Critical Need Reimbursement Programs

Eligibility Requirements:

In order to be eligible for the Critical Needs Reimbursement Program, an applicant must:

• Be a full-time employee of a Delaware district or charter school
• Teach on a valid Emergency Certificate or a Certificate of Eligibility in a critical need area as defined by the Delaware Department of Education and are taking coursework to enable them to achieve Standard Certification.
• Hold an Emergency Certificate or a Certificate of Eligibility in a high need area during the time they took the coursework for which they are seeking reimbursement.
• Attend any out-of-state regionally accredited college or university, or Alternative Routes to Teacher Licensure and Certification programs approved by the Delaware Secretary of Education and authorized to operate in Delaware.
• Must complete a course with a 2.0 GPA or higher on 4.0 scale (“C” or higher).

Eligible applicants will be reimbursed for a maximum of 2 courses per year (summer, fall, winter, spring). 

Applicants can submit for reimbursement for up to 1 of the following per academic year (summer, fall, winter, spring)

• 2 non credit-bearing seminars or workshops required for certification
• 2 credit bearing courses, up to 6 credits in total 
• 1 noncredit-bearing seminar or workshop required for certification and up to 1 three-credit course

Reimbursement Procedures:

1. DHEO will review the online applications to determine eligibility for the Critical Need Reimbursement program
2. All applicants will be notified of their award status via email. 
3. The awarded amount will be sent directly to the institute of higher education where the educator took eligible coursework after verification of eligibility.  The institution will be responsible for reimbursing the recipient.

For the 2023-2024 academic year the reimbursement amount will be pro-rated up to a maximum of $1,300 per eligible course.

Application Procedures

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