The Department of Special Education (SPED), in the UH Mānoa College of Education, has received $1,656,503 in continued funding for the 2025–2026 school year. For more than 20 years, SPED has worked in partnership with the Hawaiʻi Department of Education to provide teacher licensure candidates with stipend opportunities.
Eligibility includes Hawaiʻi residency as well as a commitment to teaching in Hawaiʻi public schools for at least three years after graduation. Non-residents may be eligible and are responsible for the difference in cost for WUE or non-resident tuition rates.
“Stipends are available to undergraduate, postbaccalaureate, and MEdT students who choose a special education pathway to teacher licensure,” said SPED Chair Rhonda Black. “We have teacher candidates in person, on Mānoa campus, and across the state. We are proud to have such a far-reaching impact on schools and teachers in Hawaiʻi.”
Funding covers most special education licensure programs and at least half of special education dual-licensure programs. Students may be enrolled in any of these programs and will automatically receive a stipend packet prior to the start of the first semester. Teachers who are already licensed in other fields may also receive a stipend to pursue the Special Education Add-a-Teaching Field program in return for a one-year commitment to teach upon program completion.
“It was pivotal that I could work and go to school, and this program made that a reality,” said Kailina Lewis who earned her Post Baccalaureate Certificate in SPED.
