HPU’s Stout School of Education Receives $18 Million in Grants to Prepare Hundreds of Educators
Pictured is Natalie Denson, an elementary education major from Columbus, Ohio, reading a book to local first-grade students.
HIGH POINT, N.C., Oct. 2, 2026 – High Point University’s Stout School of Education has been awarded two grants from the U.S. Department of Education totaling $18 million, including one for $11.4 million, the largest competitive grant that HPU has ever received.
This new federal funding will allow the Stout School of Education to help prepare more than 400 local teachers and principals in 17 area school districts, including schools in the city of High Point. This support will provide strong school leaders to the region and strengthen the overall quality of education in North Carolina.
During a 48-hour span in September, the Stout School of Education learned it had received two multimillion-dollar grants — a Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) grant for $6.6 million, followed the next day by a Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) grant for $11.4 million.
Each individual grant competition attracts hundreds of applications, and it is not uncommon for fewer than 5% to be awarded funding. For that reason, HPU winning two awards is a rare achievement.
“Winning two highly competitive federal grants totaling $18 million is made possible by the strength of our partnerships with 17 local school districts and their superintendents,” said Dr. Amy Holcombe, dean of the Stout School of Education. “These awards reflect what can happen when universities and school districts work together around a shared vision for strengthening education. Together, we are building stronger pathways into the profession, developing exceptional educators and leaders, and investing in the future of education across our region.”
The Stout School of Education will use the new SEED grant to develop 300 educators at no cost. The federal funding will support 150 teachers in completing a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) from HPU and earning their North Carolina teacher licensure. Another 150 educators will enter HPU’s graduate certificate program for school administrators, with many eventually earning a Doctor of Education (EdD) from HPU.
The TQP grant HPU received aims to recruit, develop and retain high-quality educators in school districts with high poverty and high teacher turnover. With funding from this new grant, the Stout School of Education will help prepare 105 local teachers and principals.
The TQP grant will allow 60 educators to complete an M.A.T. in elementary education or special education from HPU and earn their North Carolina teacher licensure. Another 45 students will earn a Master of Education in Educational Leadership degree and their North Carolina principal licensure.
“Receiving this highly competitive Teacher Quality Partnership Grant affirms High Point University’s commitment to preparing exceptional educators and school leaders,” Holcombe said. “This grant award gives us the opportunity to prepare 105 aspiring teachers and school leaders while strengthening the pipeline of talented professionals prepared to serve our local schools. I am tremendously proud of the faculty and partners who brought their expertise and vision to this work, and I look forward to seeing this grant’s impact extend far beyond our campus and into our classrooms and school communities.”
The new federal funding is more good news for the Stout School of Education. Over the summer, students in the school’s undergraduate teacher licensure programs earned a 100% pass rate for a fifth consecutive year on the national licensure assessment, the edTPA. Students in the M.A.T. programs also achieved a perfect pass rate on the exam.