Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) Resources

Training Opportunities

• Tuition Support for Students Pursuing Physical/Health Disabilities Licensure
  
• P/HD Scholarship Application
  
  
• The Minnesota Collaborative Preparation Program for
  Teachers of Special Education: Blind or Visually Impaired
• Five Minnesota universities, with some financial support from the Minnesota Department of Education through the Minnesota Low Incidence Projects at Metro ECSU, collaborate to provide a graduate level licensure preparation program to prepare teachers of Minnesota students who are blind or visually impaired. The program meets Minnesota requirements for full professional licensure as a Teacher of Special Education: Blind or Visually Impaired (BVI).

• The BVI Course Sequence lists the seven graduate level specialization courses (23 credits) and the final practicum (4 credits) available to a cohort of students over a two year period. 

  Course scheduling and location vary to facilitate program accessibility for candidates statewide. The course format includes class meetings, independent work and some distance learning. During the school year class meetings occur primarily on week-ends. During the summer class meetings occur during the day and some courses may be presented in a condensed two-week period.

  The program is especially designed for students who already hold another Minnesota special education teaching license. It can, however, also accommodate individuals with either a general education teaching license or no teaching license at all. These individuals would have additional coursework to complete prior to or along with the specialization courses.

  The courses are offered on rotation by the collaborating universities, so tuition costs vary from course to course. The Program has been able to provide partial tuition support to previous and current students.
  Funding for student support is made possible with a grant from the Minnesota Department of Education to the Minnesota Low Incidence Projects at Metro ECSU.
  The source of the funds is federal award Special Education – Program to States, CFDA 84.027A. It is possible that partial tuition support may continue to be available in the future.

• The BVI Program Policies and Procedures document provides in-depth information about the Program. 

  Additional information about the Program is available at http://www.mnlowincidenceprojects.org/iheresources.html or you may email or call the following Program contact:
  Barb Lhotka, Program Coordinator; barblhotka@embarqmail.com; 612-618-5718.
  
  This initiative is funded in part with a grant from the Minnesota Department of Education using federal funding, CFDA 84.323A, Special Education – State Program Improvement Grant.