Joining the TFA corps requires a financial commitment similar to the costs any other beginning teacher or person moving to a new city for a job would face. Our corps members must also complete certification coursework during their two years in the corps in order to obtain their full teaching license through the UNLV Graduate School of Education.* While Teach For America provides various forms of support for corps members, we want to make sure you have a clear understanding of anticipated costs in order to plan ahead for your corps experience. If you have extenuating need, you can apply to Need-Based Financial Support in your Applicant Center. Check out this one pager and read the information below to help plan for the financial experience.
To help bridge the gap in transitioning to the corps, all corps members receive a baseline Transitional Financial Support stipend in the form of a $5,000 grant. For the 2022 and 2023 corps, our Pell* or DACA+ recipients will receive a baseline transitional support of a $10,000 grant. For incoming corps members with greater financial need, we offer Need-Based Financial Support on top of the $5,000 transitional support. Qualifying corps members will receive funding packages based on individual need. You can apply for this additional need-based support in the applicant center. Carefully review the estimated costs below to determine if you should apply for additional need-based support. Please note these anticipated costs are estimates and can vary based on a number of factors.
These are costs you can expect to incur BEFORE training begins and before you receive Financial Support from TFA, so they will be mostly out of pocket for you, unless you request early disbursal of your Transitional Financial Support.
Praxis testing: $300 – $450 (Depends on subject area. Multiple attempts will cost more.)
Transcripts (~3 copies): 0-$75 (Depends on institution)
Travel to Las Vegas for Fingerprinting in early June: $500 (Will vary greatly based on where you are traveling from)
Fingerprints for School Placement: $60
UNLV Application Fee: $60 ($90 for international students)
Provisional License Fee: $180
These add up to total expected costs of approximately $1,330.
These are costs related to transitioning to our region that you can expect to incur prior to receiving your first paycheck.
Corps members placed in Clark County School District (this is a majority of corps members) will begin work on July 26, 2023 but will not receive their first paycheck until mid-to-late August. You should be prepared to cover living costs until at least August 25. This may vary for corps members placed with charter partners.
Financial support will typically be disbursed 1-2 weeks after you start summer training (and earlier if requested), so you should have that funding available to assist with these costs. Even for corps members who receive Financial Support, these costs and other miscellaneous expenses can add up quickly and we highly encourage you to be prepared with savings to cover any unexpected costs.
Initial Housing Costs: ~$2000
Estimate is based on a shared living situation with at least one roommate to share costs and includes consideration for first and last month’s rent, along with a security deposit
Living expenses for two months: ~$2000
Moving and initial furniture costs: ~$1,000 (can vary greatly depending on individual circumstances)
Total: ~$5,000
In addition to these costs, one other major cost some corps members may experience is the purchase or lease of a vehicle, for those that do not already have one or are unable to transport it to Nevada. Las Vegas and Reno are hard places to get around without a car. We do have a city-wide bus system, but due to the sprawling nature of the city it is typically not a very efficient way to travel. We do have a small number of corps members in the past who have managed without a car here, but it is difficult.
The cost of a Masters Degree through UNLV varies by program. The majority of corps members elect to pursue the Masters degree. All corps members receive the in-state tuition rate. You can view the full information here.
While TFA is not able to provide financial advice or guidance, we can share that many corps members apply for grants and loans to cover this cost (make sure to fill out your FAFSA!). Some corps members who are able to do so also choose to pay out of pocket and set up a payment plan with UNLV.
You may be curious where Americorps funding comes in - Teach For America corps members who successfully complete all program requirements receive an Americorps Education Award with a total value of $12,600 (as long as Americorps continues to renew their partnership with Teach For America, which we anticipate). This amount comes close to offsetting the total cost of your Masters degree with UNLV, but it does not have to be used for this purpose.
This award comes in two parts - half of the award ($6300) is disbursed after successful completion of each year in the corps. So while this money is not available to cover up front costs for the first year of your Masters program, it can be applied to the second year costs or used to pay back previous qualified loans that were taken out, if you so choose. Click here for more information about how Americorps awards can be used.
Corps members are not employees of Teach For America. They are employees of the schools and/or districts in which they are placed.
The majority of Las Vegas corps members are placed within Clark County School District (CCSD). The current annual base pay for beginning teachers without prior contracted teaching experience in CCSD is $50,115. You can view CCSD's salary schedule and other information about benefits here.
Corps members placed in charter schools should reach out to their individual schools for more information about salary and benefits.
Washoe Country School District-for our Reno Corps Members-is still finalizing their salary for the 2023-2024 school year, but you can see the current base here.