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The application program will be available again in February 2026. Please return then to view the updated Eligibility and Awards for the upcoming academic year!

If you are an applicant who would like to discover more scholarship opportunities you might qualify for, please continue to the Scholarship America Hub and sign up!

Teacher Voices Scholarship Program
Application status: Closed

Voya Financial has established a scholarship program, in partnership with the National Teacher of the Year Program, to recognize and support aspiring K-12 classroom teachers.

This program is administered by Scholarship America®, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarships, and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals. Eligibility for individual programs is determined at the sole discretion of the sponsor and eligible applications are reviewed by Scholarship America’s evaluation team.

Eligibility

Applicants to the Teacher Voices Scholarship Program must meet all of the following criteria:

  • Be high school seniors or graduates or current college undergraduates or graduate level students
  • Plan to be an elementary or high school classroom teacher*
  • Plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate or graduate study at an accredited two- or four-year college or university for the entire upcoming academic year
  • Be the sole nominee of one of the 2025 State Teachers of the Year (“STOY”) in the 50 states, U.S. territories, DC, and the Department of Defense Education

*High schools seniors and undergraduate students can have any major; however graduate students must be pursuing a degree in the education field or a related field.

Selection Criteria and Awards

From the pool of applicants that submit an application, Scholarship America will select ten (10) finalists.  Finalists are evaluated on the basis of:

  • Academic performance
  • Demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities
  • Work experience
  • A statement of educational and career goals and objectives stating desire to be a classroom teacher
  • Any unusual personal or family circumstances
  • Finalists must also demonstrate financial need.

Finalists selected will be required to submit a video (two-minute maximum) in response to two essay questions provided by the Council of Chief State School Officers. The review committee will evaluate finalists. All applicants agree to accept the decision as final.

If selected as a recipient, the student will receive a $5,000 award. Up to four (4) awards will be granted.

Awards are one-time only. Past recipients may not reapply.

Notification

All applicants will be notified in June.

Payment of Scholarships

Scholarship America processes scholarship payments on behalf of Voya Financial. Payment will be made in one installment.

As part of your application, you must upload the following:

  • A current, complete transcript of grades. Grade reports are not accepted. Transcripts must display:
    • Student name
    • School name
    • Grades
    • Credit hours for each course and term in which each course was taken.

NOTE: If you are providing SAT or ACT test scores, and those scores are not listed on your high school transcript, you will need to upload a copy of your test score report(s) separately. If you are uploading a college transcript, those scores are not required.

Voya Financial has partnered with Scholarship America. Selecting the button below will redirect you to the Scholarship America Student Hub!

Please make sure to add studentsupport@scholarshipamerica.org as well as the program email address provided below in the footer as safe senders in your email contact list.