CDA Renewal Scholarships
Financial assistance for early childhood educators to renew their Child Development Associate (CDA) credential
When an eligible applicant is within 6 months of their CDA renewal period (the credential must be renewed every 3 years), CDA Renewal Scholarships assists approved applicants with the $150 CDA Council Renewal Exam Fee one time.
Apply now
Are you within 6 months of your CDA credential expiration date and ready to apply for your CDA Renewal Scholarship?
Am I eligible?
To qualify for our Scholarships program, you must meet the following criteria:
Legal Status
You’re one of the following:
- United States citizen
- Legal permanent resident
- Qualified alien
Employment
- You must have maintained 6 months of continuous employment in one of the following roles (volunteer work, practicums, and internships do not qualify):
- Teacher
- Assistant teacher
- Floater
- Director
- Assistant director
- Owner
- You must work a minimum of 30 hours per week if your employer is one of the following:
- A child care learning center licensed by DECAL or the Department of Defense
- A family child care learning home licensed by DECAL
- An exempt Georgia Head Start center
- A Georgia Lottery-funded Pre-K program in a public school
- You must work a minimum of 15 hours per week if your employer is:
- A before/after school program licensed by DECAL
CDA Renewal Scholarships
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can receive both the CDA Renewal Scholarship and Academic Scholarships at the same time. DECAL Scholars Scholarships programs are here to support you throughout your educational journey.
Visit our Academic Scholarships page to learn more about the next steps you can take to receive a college credential or degree.
The following documentation must be sent to DECAL Scholars in addition to your application:
-
Proof of 45 clock hours of professional development.
- Copy of non-expired CDA credential (CDA credential must be within 6 months of expiration date and not expired).
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Copies of two recent pay stubs reflecting your name, the name of your employer, and your gross (before deductions) wages. Family child care learning home providers and owners who do not pay themselves W2 wages submit a copy of last year’s Schedule C or other federal tax form documenting net business income.
- Copy of YourCouncil (CDA Council) CDA Profile page reflecting your customer ID number.
- Copy of the FRONT and BACK of a secure and verifiable document.
- Copy of your Georgia Professional Development System profile reflecting your GaPDS number, the name of your current employer, and a “Pending” or “Active” status (click here for more information).
No, you can only apply to receive the CDA Renewal Scholarship from DECAL Scholars for one renewal.
Once your CDA Scholarships application is approved, DECAL Scholars will cover up to $150 of the cost of the CDA Credential Renewal, paid directly to the CDA Council.
Providing Our Workforce Essential Recognition for Educational Development (POWER-ED) is a program that distributes wage supplements to support the workforce as they attain credentials and degrees in Early Childhood Education.
POWER-ED workforce supplements are only available for DECAL Scholars CDA Training Scholarships approved applicants. Click here to learn more about POWER-ED for CDA Training Scholarships.
The Georgia Professional Development System (GaPDS) is an innovative service provided by Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning for the early care and education workforce. It allows you to develop a profile of your career in early care and education including employment history, training hours and credentials/degrees earned.
Registering is easy! You can sign up immediately, even if you have not earned a credential or degree. Click here to download your free guide to creating a GaPDS account. To learn more about the GaPDS or to create your own GaPDS account visit gapds.decal.ga.gov.
If you have questions or need technical support, contact the GaPDS at 404-334-6461 (866-258-7737 outside the metro Atlanta area) or email gapds@decal.ga.gov.
While not a college credential, the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential is an entry-level credential that is widely recognized in the industry, issued by the Council for Professional Recognition.
Earning the CDA credential is a three-step process that requires:
- 120 clock hours of CDA training covering 8 subject areas
- Experience in the classroom and compiling a portfolio
- CDA Exam and verification visit by a Professional Development Specialist (PDS)
The CDA credential must be renewed every three years. Click here to visit the Council for Professional Recognition’s website for complete information.
Several technical colleges provide programs that allow for the transfer of CDA training into college credits, although the specific rules vary among institutions. To obtain more information on this opportunity, it is recommended to contact the early childhood education department at the technical college of your preference.
It is important that you send all supporting documents at the time of completing your application to avoid any delays in processing.
DECAL Scholars accepts legible PDFs, screenshots, photo copies, scans, and photos. Please do not send documents as links.
ALL documents must be received by the last day of classes in the semester of which you are applying, to be considered for eligibility.