Excellence in Early Childhood Scholarship

As a year-round sponsor of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Walden's Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership understands that the care, respect, and knowledge that early childhood professionals bring to their work with young children and their families can contribute to a child's later success in school and in life. We support those who understand that this is an important time in a child’s development, full of great discovery, learning, and growth. 

The Excellence in Early Childhood Scholarship will award up to $10,000* to four new students enrolling in the college’s early childhood academic programs. The scholarships cover a wide variety of programs, specializations, and concentrations in early childhood from the bachelor’s to the doctoral level and reflect the college’s dedication to lifelong learning.

* Only one scholarship or grant benefit may be applied to tuition.

Eligible Early Childhood Programs

Doctoral Degree Programs

• Ph.D. in Education with a specialization in Early Childhood Education
• Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) with a specialization in Early Childhood

Post-Master’s Degree Program

• Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in Early Childhood

Master’s Degree Programs

• M.S. in Early Childhood Studies
• Teacher Preparation Program with a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) with a specialization in Early Childhood Education (Birth–Grade 3)

Bachelor’s Degree Program

• B.S. in Child Development

Scholarship Eligibility

Recipients of this scholarship must:

• Not be currently enrolled in a Walden University program.
• Have not received another merit-based Walden scholarship.
• Not be employed by Laureate Inc. or any of its subsidiaries.
• Meet all admission requirements with the university in receipt of all of the applicant’s official documentation and be fully admitted into one of the Riley College of Education and Leadership’s aforementioned programs.

Scholarship Criteria and Application Process

Applicants must:

• Call an enrollment advisor at 1-866-492-5336 to receive an official scholarship application form.
• Submit an essay of no more than 1,000 words describing how the applicant has demonstrated excellence in the early childhood field including:
  • Providing a description of the local early childhood challenges.
  • Explaining the specific steps the applicant took to improve early childhood efforts in his or her respective center, school, district, or community and corresponding results of his or her efforts.
• Include one letter of recommendation from center/community director, principal, or assistant/superintendent (on official letterhead) describing how the applicant has demonstrated excellence in the early childhood field.
• Submit a current copy of their resume or CV.
• Email the completed nomination form, essay, resume, and letter of recommendation all together to earlychildhoodexcellence@waldenu.edu.

All required information must be provided in order for a nomination to be considered. Applicants may be contacted by phone to confirm the authenticity of information submitted.

Deadline and Start Dates

• This scholarship will have two application deadlines of March 18, 2013, and July 15, 2013.
• Walden will award two scholarships for each application deadline (a total of four scholarships per year).
• Scholarship winners must enroll and start classes within two start dates of being awarded the scholarship or the scholarship will be forfeited. Start dates are as follows:

Scholarship Selection Process

A scholarship committee comprising members of the Riley College of Education and Leadership will review the nominations and select the finalists.

Scholarship Announcements and Publicity

Individuals who receive a scholarship must affirm that they are willing and able to participate in all publicity efforts promoting the program. Such publicity may include news releases and media advisories, local and national media coverage, media interviews and photos, and other similar public relations activities.

Individuals who participate must sign a release that allows Walden University to use the individual’s participation in the program for publicity purposes without limitation and states that all such materials remain the sole and exclusive property of Walden University.

Scholarship Funding

Scholarship funds will be disbursed beginning in the student’s first term after being awarded the scholarship and remaining funds will be applied toward the following term(s) until all funds have been used. For funds to be disbursed, the student’s records with the Office of Admissions must be complete, including the student’s official transcript. At any given time, if a scholarship disbursement exceeds the cost of tuition, funds will be disbursed in the amount of the tuition cost. Students will not receive cash if the award amount exceeds their cost of tuition.

Students who withdraw from the program or university or change to another degree program not eligible for this scholarship will forfeit the scholarship. Should the scholarship be forfeited, students need not reimburse Walden for funds already disbursed to them. In order for scholarship funding to continue throughout the length of the program, recipients must meet the satisfactory academic progress criteria set forth by Walden University’s current catalog for the duration of their program. If a student is in a new semester and forfeited in the previous semester (due to internal lag time), the student will receive a revised bill for the prior semester, in which the scholarship was received.

The cost of books and course materials are included in the tuition for some of Walden’s programs and specializations. However, scholarship recipients enrolling in Walden’s Ph.D. in Education program with a specialization in Early Childhood Education program are responsible for the cost of books and materials. Scholarship recipients enrolling in either the Ph.D. in Education program with a specialization in Early Childhood Education or the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) program with a specialization in Early Childhood are also responsible for all associated residency costs. All recipients who enroll in a Walden program are responsible for the technology fee each term as well. Recipients are responsible for all other non-tuition costs including but not limited to residency travel and other university or program fees as applicable.

Students may combine this scholarship with one of the tuition-reduction opportunities outlined on the Walden University website but may not combine this offer with any grant, scholarship, or tuition reduction that is associated with a specific start date. 

If the student is eligible to receive both a scholarship and a tuition reduction (i.e., offer/discount), the bursar's office will apply the scholarship funds first to the student's account and then apply the tuition reduction to any remaining balance for that term. If no balance is due in that term, the scholarship will be applied and reflected in the student's next billing statement in the following term. 

This scholarship is not managed by Walden University’s Office of Financial Aid. Please call an enrollment advisor at 1-866-492-5336 for more information.