Educator Recruitment & Retention

Montana is directly addressing the issue of retaining and recruiting educators by supporting stipends for Montana teachers who become National Board Certified and providing funds to help teachers pay back educational loans. Both programs are built on the fact that student achievement is directly impacted by high quality, prepared, and experienced educators.

Quality Educator Loan Assistance Program (QELAP)

The Quality Educator Loan Assistance program provides up to 3 years of state-level loan repayment assistance to newly hired teachers in Montana schools (with an optional 4th year provided by school districts). Updated in 2025, the law now stipulates that newly hired quality educators who teach or work at an “impacted school” are eligible to receive state paid loan assistance for up to three years, so long as they remain a full-time employee at an impacted school. A fourth year of loan repayment assistance may be available through the local impacted school or district. Additionally, if all funds are not expended by teachers teaching in impacted schools, newly hired educators in non-impacted schools will be eligible for the reimbursement program as well, as long as funds are available.

The application link on this page will become active mid-February. All applications must be received through the application link, with complete documentation as required, by April 15, 2026. Please note that approvals and payments (directly to loan providers) will not be processed until the review process is complete for all applications, between June 15 and June 30, 2025. Letters to applicants will be sent at that time. Please check back for updates. If there are any changes to this program, the changes will be posted here.

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For information about Quality Educator Loan Assistance Program email OPILoanAssistance@mt.gov.

Applications

Applications for the 2025-26 school year are open through April 15, 2026.

Do you work at an impacted school?

Impacted Schools List 

View the link and complete the application and upload a current loan statement before you submit. For more information about applying and other common questions, see the Quality Educator Loan Assistance FAQ's.

Quality Educator Loan Assistance Application

National Board Teacher Stipend Program

Montana provides a state stipend to teachers who receive National Board Certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). The current program was enacted into law by the 2017 Montana legislature.

The Teacher Stipend Program with School Accounting Guidance provides a detailed explanation of the statute and Montana's National Board Certification program.

Additional Resources

Have Questions?

For information about National Board Teacher Stipend Program or information about Quality Educator Loan Assistance Program email OPILoanAssistance@mt.gov.