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The Career Training Program

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Career Training Program (CTP) provides eligible UFT paraprofessionals the opportunity to earn their first Bachelor’s degree.
This program provides tuition assistance for three (3) to six (6) credits per semester (fall, spring, and summer) until the completion of the first Bachelor’s degree or a maximum of 120 credits has been reached.
This program provides undergraduate tuition payments for eligible paraprofessionals at the current CUNY rate.
This program's application is an online application.
Eligible paraprofessionals must apply for and update their application for a CTP voucher for each semester.
Eligible paraprofessionals must be payrolled as a full-time paraprofessional at the time of application filing and remain appointed as a full-time paraprofessional for the remainder of the application school year.
Subsitute paraprofessionals are not eligible to participate in this program.
Full-time paraprofessionals with a conferred Bachelor’s degree are not eligible to participate in this program.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

To learn more about the Career Training Program, please review our Frequently Asked Questions.

THE APPLICATION PERIOD(S)

The CTP applications are available during the following periods:

Fall Semester: May 1^st - June 30^th

Spring Semester: September 1^st- October 31^st

Summer Semester: February 1^st - March 31^st

An application must be filed for each semester.

THE APPLICATION

IMPORTANT - You should use a computer to access the online application.

You must complete an online application for each semester (Fall, Spring, and Summer).
The application can be found on the Teachers Support Network website at https://nyc.teacherssupportnetwork.com/Start.do?CareerPath=INC

FOR NEW USERS:

To access the Career Training application, you will need to:

REGISTER YOUR ACCOUNT:

You will define your username (email address) and password during the registration step.
1. Your email address will also be the primary means of contacting you. Check your inbox regularly, and check your junk mail or spam filter to make sure you are receiving emails from the NYC Public Schools (allow domains “@schools.nyc.gov” and “@nyc.teacherssupportnetwork.com”).
Note: If you have registered or completed an application before November 30, 2018, you must re-register and submit a new application to be considered for employment opportunities for the 2022-2023 school year unless you receive an email with other instructions.

COMPLETE THE PROFILE:

Note - The Common Profile has five (5) steps that must be completed before access to applications is granted.

Once you have registered your account, you must complete your profile.
After you log in, select “VIEW/EDIT PROFILE.”
Complete the profile.
1. If you can log in to the Candidate Portal and can access the various applications under the START NEW APPLICATION section - You do not need to complete a new Common Profile - it is already sufficiently complete!
2. If you log in to the Candidate Portal and do not see the various application options under the START NEW APPLICATION section - You must complete the Common Profile.
3. Please read the instructions carefully and ensure that all the questions with an asterisk (*) are answered because much of the information in the common profile is optional.

NOTE: Please keep in mind that the PROFILE is NOT the APPLICATION! You must REGISTER, then complete the PROFILE to access the actual CTP APPLICATION.

APPLYING FOR THE CAREER TRAINING PROGRAM

Click on Apply Here or visit https://nyc.teacherssupportnetwork.com/Start.do?CareerPath=INC. You will be taken to the Teacher Support Network, the platform that houses our application.
Log in to your account using your Username (Email) and Password.
To access the application:
- New applicants select “Start New Application.”
- Existing applicants select “Existing Application.”

Select Career Training Program from the dropdown.
- Select “View/Edit Profile” if you can’t view the application upon logging in, select View/Edit Profile.
- Please keep in mind that the PROFILE is NOT the APPLICATION! You must REGISTER, then complete the PROFILE to access the actual CTP APPLICATION.
- You must complete all prompts and questions to update your profile and apply for the Career Training Program voucher and any other opportunities available to full-time paraprofessionals.
- Once your profile is complete, you should see the application.

Complete the application.
Select “Submit.”
Once the application is submitted, you will receive an email stating that you have completed the application. If you did not receive a confirmation email, please contact us immediately at CareerTraining@schools.nyc.gov or call us at (718) 935-2449.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT

If you are having problems logging in to the Teachers Support System?
Please click the Forgot User Name link below if you do not remember the email address you used when creating your account for the NYC Public Schools or if you no longer have access to that email account.

Did you forget your User Name?

Please click the Forgot Password link below if you have your username but forgot your password. After entering your Social Security Number and Last Name, you can reset your password.

Did you forget your Password?

Be mindful that all user names and passwords are CASE-sensitive.

For TECHNICAL SUPPORT, contact the Teacher’s Support Network at (877) 368-3224.

PAYMENTS

A tuition payment letter of certification (voucher) will be sent to each eligible participant via email to your NYCDOE email address on file.
The program participant must print and sign the voucher before submitting it to the attending college or university Bursar's office.
It is the program participant's responsibility to ensure that their voucher is submitted to their college or university's Bursar's office.
The tuition payment letter of certification is used only for the specific college and semester indicated on the application form; any changes should be reported to the office immediately.
Tuition is paid directly to the colleges and universities. If you are eligible to benefit from the PELL and TAP federal grants, revisions to your financial aid will be made by the Bursar’s office.
Financial aid will cover any tuition-related expenses for paraprofessionals who benefit from the Federal Pell Grant or the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) grant. The attending college or university will bill the NYC Public Schools (Department of Education) for the difference between tuition owed and the amount of tuition assistance received. The NYCPS will not pay for course materials or other fees the college charges. The NYC Public Schools (NYCPS) will not pay activity, application, technology, and any other fees charged by the college or university; this will be the paraprofessional's responsibility.

RELEASE TIME

The NYCPS will grant 2.5 hours of release time per week during each college semester (fall, spring, and the 1st summer session only, no later than June 30th) to eligible paraprofessionals attending or taking online coursework at an accredited and approved college or university.
The paraprofessional must be registered for and complete a minimum of five (5) credit/semester hours of undergraduate study.
Release time during the summer session may be taken but must be completed by June 30th.
Release time will not be granted during July and August.
Release time cannot be used to attend classes during the scheduled workday.
We recommend paraprofessionals take courses during the late afternoon, evenings, and weekends to avoid conflict with their work schedules.
Paraprofessionals may not take classes during their regularly scheduled school day.
Approval of release time is at the principal’s discretion.

PROGRAM RESTRICTIONS

Candidates must take a minimum of 3 credits up to a maximum of 6 credits per semester.
The NYC Public Schools is entitled to recover the amount of tuition and fees incurred by the NYCPS from a paraprofessional who fails to complete the course in which they are enrolled the amount of tuition and fees incurred by the Department.
Paraprofessionals who are on an approved leave of absence, resign, or are terminated before their first day of college classes are not eligible to participate in the program.
Applicants must be payrolled as a full-time paraprofessional at the time of application filing and remain appointed as a full-time paraprofessional for the remainder of the application school year.

PLEASE NOTE

Many education courses taken at most two-year community colleges cannot be used toward a four-year degree at a senior college, nor will these courses be accepted by the New York State Education Department for teacher certification. It is recommended that paraprofessionals who wish to become teachers enroll in four-year colleges or carefully select those liberal arts courses at community colleges that will transfer to four-year institutions. Education courses taken at the undergraduate level at Empire State College are not accepted by the New York State Education for teacher certification.