Your Future Could Start in Special Education
Want a career where you can make a real difference? Special education gives you the chance to support individuals with disabilities, Birth to 26 years, as they learn, grow, and build confidence.
OPTIMISE created this free website to help high school and college students explore 12 special education careers and find a path that fits their strengths, interests, and goals.
Make a real difference by supporting individuals with disabilities, Birth to 26 years.
Explore 12 special education careers and find a path that fits your strengths, interests, and goals.
Select careers right out of High School, with a 2-Yr. Associates Degree, a 4-Yr. College Degree, and Advanced Doctorate Degrees.
Start Right After High School
Scale into a career in special education as a paraeducator.
A great place to start right out of high school, and earn money while in college.
Start as a Paraeducator after high school, earn money while in college, and build real experience.
Use Your 2-Year Degree
Use Your 2-Year Degree
Gain a special education career in just 2 years. Many Michigan Community Colleges offer these 2-year degrees to get your career started.
Many Michigan community colleges offer programs that can help you begin a career in special education in just two years.
Use Your 4-Year Degree
Use Your
4-Yr Degree
Get a special education career with a 4-year degree. Michigan schools are looking for someone like you for these high-demand careers, to make a difference in the lives of individuals with disabilities, from birth to 26 years.
Turn your degree into a high-demand career supporting individuals with disabilities, Birth to 26 years.
Use Your Masters / Doctorate Degree
Become a Master in special education with these important careers. Michigan schools are looking for someone like you
to go the extra mile and help individuals with disabilities, birth to 26 years.
Prepare for advanced special education careers that help individuals with disabilities, Birth to 26 years, learn, grow, and thrive.
College-Bound Resources
Find programs, scholarships, and planning tools that can help you take the next step toward a special education career.
Plan your next step toward a special education career.
College Clubs
Explore student organizations that can help you build experience, meet peers, and connect with future career opportunities.
Build experience, meet peers, and explore your future.
Financial Aid & FAFSA Resources
Learn how scholarships, grants, and federal student aid can help make your path into special education more affordable.
Find scholarships, grants, and federal student aid to help make your path into special education more affordable.
Michigan Scholarships & Grants
Talent Together
Talent Together helps you become a certified teacher. The program also helps elevate the professional credentials of existing teachers with “add-on endorsements” and mentorship training to be a lead with “teacher apprentices” at the school district.”
Michigan Reconnect Program
Michigan Reconnect is a scholarship program that pays you to attend your in-district community college tuition free or pays up to the in-district rate if you attend a community college where you’re considered out-of-district. Applicants must be 25 years old to apply.
Michigan Promise Zones
Thirteen Promise Zones have already begun awarding scholarships. Educators, businesses, families and civic leaders are also striving to embed a pervasive culture of learning in these communities – an essential ingredient in any recipe for education success.Â
Special Education Teacher Tuition Reimbursement Grant
The Special Education Teacher Tuition Reimbursement Grant can be used to cover tuition costs up to $800.00 per credit hour for a maximum of 18 credits per teacher over three years in alignment with the temporary approval process. Tuition reimbursement does not apply to repeat courses.Â
School Social Worker Tuition Reimbursement Grant
Tuition reimbursement is available for all social workers employed under a School Social Worker Permit effective July 1, 2024—September 30, 2027. This grant does not replace the School Social Worker Permit process; rather, it enhances it by making tuition reimbursement grant funds available.
MI Future Educator Fellowship
Amount: $10,000
MI Future Educator Stipend
Amount: $9,600 Stipend
High School Graduate Michigan Achievement Scholarship
Amount: $2,000 – $5,500
Federal Scholarships & Grants
Federal Student Aid Estimator
The Federal Student Aid Estimator provides an estimate of how much federal student aid the student may be eligible to receive. These estimates are based on the Student Aid Index (SAI), an index to determine federal student aid eligibility.
Subsidized/Un-Subsidized Loans
Direct Subsidized Loans and Direct Unsubsidized Loans are federal student loans offered by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to help eligible students cover the cost of higher education at a four-year college or university, community college, or trade, career, or technical school.
Pell Grant
A federal grant for undergraduate students with financial need.
Teacher Loan Forgiveness*
Amount: up to $17,500
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)*
If you’re employed by a government or not-for-profit organization, you might be eligible for the PSLF Program. The PSLF Program forgives the remaining balance on your Direct Loans
*Borrowers can’t receive credit toward TLF and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) for the same period of service. That means, if you seek and receive TLF, the five-year period of service that supported your eligibility will NOT count toward PSLF. We recommend that you consider whether you’re interested in PSLF before deciding to pursue TLF, because we can’t make changes once you receive forgiveness.
Graduate or Professional Direct PLUS Loan
Direct PLUS loans can help pay for education expenses not covered by other financial aid. The U.S. Department of Education makes Direct PLUS Loans to eligible graduate or professional students through schools participating in the Direct Loan Program.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
Grant for undergraduate students with exceptional financial need, administered directly by financial aid office at each participating school, not all schools participate
Federal Work-Study
Part-time employment while enrolled in school, available to undergrad, grad, and professional students with financial need, available to full and part-time students, administered by participating schools, emphasizes employment in civic education and work related to course of study or civic education, on or off campus
Colleges and career schools use the FAFSA form to determine how much financial aid you’re eligible to receive, which could include grants, scholarships, work-study funds, and loans.You must apply for aid every year.
