High Point University Wins $18M Teacher Training Grants

High Point University has secured $18 million in federal grants to train teachers and school leaders, the largest competitive grant haul in the school's history. The awards, announced this week, will fund educator training programmes serving 105 teachers and principals across 17 school districts in the region.

The funding comes through two US Department of Education grants won by the university's Stout School of Education: a $6.6 million Teacher Quality Partnership grant and an $11.4 million SEED grant. Together, these federal education grants represent one of the biggest federal investments in teacher preparation in North Carolina this year, according to EdNC, which first reported the awards on October 20.

High Point University lands record federal education grants

The $11.4 million SEED grant is the largest competitive grant the university has ever received, and it anchors an ambitious plan to strengthen the educator pipeline in surrounding communities. The Teacher Quality Partnership grant, worth $6.6 million, targets the preparation of new teachers through deeper partnerships between the university and local school districts.

High Point University officials say the educator training will combine coursework, mentoring and classroom residencies — the model education researchers consistently identify as most effective for preparing teachers who stay in the profession. The 105 teachers and principals expected to participate will span 17 local districts, spreading the impact well beyond the university's own campus.

Beyond the classroom, High Point University will use the funding to build long-term partnerships with its 17 districts, tracking teacher retention and student outcomes over the life of the grants. University leaders say the High Point University model pairs academic preparation with paid residencies, so candidates train in the schools that need them most.

For a private university of High Point's size, winning $18 million in a single federal cycle is a significant achievement. The Department of Education's competitive grant programmes draw applications from universities nationwide, and success typically requires detailed evidence of past outcomes, strong district partnerships and a clear plan for measuring results.

Teacher training grants address educator shortages

The teacher training grants arrive as North Carolina districts, like many across the country, continue to struggle with educator shortages and turnover. Rural and high-need districts in particular have reported difficulty filling classrooms with fully licensed teachers, making federally funded preparation pathways a critical source of new talent.

Teacher training grants of this kind typically fund "grow-your-own" pipelines: recruiting teacher candidates from local communities, supporting them through certification, and placing them in partner districts with ongoing mentoring. Research suggests teachers prepared through such residencies are more likely to remain in the classroom and to teach in the districts that trained them.

High Point University expands its education footprint

The awards also mark a milestone for the Stout School of Education, which will administer both grants. High Point University has invested heavily in its education programmes in recent years, and the federal recognition signals that its teacher preparation model is gaining national credibility.

Implementation will unfold over the multi-year grant periods, with the university working alongside its 17 partner districts to recruit participants, design training sequences and track outcomes such as teacher retention and student achievement. If the programmes deliver on their promises, High Point University could become a model for how mid-sized private universities partner with public school systems to address the educator workforce challenge.

For the 105 teachers and principals who will cycle through the programmes, the grants mean funded professional development, stronger mentoring networks and new career pathways — tangible returns on a federal investment that the university calls the most significant in its history.