Program Costs

Getting Started: Immediate Expenses (Fall 2011 - Spring 2012)

There are several up-front costs associated with beginning your teaching career through Nashville Teaching Fellows, and it is important to consider them now as you are planning your candidacy:

Interview Expenses
All of our interview events are in-person, in Tennessee. If you do not live in Tennessee you will need to consider the expense of travel to Nashville or Memphis, travel within Nashville or Memphis, and a hotel room if needed.

Praxis Registration
All Fellows are required to register for the Praxis II exam in their subject area before interviewing. Read our FAQ page to find out why.

Paper-Based Tests: Most Praxis II exams are paper-based.

• Registration fee--$50 nonrefundable fee, only required to pay this once a year from September-August, even if you take more than one test.
• Test fee--$80
• Other--late registration, change of test location, etc.

Computer-Based Tests: A few Praxis II tests, including Elementary Education, offer a computer-based option.  Applicants may choose to take the paper-based or the computer-based test.

• Registration fee--$50 nonrefundable fee, only required to pay this once a year from September-August, even if you take more than one test.
• Test fee--$120
• Other--late registration, change of test location, etc.

Transcript Orders
If you are accepted into the NTF program as a Fellow, you will be required to provide 4 official copies of each of your transcripts. The cost for these transcripts varies by institution.

Enrollment: Mid-Term Expenses (Spring 2012 - Summer 2012)

Fellows have the benefit of receiving a full-time, six-week Pre-service Training at no cost to them. However, we understand that it takes careful preparation to plan for a prolonged period of time without a paycheck. Many of our Fellows have handled this reality by starting early and creating a detailed budget and plan for income coverage.

Moving Expenses
If you are relocating from another city you will need to consider moving expenses (transportation, canceling/starting utilities, etc.).

MNPS Background Check
All Fellows are required to be fingerprinted for an MNPS background check. The fee is $48.

Living Expenses
The Pre-service Training is a full-time requirement. While Fellows receive a $1,500 stipend to help out, this stipend is not awarded until after the training ends. Fellows will not begin receiving a paycheck from MNPS until its first payroll period which often does not process until early September. Fellows need to be financially prepared to be without an income from mid-May to mid-September.

Certification: Long-Term Expenses (Fall 2012 - Spring 2013)

As reported in a recent Nashville Ledger article, the Nashville Teaching Fellows program can be a much quicker, and more affordable, route into the classroom than traditional education schools.

Once teaching in their own classrooms in the fall, Fellows will begin taking courses and paying tuition to TNTP Academy, our certification program.  The full cost for the one-year licensure program is about $5,500 and payment plans are available.

Fellows will also be responsible for additional required Praxis tests, depending on their subject area, prior to having the opportunity to advance to full licensure at the end of their first year in the classroom.  For the full requirements for a Tennessee Apprentice License, please visit the ETS website. Costs for each test will be similar to the costs outlined above.