Fund for Teachers Fellowship 2027

The 2027 application is open. Fund for Teachers (FFT) lists a deadline of January 21, 2027, at 5:00 p.m. Central Time. The fellowship lets eligible preK–12 educators design their own professional learning around a real teaching question and explain how that learning could improve students’ experiences. Read the current application before developing a plan; the live guidelines and portal govern eligibility, proposal questions, and allowable expenses.

Fund for Teachers invests in educators’ self-directed professional learning. It does not prescribe a course, destination, or subject. Applicants identify a need in their practice, plan activities that could help them learn, and connect that learning to students and the school community. The proposal is strongest when it begins with a specific teaching situation rather than a trip idea: what students need, what the educator wants to understand or do differently, and how the proposed experience could help.

The program encourages learning that grows from teachers’ professional judgment and authentic problems of practice. It also encourages ideas that help students take part in addressing challenges in their communities. A project could involve studying a topic with experts, visiting a place tied to the curriculum, taking part in a learning program, or carrying out first-hand research. Travel may support a fellowship, but travel alone is not the learning purpose. The applicant needs to explain why the chosen activities fit the question and what students may experience as a result.

2027 award and timeline

Individuals may request up to $5,000. A team may request up to $10,000, and members may work at different schools, districts, or states. Every team member must qualify individually. FFT pays 90 percent of an award when it is made and the remaining 10 percent after required post-fellowship reporting is completed. Applicants should plan cash flow around that schedule and make sure they can cover costs before the final payment.

The application window for the 2027 fellowship opened October 1, 2026 and closes January 21, 2027, at 5:00 p.m. Central Time. FFT says applicants will be notified of selection results by email on April 6, 2027. The fellowship itself should take place after the school year ends in spring and finish before school resumes in fall. All fellowship-related spending must be completed by September 2, 2027. Applicants should check the online guidelines and their application account for any updates before submitting or making nonrefundable arrangements.

FFT screens applications for eligibility and completeness before sending them to selection committees. Grants are awarded based on merit and available funding, so the number of awards can vary. Identifying information is removed before committee review, and FFT does not provide individualized feedback to applicants whose proposals are not selected. The published process therefore rewards a complete, self-contained proposal that follows each instruction and makes its case clearly without relying on the reviewer to fill gaps.

Who may apply

The 2027 application overview describes eligible applicants as full-time preK–12 teachers who spend at least half of their time directly providing instruction to students. Its applicant checklist also names curriculum specialists or leaders, media specialists and librarians, and other eligible educators who meet the teaching requirement. The applicant must plan to continue working as an eligible preK–12 educator in the following school year and be able to incorporate the learning into their teaching.

Applicants need at least three years of preK–12 teaching experience by the end of the school year. Student teaching and substitute teaching do not count toward the three-year requirement. FFT says an applicant who reaches three years by the time of the fellowship can qualify. Previous Fund for Teachers recipients must wait five years before applying again. Eligible educators may submit one application in a grant cycle. One-on-one instructional time does not count toward the 50-percent teaching threshold. Administrators such as principals may not apply or act as a partner applicant.

The organization’s pages are not fully consistent about geography. The 2027 application overview says applicants must live and work in the continental United States or Hawaii. The main grants page also lists Alaska among eligible locations. Educators in Alaska should contact FFT before investing time in a proposal and ask which current application rule applies to them. Applicants with job titles or teaching schedules that are not clearly covered should also confirm eligibility directly; each person on a team must meet the rules independently.

What the fellowship can support

The proposal must describe a learning experience. FFT does not fund student travel, personal stipends, substitute teacher compensation, or on-site or campus professional development delivered by a school or district. An application consisting only of classroom materials such as books or technology is not eligible. Grant funds cannot pay for completing a bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, or other degree, graduate credit coursework, licensure, or National Board Certification.

Some university-based courses or programs can fit when they form part of a professional learning experience. However, an applicant must pay for credit hours they elect to apply toward a degree. Required credit hours that cannot be waived may be allowed if they are not being used toward a bachelor’s degree. FFT retains discretion over project eligibility, so applicants should check the current application’s project eligibility questions and ask the organization about an expense that is not clearly addressed.

Budgets can include transportation, lodging, food, participation costs such as registration or program fees, materials, necessary equipment, and other costs specific to the fellowship. Each item should support a stated learning goal. The 2027 budget guidance says food estimates must reflect local prices, cannot exceed $50 per person per day, and require receipts. For a personal vehicle, the stated mileage rate is $0.76 per mile; applicants may claim mileage or gasoline, but not both. Technology should be necessary to the plan and should not make up most of the budget. Equipment bought with grant funds must be accessible to the school after the fellowship.

