Special Education

An applicant who is not a United States citizen or permanent resident must follow the same admissions procedures as applicants who are U.S. citizens in addition to other specific requirements. Click the button below to visit our Graduate Admissions site for more information.

International Student Admissions Information

The College of Education offers full-time teachers, teacher assistants and/or administrators a 25% in-service discount. This discount will be applied to the student bill upon registration. 

The College of Education offers a 20 percent scholarship to any previous Lipscomb student toward graduate education courses. To apply for this scholarship, please download and complete this application.

The College of Education offers students from a traditionally underrepresented group who are interested in an initial teaching license the Cultural Diversity Teacher Training Scholarship. The scholarship will be granted to those candidates with the greatest need based on their FAFSA data and expected family contribution (EFC).

• For more information on the Cultural Diversity Teacher Training Scholarship, please contact your advisor.

The Maxine D. Whittle Scholarship Fund was initially established in 2013 to be awarded to an undergraduate student majoring in special needs education or a graduate student working towards a Master’s degree in special education or reading who demonstrates significant financial need.

Maxine D. Whittle was a special education teacher from Massachusetts who worked with students with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and emotional disturbance. She held a Master of Education degree in special education and a certificate in reading therapy. She encouraged students to develop both reading and life skills with the importance of the “three Rs” which are Respect, Responsibility, and Resourcefulness. She blessed many students and families with her work.

Mrs. Whittle’s husband, Charles Whittle, established this scholarship fund in her memory in order to carry on Mrs. Whittle’s legacy of providing high quality special education to students.

Whittle Special Education Scholarship Guidelines

The following guidelines have been developed to assist candidates with financial support in their pursuit of a special education master’s degree and/or teaching license.  Candidates can be considered for resources made available through the Whittle Special Education Scholarship, based on the guidelines listed below:

• Candidates must be pursuing a special education degree.
• Priority will be given to candidates having greatest need based on FASFA data and expected family contribution (EFC). Students who qualify for this scholarship must be eligible to file FASFA in order to qualify. FASFA must be filed by August 1.
• Funds will be distributed as available on an annual basis.
• Recipients will be notified of award prior to university deadline for payment of fees.
• Awards will be given based on the needs of candidate(s).
• Applications must be completed and submitted by mid-term of the semester preceding the semester in which the award will be given.
• Candidates will be expected to submit multiple documents for use by the university staff to inform contributors to the fund.
• Candidates must volunteer at least 15 hours a semester for the IDEAL program.

To apply for the Maxine D. Whittle Scholarship please download and complete the application.

Earn a scholarship coaching future teachers! You can earn a $4,000 scholarship by showing our future teachers your own classroom experiences. Join a M.Ed. or Ed.S. program at Lipscomb University in Instructional Coaching with a Certificate in Instructional Coaching.

To apply for this scholarship, please download and complete the application.

The Ayers Foundation offers scholarships for aspiring school leaders. Ayers Leadership Fellows will be selected from a pool of applicants based on merit and innovative partnerships with their individual school districts.

Visit the Ayers Leadership Fellows Program section of our website for detailed information about this scholarship opportunity.

The College of Education awards scholarships each semester, as university funding is available. Scholarships are awarded by the Graduate Education Scholarship Committee on a case by case basis. All documentation must be submitted before it will be considered by the scholarship committee. A 3.0 G.P.A. is required to be eligible and maintain the scholarship. Recipients must also have full admission status. Please contact Kristi McGimsey at kristi.mcgimsey [at] lipscomb.edu or 615.966.6081 for more information.

A number of graduate scholarships are available. These are offered by individual departments and programs and may be awarded based on academic standing, work experience and financial need.

As a graduate student, you are still able to file the FAFSA—and you should! By filing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), you may be eligible for a number of student loans. 

Federal Stafford Loan

A borrower must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment for at least six semester hours and must be working toward a degree or certificate. Loans must be actively accepted in myLipscomb in order to be applied as an expected payment to the student bill. Stafford Loans will not pay until the student has completed both Entrance Counseling and the Master Promissory Note at studentloans.gov. Loans will not be credited to accounts until 30 days after classes begin or when a student begins the sixth credit hour, whichever comes last.

Graduate PLUS Loan

The Graduate PLUS Loan is available to independent graduate students. Both loans require credit approval by the Department of Education, as well as a FAFSA submission. Apply at www.studentloans.gov.

Private Loans

In addition to the federal loans outlined here, you may consider private loans made by banks and other financial institutions. It is recommended that private loans only be considered in instances where funding is needed in addition to any federal loans, as interest rates may be higher. Eligibility for these loans requires a credit check and students are often required to have a cosigner to qualify.

Through an agreement with the United States Department of Veteran Affairs, Lipscomb University will guarantee some level of graduate tuition funding, applicable to all Lipscomb University graduate programs, for graduate students who qualify for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Depending on program tuition rates, the graduate tuition funding may or may not cover the total tuition cost of the program.

The Yellow Ribbon Education Enhancement Program (Yellow Ribbon Program) is a provision of the Post- 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. This program allows institutions of higher learning in the United States to voluntarily enter into an agreement with VA to fund tuition expenses. For eligibility requirements, go to www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/.

Any questions concerning eligibility or benefits should be directed to the VA school-certifying official located in the lower level of Bennett Campus Center, Suite 140, or visit their website.