Senator Hughes, Education Leaders Announce Opening of Student Teacher Support Program for ‘26-27 Academic Year

Senator Hughes, Education Leaders Announce Opening of Student Teacher Support Program for '26-27 Academic Year

April 13, 2026

The PA Student Teacher Support Program is designed to ease financial strain, encourage placements in high-need schools, and reduce teacher shortages in Pennsylvania.

Senator Hughes shared the following statement about the application opening and the program's significance.

"As we continue our commitment to growing the funding in Harrisburg, we want to ensure that everyone who can apply does apply and gets a chance to participate in this program.

There is no job more important than teaching. It is a vital profession, and we should remove any barriers that prevent educators from entering it.

We announced this program a couple of years ago, and since then, we've been able to serve thousands of student teachers. The intention is to serve thousands more, and we are here, right now, to get this job done.

Thank you to Governor Josh Shapiro for being fully engaged in this program and for ensuring dollars were set aside in the state budget. Having someone in the Governor's office who will advocate, support, and provide real dollars is extremely important."

A full video of the announcement and press conference that was held today is available online.

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