FOREIGN Credential Evaluation Scholarships
Assistance for Those Educated Outside the United States
Foreign Credential Evaluation Scholarships help early childhood educators who have completed their high school or higher education coursework outside of the United States pay for the evaluation of educational transcripts. Submitting professionally evaluated transcripts to Achieve will help them assign you an accurate Career Lattice Step in Develop, which may help with your higher education and career goals.
These scholarships can be used to pay for general or course-by-course evaluations, translation of documents, standard mailing fees, and additional transcript copies for enrollment in a Minnesota college. Scholarships can be paid directly to the agency performing your evaluation, or you can apply to be reimbursed for an evaluation you already paid for.
Applicants must:
- Be working or volunteering in a Minnesota early childhood program or currently participating in Empower to Educate
- Have a current, complete, and up to date Develop Individual Membership
There are two ways to receive payments through the Foreign Credential Evaluation Scholarship program. Scholarships can be paid directly to the agency performing your evaluation, or you can apply to be reimbursed for an evaluation you already paid for. Please follow the appropriate application instructions:
I have not yet received translation or evaluation services, and I need to apply for a scholarship.
Step one: request a price quote.
To have Child Care Aware of Minnesota pay the translation agency directly for your transcript evaluation, contact one or more agencies from the list below and request a written price quote. You will need to upload this price quote with your application.
These agencies have agreed to accept payment from Child Care Aware of Minnesota:
Step two: gather your Develop Learning Record. This must include a current Develop Membership AND employment or volunteer status at a verified Minnesota early childhood program (unless participating in Empower to Educate).
Step three: apply online. To apply, log into the Grants and Scholarships Application Portal and select the Foreign Credential Evaluation Application.
I have already paid for translation/evaluation services, and I need to apply for reimbursement.
Step one: request a receipt. To receive a reimbursement for a transcript evaluation completed by another agency, you will need to upload a detailed receipt from the translation agency. To qualify for a reimbursement, you must use one of the accredited transcript evaluation agencies listed in Achieve’s Foreign Education Documentation policy.
Step two: gather your Develop Learning Record. This must include a current Develop Membership AND employment or volunteer status at a verified Minnesota early childhood program (unless participating in Empower to Educate).
Step three: apply online. To apply, log into the Grants and Scholarships Application Portal and select the Foreign Credential Evaluation Application.
Questions? Email CDA@childcareawaremn.org or call 651.290.9704 ext. 267.
Anyone using Child Care Aware of Minnesota’s Grants and Scholarships Application Portal for the first time will need to create an account before they can apply. To do this, visit our Grants and Scholarships Application Portal webpage, scroll down to fill in the required fields, and click “Create Account.” You’ll then receive an email with a link and instructions on how to access your account.
How are scholarship funds awarded and distributed?
Child Care Aware of Minnesota will notify you of your scholarship and, if necessary, notify the evaluation agency that we will be paying some or all your fees. Translation fees may be covered if it is needed for evaluation. No scholarship will exceed $550. You are responsible for the cost of any additional fees, such as expedited delivery.
If you need to purchase official transcripts from another country, you can be reimbursed for those costs if you submit a receipt that lists the payment in U.S. dollars.
What expenses are eligible?
Expenses for services that are required to meet Achieve’s Foreign Education Documentation policy are eligible. These include:
- The cost of purchasing your official transcripts from another country. The receipt must list the cost in U.S. dollars
- General or course-by-course evaluations
- Translation of documents needed for evaluation
- Standard mailing fee
- The cost of a second copy for enrollment in a Minnesota college for purposes of an early childhood education degree or child development degree
Does my scholarship expire?
Yes, Foreign Credential Evaluation Scholarships that are paid directly to one of our partnering evaluation agencies expire 60 days after the award date.
What do I need to send to Achieve – The Minnesota Center for Professional Development to have my education added to my Develop Learning Record?
Please visit the Achieve website to view their Foreign Education Documentation Policy to confirm what is needed on your evaluation report. Once evaluated, you will send Achieve the original or a copy of your transcript so that they can assign an accurate Career Lattice Step for you in Develop.
How many copies of my transcript will the scholarship pay for?
The scholarship will cover one or two copies. You must send one original or a copy of your evaluated transcript to Achieve. The quote you include with your application may include a second copy if it is needed for admission to a Minnesota college or university.
Can I get help with this process from someone who speaks a language other than English?
Yes, please send an email to CDA@childcareawaremn.org and let us know what language you are most comfortable speaking. We will provide someone who can help you with translation.
