind that eligibility is based on enrollment in an approved EPP, not simply on whether the institution is a community college or a four-year college. 

Teacher apprentices are eligible if they are in a job role which fits the statutory definition of a paraprofessional (see above definition). While their job title does not have to be paraprofessional, apprentices not eligible if they are serving as a teacher of record. 

No. The program can only cover tuition costs not already covered by grants or scholarships.

Yes. If an applicant paid their tuition via loans, their program will issue a refund to the applicant after they receive payment from CDE. If the employing school district paid the student’s program fees, the district will receive the refund from their program.

How do I know if I meet CTE requirements?

• Applicants can meet CTE requirements in one of two ways:
  • as outlined in 23-60-304(3)(a) and section 3.17 of 1 CCR 301-37; or
  • having the equivalent of eighteen (18) semester hours of postsecondary enrollment and six (6) years of military experience that are applicable to a CTE credential, 

The application is accessed via a COOL account. For instructions on accessing and completing the application, download the application guidance document.

The applicant submits the application. 

Applications are reviewed in the order they are received. The COOL system will notify applicants when the status of their application changes. 

Applicants can expect to hear from CDE within 30 days of receipt of your application. Applicants may be asked to submit missing information or documentation, so applicants are strongly encouraged to monitor their email closely and respond to CDE as soon as possible to ensure timely application processing. 

Applicants can apply for funds to cover any semester during the application window, as well as any future semesters that will be required to complete the program. CDE will issue payment to the educator preparation program as costs are incurred and invoiced by the educator preparation program. Semesters prior to the application window in which the applicant is applying cannot be covered.

Funds can only be used to cover the program expenses associated with completing the Colorado-approved educator preparation program or institute of higher education courses needed for a professional CTE credential. Funds will be paid directly to the educator preparation program.

No. Funds are paid directly to the educator preparation program (EPP) or institute of higher education (IHE).

What happens if the program participant does not complete the three years of teaching in a shortage area?

The program participant must return the funds received to CDE.

If an awardee becomes ineligible before CDE has sent payment to the EPP, the award will be rescinded. CDE cannot issue payments for costs that would not satisfy the purpose of the ERR program. In these cases, the candidate may owe funds directly to the EPP.

Yes. As long as the total years spent teaching in any shortage area is three years, the requirement is met. This could mean teaching the same subject in different districts or teaching in different rural districts over the three years. Residency years also count toward this requirement.

The three-year commitment starts the year in which you are awarded the financial assistance. The table below illustrates examples of this timeline for various cohorts of awardees. If you have specific questions about the timing of your commitment, please email the Educator Recruitment and Retention program at educator_recruitment@cde.state.co.us. 

This table lists the start and end dates for various awardees' three-year commitments: