Graduate Credits for Texas Teachers
Your hub for Texas teacher salary advancement and certificate renewal information — everything you need to know to grow your career and your paycheck.
How Can We Help You?
We've carefully selected regionally accredited university partners so you can earn graduate credits that count toward Texas CPE renewal and that many Texas districts accept for salary advancement (confirm with your district HR).
In Texas, pay structures for advanced degrees vary by district — many districts pay an annual advanced degree stipend to teachers who hold a Master's degree or higher, while others use a lane-based salary schedule instead. Earning graduate credits through Credits for Teachers is one of the most direct paths to qualifying for a stipend or moving up a salary lane — and to completing a full Master's degree through our partner, Colorado State University Pueblo.
Advance your Salary with our Master's Degree Option
Accelerate your career with a Master's Degree. We offer a selection of fully remote, graduate-level courses that can be applied directly toward a Master of Education (M.Ed.) through our partner, Colorado State University Pueblo. Earn high-quality graduate credits toward your Master's degree without stepping out of the classroom.
Note on District Approval: Advanced degree stipend eligibility and the amount paid vary by district. We recommend verifying with your district HR department that our graduate-level courses will count toward your advanced degree stipend eligibility. Most Texas districts recognize credits from our regionally accredited university partners — including University of Massachusetts Global, Valley City State University, CSU Pueblo, and Adams State University. Contact us →
Credits for Teachers is listed on TEA's approved CPE provider list (Classroom Instruction & Pedagogy).
We help thousands of Texas educators earn the Continuing Professional Education (CPE) hours required for license renewal every year. CFT courses carry graduate credit from regionally accredited universities, and TEA counts that coursework toward CPE at 15 CPE hours per semester credit.
Texas Certificate Renewal Requirements
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) requires educators holding a standard certificate to renew every five years. To renew, you must complete a specific number of CPE clock hours from an approved provider:
- Classroom Teachers: 150 CPE clock hours every 5 years.
- Administrators/Student Services: 200 CPE clock hours every 5 years.
- CPE Math: 1 Graduate Semester Credit = 15 CPE Clock Hours.
Efficiency Tip: Because 1 graduate credit equals 15 CPE hours, you can complete your entire 150-hour renewal requirement with just 10 graduate credits from CFT—while also working toward a salary lane change or an advanced-degree stipend, depending on your district's pay structure.
Meeting the New TEA Content Mandates
For certificates renewed on or after September 1, 2023, Texas may not require classroom teachers to complete more than 25% of their CPE hours in specific mandated topics, and the one topic every educator must cover is educating students with disabilities, including dyslexia. Topics include:
Including training on dyslexia and effective instruction for diverse learners.
Collecting and analyzing student data to improve classroom effectiveness.
Integrating technology and digital tools into the classroom environment.
Strategies for supporting at-risk students and improving dropout prevention.
How to Renew Your Texas Certificate
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Complete Your CPE Hours
Enroll in and complete your chosen CFT graduate-level courses. Upon completion, you will receive an official transcript from our university partner.
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Log into TEAL
Access the Texas Education Agency Login (TEAL) system. Navigate to the "Renew a Standard Certificate" section.
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Submit Your Affidavit
Complete the online renewal application and pay the TEA fee. You do not need to submit your transcripts unless you are selected for a random audit.
How Texas Teacher Salaries Work: Stipends and Salary Lanes
Beyond the state minimum salary schedule, pay structures for advanced degrees vary by district. Many Texas districts pay teachers a flat annual stipend for holding an advanced degree, while others use a lane-based salary schedule instead. Where a stipend applies, it's paid every year you teach — meaning the earlier you qualify, the more you earn over your career.
| District | Master's Degree Stipend | Annual Gain | 25-Year Career Gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Park ISD (Dallas) | +$3,000/yr | +$3,000/yr | +$75,000 |
| Many Austin-area districts | +$1,000–$3,000+/yr | +$1,000–$3,000+/yr | +$25,000–$75,000+ |
Stipend amounts vary by district and are subject to change. Verify your district's current advanced degree stipend with your HR department. Use our Salary Calculator to see your personalized numbers.
What this means in practice: A Texas teacher who earns a Master's degree and qualifies for a $3,000/yr district stipend will earn an additional $75,000 over a 25-year career — just from that annual add-on. Districts offering larger stipends deliver even more in additional lifetime earnings. The key is qualifying as early in your career as possible, so the stipend compounds over more years of service.
Why Starting Early Changes Everything
Every year you teach without an advanced degree stipend is a year of earnings left on the table. The cards below show the 25-year career difference between a Bachelor's and a Master's degree using an illustrative $3,000/yr district stipend.
A better return than most investments: A Master's degree through CFT costs around $12,000 — and at a $3,000/yr district stipend, it pays for itself in just 4 years. After that, every year you teach delivers pure return. Over a 25-year career, that's $75,000 in additional earnings — and more in districts with larger stipends. That's a better long-term return than most stock market investments, with zero market risk.
📈 Find Your Personalized Salary Roadmap: Not sure how much you could earn by qualifying for your district's advanced degree stipend? Use our free Salary Calculator to see exactly how much more you could earn based on your current degree, district, and years of experience.
Our University Partners
We've carefully selected regionally accredited university partners so you can earn graduate credits that count toward Texas CPE renewal and that many districts accept for salary advancement (confirm with your district HR).
Three Steps to Advance Your Career
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Browse and Select Your Courses
Choose from our catalog of graduate-level, self-paced online courses. Select the university partner and credit option that best fits your goals — whether you're working toward a Master's degree or building toward your district's advanced degree stipend.
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Complete Your Coursework Online
All courses are 100% online and self-paced. Complete them on your own schedule — evenings, weekends, or summer break. Most teachers finish a 3-credit course in 4–8 weeks while continuing to teach full-time.
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Submit Your Official Transcript
Upon completion, your university partner will provide an official transcript. Submit this to your district HR department as documentation of your advanced degree progress. Once you have completed all requirements for your Master's degree, notify your district HR so your pay can be updated — through an advanced degree stipend or a move to the Master's lane, depending on your district's pay structure.
What Educators Are Saying
"I had no idea how much the Master's stipend would add up over time. I qualified three years into my career and have been collecting an extra $3,000 every year since. The courses were self-paced and I finished two of them over the summer. Best investment I've made in my teaching career."
"The courses were genuinely useful and I could do them on my own schedule. My district accepted the credits without any issues, and I'm now on track to finish my Master's through CSU Pueblo. Highly recommend for any Texas teacher looking to move up."
Frequently Asked Questions
Pay structures vary by Texas district. Many districts pay a flat annual stipend for holding a Master's or Doctorate degree — your base salary plus a fixed add-on that varies by district. Other Texas districts instead use a lane-based salary schedule, similar to the "lane" systems used in many other states. Check with your district HR department to see which model applies to you.
Yes. Credits for Teachers is listed on TEA's approved CPE provider list (Classroom Instruction & Pedagogy). Our graduate-level courses carry credit from regionally accredited universities, and TEA counts college coursework at 15 CPE hours per semester credit, so one 3-credit course equals 45 CPE hours.
Most Texas districts recognize credits from our regionally accredited university partners, including UMass Global, Valley City State University, CSU Pueblo, and Adams State University. However, because policies can vary by district, we always recommend getting pre-approval from your HR department before enrolling.
Yes. Through our partnership with Colorado State University Pueblo, you can apply specific CFT courses directly toward a Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree. This allows you to earn your degree fully online and at your own pace while continuing to teach.
Most teachers complete a 3-credit graduate course in 4–8 weeks while continuing to teach full-time. All courses are 100% online and self-paced — there are no set class times, no live sessions, and no commuting. You can work on coursework during evenings, weekends, or summer break, entirely on your own schedule.
Course pricing varies by credit option and university partner. We've partnered with Affirm to offer flexible payment plans, including 0% APR financing options, so you can spread the cost over time. Given that a single course can translate into thousands of dollars per year in additional salary, the return on investment is typically very strong. View current course pricing →
Yes. All Credits for Teachers courses are 100% online and self-paced. There are no set class times, no live sessions to attend, and no commuting. Most teachers complete a 3-credit course in 4–8 weeks while continuing to teach full-time. You can work on coursework during evenings, weekends, or summer break — entirely on your own schedule.
We've partnered with Affirm to offer flexible payment options. Split your course costs into manageable monthly payments that fit your budget. For licenses and disclosures, see affirm.com/licenses.
PLEASE NOTE: The content provided on this page is solely provided for informational purposes and does not exempt users from their responsibility to ensure that our courses meet their state's continuing education requirements. Credits for Teachers is listed on TEA's approved Continuing Professional Education (CPE) provider list (Classroom Instruction & Pedagogy). Our courses are designed for both salary advancement and license renewal purposes. Please check with your district HR department and the TEA for up-to-date policies on teacher certification renewal and advanced degree stipend eligibility.