CDA Application Fee Scholarships
Financial assistance for early childhood educators to cover the cost of the CDA Council Application Fee
After an eligible applicant completes their CDA training and is ready to apply to the CDA Council for the final components of their credential, DECAL Scholars offers the CDA Application Fee Scholarship to cover the $425 CDA Council application fee (includes the exam and Professional Development Specialist (PDS) verification visit).
Apply now
If you have completed your CDA training, you may now apply for a CDA Application Fee 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 Application Fee Scholarships – High School
Looking for information about CDA Application Fee Scholarships available for high school students who have completed CDA Training in their high school CTE program?
CDA Application Fee Scholarships
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
If you have completed your CDA training, you can create a YourCouncil account and get ahead with filling in all of the information needed, compiling your portfolio, selecting your Professional Development Specialist (PDS) and your exam date, and more. However, you will not be able to complete your PDS verification visit or exam until the CDA Council receives payment from the CDA Application Fee Scholarship.
DECAL Scholars offers a CDA Exam Fee Retake Scholarship for one additional attempt at the exam if you failed on the first attempt. Contact support@decalscholars.com for more information.
Yes, 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.
Yes, if you have completed your CDA training and meet the eligibility requirements of our CDA Scholarships program, you can apply for the CDA Application Fee Scholarship.
The following documentation must be sent to DECAL Scholars in addition to your application:
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Copy of certificate or academic transcript documenting 120 clock-hours of CDA training.
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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).
It is a much faster process to submit your application and allow DECAL Scholars to pay the CDA Council directly for your Application fee upon approval of your DECAL Scholars application.
You can pay for the CDA Application fee on your own and submit the receipt for reimbursement, but please keep in mind it might take longer to process your payment.
Once your CDA Scholarships application is approved, DECAL Scholars will cover up to $425 of the cost of the CDA Application Fee, paid directly to the CDA Council.
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.
Congratulations on completing your CDA training!
The next step is to create an account on YourCouncil to apply for your CDA credential. YourCouncil has all of the information you need to learn how to compile your CDA portfolio, select your PD specialist, choose an observation date, and choose your exam date.
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.
The CDA Council awards the CDA credential. Therefore, they are the first and best source for all of your questions about the credential itself. Visit their website, contact them by phone at (800) 424-4310 or email at cdafeedback@cdacouncil.org.
Our team has created this helpful “10 Steps to Earn Your CDA” infographic in both English and Spanish that can help you understand the timeline of earning your credential with support from DECAL Scholars. Plus, there are helpful contacts and FAQs on the back.
Yes, you may submit your receipt for reimbursement as long as you submit your complete application with all supporting documents up to 6 months after the date you paid for the training. You will need to include your receipt showing proof of payment instead of the trainer invoice in order to be reimbursed for the cost of your training.
Please keep in mind, your DECAL Scholars CDA Training Scholarship application cannot be submitted after you have submitted your DECAL Scholars CDA Application Fee Scholarship application.