California’s Golden State Teacher Grant Program

• In Event: Mitigating Financial Barriers for Teaching Candidates: Federal, State, and Local Approaches to Service Scholarships

Abstract

High costs of teacher preparation can contribute to lower entry rates into teaching and greater reliance on alternative pathways that offer less preparation and are associated with higher turnover (Sutcher et al., 2016; Fiddiman et al., 2019). Recent research on California’s teaching pipeline and profession cited the increasing cost of preparation and growing educational debt as a key barrier to creating a racially diverse and equitable teaching profession in California (Mathews et al., 2024).

Since 2019, California has invested over $520 million in the Golden State Teacher Grant (GSTG) to strengthen its teacher workforce. Grant recipients were eligible to receive up to $20,000 toward their credentialing in exchange for a 4-year service commitment to teach in a high-need school. This study explores the uptake and potential impacts of the grant by leveraging administrative data from the California Student Aid Commission, survey data of 4,142 grant recipients collected in 2025, and qualitative interviews with program coordinators tasked with supporting the grant. We disaggregate the administrative and survey results by race/ethnicity and financial need to assess differential participation and perceived impact of the grant.

Initial results suggest the GSTG may be effective in placing a racially diverse teacher workforce in high-need schools. The grant has funded nearly 29,000 aspiring educators. While GSTG is not awarded based on need, recipients are primarily people of color (70%) and from lower-income backgrounds (79% Pell grant eligible). Over 90% of survey respondents said the grant was “important” or “very important” for completing their teacher preparation programs. Eighty seven percent of survey respondents who are teaching reported working in a high-need school, with 91% intending to remain after completing their service requirement. Grant recipients are also filling high need positions, such as special education (28%).

There was a sharp increase in the number of grant applicants and recipients from 2020-21 to 2023-24, probably driven by growing awareness of the program and the expansion of eligibility criteria over time. Grant uptake dropped in 2024-25, with declines in both applicants and recipients. Several factors contributed to this decline including legislative changes to the program and reduction in the award amount as the original appropriation of funds was running out. In addition, program uptake rates vary widely by institution, and teacher preparation leaders noted challenges with implementation and concerns about program design. These findings, while highlighting the positive outcomes reported by grant recipients thus far, also suggest that changes in program eligibility and uncertainty about funding could undermine the reach and impact of the grant.

Authors

• Melanie Leung-Gagné, Learning Policy Institute

• Desiree Carver-Thomas, Learning Policy Institute

• Maria Maria Castillo, Vanderbilt University

• Cicely Bingener, University of California - Los Angeles

• Susan Kemper Patrick, Learning Policy Institute

• María Virginia Giani, University of Florida