Education Students Receive $12,500 Checks As Surprise Teaching Stipend

Nine future teachers learned a lesson they never expected – about generosity – when UNT Dallas presented each of them with a check for more than $10,000 dollars, no strings attached.

The funds, known officially as stipends, help the students with expenses during their senior year when they work full-time as student-teachers at local school districts. The payments are not loans or grants. They do not need to be paid back.

The nine students are part of the UNT Dallas Teacher Residency Program, which prepares senior education majors to become teachers with practical, hands-on experience inside nearby elementary, middle and high schools.

While some districts pay student-teachers, others do not. The nine students who received stipend payments are not receiving a salary where they teach. The money makes a crucial difference.

"I quit my other job, so now I have more time to study for my teacher certification exam," said Alanna Baker.

"This check means everything. It's a wonderful blessing I've been granted," said Alyssa Medina.

The students only recently learned the School of Education would be giving them the checks – $12,500 to be exact. In a special ceremony on May 24, 2026, the checks were presented to each student by UNT Dallas President Warren von Eschenbach, School of Education Interim Dean Dr. Patrick Valdez, Director of Clinical Practice Emily Waneck and School of Education Administrative Coordinator David Casarez.

Recipients included:

"What is truly impressive and inspiring is that many of these students return to their hometowns and teach in the very schools they once attended," said Dr. Valdez. "It shows their dedication to education and helping the next generation in their community."

CBS News Texas (CBS11) featured a report on the event the same night.

The Teacher Residency Program is concluding its second academic year in partnership with multiple school districts. It launched in August 2024 with Dallas ISD and has since expanded to others in the southern Dallas region. School of Education leaders expect it to grow further in coming years, continuing to provide a valuable and robust pipeline of educators to the North Texas workforce.

Most, if not all, of the nine seniors recognized with $12,500 stipends have offers for jobs when they graduate next month. Commencement ceremonies will be held at the Texas Trust CU Theater in Grand Prairie on May 12, 2026.

Thanks to some extra cash, you might see nine graduates with an extra spring in their step as they cross the stage to receive their diploma.