Georgetown College partners with Teach KY, a Louisville-based nonprofit, to support opt6 teachers in Jefferson County Public Schools. They used to only be able to help students willing to work in Jefferson County Public Schools, but now, with this new partnership, you can live and teach anywhere in KY if you get your master’s through this program!
BEFORE you can “get in line” for the scholarship, you first need to be admitted to the Georgetown College Master’s program.
Georgetown College requires an application to be filled out (the link is on our website that is linked below my signature), official transcripts from all college/universities that you attended or took courses with, a GPA of 2.75 or 3.0 on the last 30-hours, a writing sample (don’t worry – its only 300 words/a paragraph), an application fee of $50, and a signed curriculum plan. If you have questions on IF you will meet the admissions requirements, tell me your story, and I can help you figure things out.
What is the master’s program at Georgetown College?
GC’s OPT 6 master’s is called a MAIC (Master of Arts in Teaching – Initial Certification). There are several certification options you can pursue: Elementary Ed, Special Education (LBD or MSD), Middle School English, Math, Science, or Social Studies, High School English, Math, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Social Studies, or a whole list of All-Grade certification options (including PE & Health, Art, Music, etc.). The entire program is online, with 9-10 classes totaling 30-33 hours. You take each class one at a time, so you can juggle work, family, and school.
What does TKY require to apply?
TKY has a short application and a 2-step interview process. Step 1 of the TKY interview will be a Zoom meeting/interview, which will take place in March or April 2027.
Don’t worry. We will offer a prep-Q&A session on Zoom a couple of weeks before the Zoom interview, allowing applicants to ask questions. Step 2 is an in-person event at Georgetown College, likely in May 2027, where TKY can meet you, explain the scholarship, answer questions, and possibly recruit or participate in an initial interview with the district you would like to teach in. The in-person event will also include a meal and a cohort event. This event is an interview of sorts, and the team will record any final comments or observations in your file. The team will review data from both the Zoom interview and the in-person event and select recipients for the TKY@GC scholarship. They will be notified by email if/when they are chosen.
Do you have to work as a teacher while in this program?
While the GC MAIC does not require you to be working while earning your certification, it IS required if you are in the TKY@GC scholarship path. You need to either already have been offered a teaching position to work under the opt6/temporary certification OR be actively applying for and searching for an open teaching position in the district you would prefer to work in. Help can be provided in the search process – you will need to communicate with the Dir of Graduate Admissions for assistance. Either way, you must be hired as the teacher of record in a classroom during the school year you are in the graduate program.
Is there paperwork provided by GC that is used in securing a job?
Once you have been admitted to the program at Georgetown College, you will be issued an LOE (letter of eligibility) that shows the program you have been admitted to. This document is required by the school district to hire you as an opt 6/temporarily certified teacher. The LOE is valid for 1 school year (generally from July to June). The position you are hired for is contracted for 1 school year, and the school/district will need to offer you the position for a second year. GC will provide the second LOE needed to work.
If I apply to GC, get accepted, and do the interviews with TKY, how is the scholarship awarded?
Teach KY, funded by AmeriCorps, awards the Segal Education Award of $14,600 to selected applicants, which fully covers the master’s program at Georgetown College. It is disbursed in 2 installments: $7,300 at the end of your first year and another $7,300 at the end of the second year (when you will be done with the program)! Note that you must initially “pay” for the graduate program through a FAFSA loan, and the scholarship payments are then applied to that loan after each year. You will not receive a check for the scholarship. • _Anything else important about this option that I need to know?
There is also a summer cohort training called the STRIPES Institute, which is required for the program. To remain eligible for the scholarship, you must attend both in-person and virtual sessions. Typically, the training is 2 weeks in July (usually after the first week of July), and the third week is held virtually. The training is designed to prepare you to step into the classroom on day one, ready to lead and teach. The 2 in-person weeks are held Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM, with breakfast and lunch provided. The virtual training week will be Monday – Friday, typically half days, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM*. (*Specific dates and times will be determined and announced closer to the event.) The training (all three weeks) is mandatory, but Georgetown College will cover room and board during the 2 weeks (you can go home on the weekends) and all food during the in-person training if needed. If you participate in all three weeks, you will receive the TKY@GC scholarship, and GC will gift you a stipend of $1,500 at the end of the training*. (*The stipend is only given if the participant has attended all three weeks of the STRIPES Institute and has secured a teaching position by the designated date.) Have more questions? Contact Sara DeVane, Director of Graduate Admissions at Georgetown College, at 502-863-8013 or by EMAIL to schedule a phone call or meeting.
If you are ready to get started, please apply to GC by March 31, 2027.
