This is a perk designed for future teachers like you! We’ll reimburse eligible applicants up to $100 for expenses related to applying to a teaching program. Simply:

1. Create a TEACH for Houston account by clicking “Sign Up” in the top right corner of this page.
2. Submit an application to one of our partner teaching programs.
3. After applying to a program, fill out the reimbursement form with proof of your application and fees. You’ll receive your reimbursement through PayPal or Venmo.

To get reimbursed, all of the following statements must be true: 

• You signed up for a TEACH for Houston account before you applied to a teaching program.
• You applied to one of our partner teaching programs.
• The fee you paid was required for you to apply to or enroll in the program. This could include: 
  • Application fees
  • Transcript fees
  • Program deposits
  • Any other application-related expenses
• You submitted copies of official documents that include dates for when you applied to the teaching program and incurred your expenses.
• You provided valid PayPal or Venmo account information, so we can issue you payment.

Expenses are ineligible if any of the following are true: 

• You signed up for a TEACH for Houston account after you applied to a teaching program.
• You did not apply to one of our partner teaching programs.
• The fee you paid was required for you to complete the program, rather than to apply to or enroll in the program. Examples include: 
  • Tuition
  • Books
  • Fees for tests that are required after you have enrolled
• The files you submitted don’t include a date, are not official copies of communications, or are in an unreadable format.
• You provided invalid or incomplete PayPal or Venmo account information.

We can only offer reimbursements if you created a TEACH account before you applied to your program. 

But you may be eligible for other TEACH support!:

• Get questions about teaching answered with free career advising.
• Get free resume and cover letter templates. 
• Find other financial support with our Financial Aid Explorer!

To be eligible, you must be pursuing initial teaching certificate through a TEACH for Houston partner teaching program. 

Current teachers looking to add credentials to their certificate or those pursuing administrator certification are not eligible.

You should submit copies of official documents that prove you applied to one of our partner teaching programs and that the expenses you incurred are related to the application process. You do not need to submit proof that you signed up for a free TEACH for Houston account. 

Submit your documents as a PDF, screenshot or image file that includes:

• Your name.
• The date of the expense.
• The expense and its relationship to the application process. 

You may choose to redact personally identifiable information that is not listed here, such as your address.

You should apply for reimbursement after you've: 

1. Signed up for a TEACH for Houston account,
2. Applied to a partner teaching program, and
3. Incurred the expenses related to the application process.

We will reimburse each person up to $100 in total for all application expenses. That said, you can submit your expenses in one form, or through multiple forms over time.

If you have met all of the eligibility criteria, you will be reimbursed through PayPal or Venmo within 15 business days of submitting your fee reimbursement request.

Due to the high volume of requests we receive, we will not contact you directly if your reimbursement request is incomplete or ineligible. Please refer to the eligibility criteria listed on this page.

If you still have questions, please visit Support.

To submit the form, you'll need to upload your documents as a PDF, screenshot or image file. 

If you aren't able to upload your documents or submit the form, please contact us through our Support page.

Taking a certification test? TEACH for Houston will reimburse up to $300 to cover your PACT and TExES costs!

To get reimbursed for test costs, you'll fill out a separate form. Learn more and apply for test reimbursements.

There are lots of ways to reduce your costs! TEACH for Houston can connect you with scholarships, finance guides and more. Get access to more financial aid tools and support.

Plus, when you're ready to take your certification tests, we'll reimburse up to $300 for your testing costs!