CDA Assessment Fee Scholarship – TXAEYC
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CDA Assessment Fee Scholarship

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CDA Assessment Fee Scholarships Now Available!

The CDA Assessment Fee scholarship assists in paying the $425 assessment fee required by the Council for Professional Recognition in awarding a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. Scholarship recipients are required to be supported by their employer.  Your sponsoring employer will complete part of the application and commit to covering a portion of the cost for each scholarship model.   

The scholarship pays 95% of the CDA assessment fee, or $403.75, which includes the classroom observation visit and the CDA exam.  The sponsoring employer is responsible for covering the remaining 5%, or $21.25.  The recipient is not responsible for a portion of the CDA assessment fee. 

 

  T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship  Sponsoring Employer  Scholarship Recipient 
CDA Assessment Fee  $403.75  $21.25  $0.00 
Commitment Award  $250  $150 bonus or 2% raise  Remain employed with sponsoring employer for 6 months 

 

Applicants must have completed the 120 hours of required training covering the eight CDA subject areas, prepared their CDA professional portfolio, and completed the family questionnaires.   

Eligibility 

  • Work 30 hours per week in a licensed childcare center or licensed or registered family childcare home 
  • Earn $20 or less per hour 
  • Have a high school diploma or GED 
  • Be a Texas resident 
  • Have 120 training hours across the eight CDA core competencies 

Commitment from Sponsoring Employer 

Scholarship recipients are required to be sponsored by their employer.   

Sponsoring Employer responsibilities include: 

  • Completing a portion of the T.E.A.C.H. scholarship application   
  • Pay 5% or $21.25 towards the CDA Assessment Fee  
  • Provide a one-time $150 bonus OR 2% raise at the completion of the 6-month commitment period

Required Documents 

The application will require the following documents to be uploaded: 

  • High school diploma or GED certificate  
  • Recent paystub or Schedule C 
  • Documents to verify eligibility to work in the United States (e.g driver’s license, social security card, birth certificate, passport, work visa, etc.)
  • Training certificates and/or transcripts for the 120 hours of required training within the CDA core        competency areas  

Texas Early Childhood Professional Development System (TECPDS)  

Applicants must have an active account with the Texas Early Childhood Professional Development System (TECPDS).  If you do not have an account, you can click here to create a free account.  Applications cannot be submitted without providing a TECPDS account number.  

Professional Development Specialist 

Applicants must select a Professional Development (PD) Specialist prior to submitted a CDA Assessment Fee scholarship application.  The PD Specialist’s name and ID must be included on the application.  To find a PD Specialist, create an account at cdacouncil.org . Under the Educator Pathways tab, select Find A PD Specialist. Search for a specialist and contact them to receive their ID number to include on your application.  No further activity in your account is needed until AFTER you hear about the status of your scholarship application.  

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