The guidance also identifies costs that cannot be charged to the grant, including toiletries, telecommunications, souvenirs, childcare, student travel, bank or credit-card fees, and graduate credit hours. Applicants should use the current non-allowable expenses list, not an old saved budget, because rates and instructions may change between application years. Estimates should be realistic and explained. FFT warns that it cannot increase an award after selection, so an underdeveloped budget can leave a fellow unable to complete the approved plan as intended.

How to prepare and submit

Applications are submitted online and include a coversheet, a proposal, and an itemized budget. Applicants first decide whether to apply individually or with a team, then create an account or sign in. The coversheet asks for a short project description of one or two sentences, within a 350-character limit. It should say what the educator will do, where the learning will happen, and why it matters; FFT asks applicants to avoid personal pronouns in that short description. Use the formal school and district names on the coversheet. Once signed, the coversheet prompts an email to the principal to verify eligibility with a digital signature, so applicants should review the information before signing.

For a team application, members select a team lead and create a team name. The lead initiates the online process, while each member registers or signs in with an individual account and completes a separate coversheet. The lead cannot proceed until all team members have completed and signed theirs. The team develops the proposal together, and the lead enters the proposal and itemized budget. Every member should contribute to the writing and understand their financial responsibility for their portion of an award.

The proposal has five sections: fellowship purpose and overarching goals; fellowship plan; teacher growth and learning; student and stakeholder experience; and budget narrative. The combined response limit is 25,000 characters, including spaces. Drafting in a plain word processor can make it easier to track the character count and revise before entering answers in the portal. Read the current scoring criteria alongside the questions so the narrative addresses the qualities the selection committee will use.

In the purpose and goals section, describe a skill or area of knowledge to develop, what motivates the learning, and how it connects to students’ strengths, cultures, interests, or needs. Explain what evidence or classroom experience shows that a change would help, and set goals that connect educator growth with student learning. Name the subject and grade level taught. A concrete description of the teaching context helps reviewers understand why the question matters.

The fellowship plan should state what the applicant will do and give a rationale for each activity. Explain how the activities connect to the professional learning goal and students’ needs. The current questions ask applicants to include ways to learn from experts and through real-world experiences, consider cultures and perspectives, and explain why a location or institution is relevant. A sequence of activities is more convincing when each step has a purpose: preparation, observation or study, reflection, and a way to carry learning back to students.

The teacher growth section asks applicants to consider the intellectual or personal challenges they may encounter, how they will reflect during immersive learning, and what perspectives could deepen their practice. The student and stakeholder section asks how the fellowship could inform new or improved classroom experiences, such as units, routines, methods, activities, or school initiatives. It also invites applicants to describe authentic, challenging student work and partnerships with colleagues, families, or community members. Explain what is feasible in the school setting and what support or obstacles may shape implementation.

The budget narrative should explain the estimated costs, timing, and link between each cost and the learning plan. Team budgets should show costs for each person as well as the combined total. The online itemized budget sheet turns that narrative into line items. Applicants should research prices, check expense rules, and leave enough time to arrange activities after award decisions. The application also collects estimated fellowship dates, length, and destinations. Before final submission, review the answers for completeness, eligibility, anonymity, consistency between plan and budget, and compliance with the current instructions.

FFT requires proposals to reflect applicants’ own ideas and writing. Borrowed itineraries or provider language can disqualify an application, and a previously awarded proposal may not be resubmitted. The current guidelines say applications substantially generated by AI, including sections substantially generated by AI, will not be considered the applicant’s original work and may be removed from consideration. Applicants may use tools in limited ways such as brainstorming or proofreading, but they remain responsible for original, accurate content that reflects their own thinking and classroom experience.

If selected

Awardees should follow the approved plan, keep documentation for expenses, and complete the required reporting. FFT describes fellows as active members of its community, with a required orientation workshop, periodic virtual meetups, and participation in its digital community. Fellows are also expected to represent the program in professional settings. Post-fellowship reporting includes an expense report, reflection summaries, and surveys. The remaining 10 percent of the grant is tied to completion of the required post-fellowship requirements, so reporting belongs in the project plan from the outset.

If a fellow does not complete reporting or uses funds in a way that conflicts with the approved proposal, FFT may place them in “Not in Good Standing” status and may refuse future applications from people in that status. Awardees should consult their own award materials for exact deliverable instructions and ask FFT before changing a major activity or expense. A carefully written application is a plan the fellow is expected to carry out, so communication and recordkeeping are part of responsible project management.

Official sources

Fund for Teachers grants page — 2027 application dates, general eligibility, and application access.
2027 application overview and eligibility — award limits, eligibility, exclusions, and fellowship timing.
2027 application coversheet guidance — account, description, signature, and team coversheet steps.
2027 proposal and budget guidance — proposal sections, budget rules, and final application details.
2027 selection process — review procedure and notification date.

Applicants should use the live Fund for Teachers portal and contact the organization about any eligibility or budget question that the published guidance does not settle. General inquiries are available at [email protected] or 1-800-681-2667.