group of students at a table

Pathway Preparation Grant

The Pathway Preparation grant opportunity provides $400,000 for fiscal year 2026 in state funding Minnesota Laws 2025, Chapter 10, Article 3, Section 16, Subd. 5 for the support of teachers who hold a Tier 1 or Tier 2 license and who are seeking a Tier 3 or Tier 4 license through the completion of a teacher preparation program or the licensure via portfolio process.
PELSB's Pathway Preparation Grant funds the efforts of school districts; charter schools; education service cooperatives; and partnerships between one or more teacher preparation providers, school districts, or charter schools to: 
  • Support teachers holding a Tier 1 or Tier 2 license and seeking a Tier 3 or Tier 4 license through completion of a teacher preparation program, including financial support for PELSB's Licensure via Portfolio process. 
    • Licensure via Portfolio is an alternative pathway for earning a Tier 3 teaching license or to add additional licensure fields to an existing Tier 3 or Tier 4 teaching license. Through this process, a teacher must submit a portfolio, which is a collection of evidence with accompanying narratives describing how the teacher has the knowledge, skills, and competencies required for a specific licensure field. More information on the portfolio process can be found on PELSB's Portfolio Pathway page.
  • Provide teachers holding a Tier 1 or Tier 2 license with professional development, mentorship, and coursework aligned to state standards for teacher licensure.
Eligible applicants are: 
  • School districts;
  • Charter school districts; 
  • Education service cooperatives; 
  • Partnerships between one or more teacher preparation providers and school districts, including charter school districts.