Are there any UCCE programs that accept married students?

[Therana]

First of all, I’m sorry if this is in the wrong forum. Please move it if it is.

My fiance and I are college students. Late in his college career, he felt the calling to become a high school teacher. Unfortunately, he was already a junior, and if he took on an education major at that point, he would graduate late, so he decided it would be more practical to continue with his undergraduate degree in Italian and pursue a M.Ed. after he graduates. He will be a senior in the fall, so he is starting to look at graduate schools.

Unfortunately, we’re both flat broke, so paying for graduate school will be very hard, especially because he is already in a lot of debt from his undergrad (my father is helping me with tuition so I won’t have nearly as much). We’ve already had to change the date for the wedding from 2013 to 2014 just because it wouldn’t be possible for us to be financially independent in 2013. It really saddens us that he might have to put off grad school and his ideal career because of money issues.

But then we heard about the University Consortium for Catholic Education programs, which allow you to earn a graduate degree in education while giving you teaching experience in inner-city Catholic schools. Such a program sounds perfect for him, especially because they accept people without undergraduate degrees in education and most of them waive tuition and offer a modest stipend. The problem is that most of the programs we’ve looked at (Boston College, Providence College, etc.) explicitly state that they don’t accept married students. The only one we have found so far that says it does is Seton Hall University, but they don’t waive tuition.

Does anyone know if there are other UCCE programs that accept married students, or if there are any similar programs out there? These programs sound very appealing to my fiance and they seem like the best option for us financially, but we really don’t want to put off getting married any longer than we have to!

 

[IgnatiusDaughtr]

I did a UCCE program for graduate school, and the reason they don’t accept married members is that everyone is expected to live in community with the other volunteers, which wouldn’t be possible if someone was already living out a married vocation. In fact, it was living in community that helped me to discern that living in community as a part of a religious vocation was not for me (now I’ll be married 3 years at the end of this month). It would have been impossible to be in the program, which includes teaching, going to class, having community meals, community meetings, and community spirituality events each week, along with having to live with the members of your community, and be married at the same time and give your husband/wife everything that they deserve.

I do know that AmeriCorps Vista programs accept married members. Vistas volunteer do receive a stipend, and then an education award at the end of their service that can be applied to tuition in the future. If one spouse has a decent paying job it is possible to cover the bills with the stipend for a year or two to earn the education award (of course, “decent paying job” will vary depending on the cost of living in your specific area). Some Vistas may work with students, but there are a variety of jobs that are posted for Vistas.

Check with the Department of Education in your state. Some states will allow teachers to work without their license (which is what getting an MEd will help him to obtain) in specific areas where teachers are needed. There are also alternative ways to obtain a teaching license, which vary by state, so you will need to check with the DOE.

I would also suggest your future DH do some volunteer work with high school students in a classroom as soon as possible, if he hasn’t’ already. There were lots of students in my undergrad education classes that loved our ed classes, but realized as soon as they got into the classroom with students that teaching was not for them (or realized that teaching wasn’t for them because of dealing with administrators, or parents, or state standards). Getting some practical experience can help make his decision easier.

Good luck!

 

[runningdude]

First of all, I’m sorry if this is in the wrong forum. Please move it if it is.

My fiance and I are college students. Late in his college career, he felt the calling to become a high school teacher. Unfortunately, he was already a junior, and if he took on an education major at that point, he would graduate late, so he decided it would be more practical to continue with his undergraduate degree in Italian and pursue a M.Ed. after he graduates. He will be a senior in the fall, so he is starting to look at graduate schools.

Unfortunately, we’re both flat broke, so paying for graduate school will be very hard, especially because he is already in a lot of debt from his undergrad (my father is helping me with tuition so I won’t have nearly as much). We’ve already had to change the date for the wedding from 2013 to 2014 just because it wouldn’t be possible for us to be financially independent in 2013. It really saddens us that he might have to put off grad school and his ideal career because of money issues.

But then we heard about the University Consortium for Catholic Education programs, which allow you to earn a graduate degree in education while giving you teaching experience in inner-city Catholic schools. Such a program sounds perfect for him, especially because they accept people without undergraduate degrees in education and most of them waive tuition and offer a modest stipend. The problem is that most of the programs we’ve looked at (Boston College, Providence College, etc.) explicitly state that they don’t accept married students. The only one we have found so far that says it does is Seton Hall University, but they don’t waive tuition.

Does anyone know if there are other UCCE programs that accept married students, or if there are any similar programs out there? These programs sound very appealing to my fiance and they seem like the best option for us financially, but we really don’t want to put off getting married any longer than we have to!

The school’s biggest concern would be your fiance supporting both himself and future wife on the stipend. Further If they offered a health insurance package, then they would be obligated to cover you as well, increasing their cost. If you were independently employed and insured, then these programs may still consider your fiance should you marry in the mean time. The two of you would have to dig deep and ask several deans and administrators of the programs to find out if this would be possible.