Stipend
Literacy Matrix
Congratulations on successfully completing all Competencies 2-5 of the Literacy Matrix pathway for your Reading Endorsement! Complete the secure form below to facilitate payment of your $2,000 completion stipend. Please be sure to provide accurate information as soon as possible so your stipend can be processed quickly!
Stipend eligibility and budget are being determined for the 2025-2026 academic year. Information will be shared as it becomes available. The information below is for learners completing stipends in the FY24/25 (July 1, 2024 – June 1, 2025).
Stipend Eligibility
Instructional personnel as defined in s. 1012.01(2), F.S., and Administrative personnel as defined in s. 1012.01(3)(a) and (3)(c), F.S., who work at an LEA public school or school district.
Hold a valid Florida Department of Education (FDOE) Professional Certificate (EDUCATOR CERTIFICATION).
Apply for the Reading Endorsement with FDOE (apply as early as possible) and must be verified in FDOE application data.
Successfully Complete Competencies 2-5 through the Lastinger Center Literacy Matrix.
Submit stipend application to Lastinger Center and apply for the Reading Endorsement with FDOE within 30 days of course completion and no later than June 1, 2025, whichever comes first.
Please note that only learners who completed Literacy Matrix Competency 2-5 with the Lastinger Center for Learning in the updated curriculum/standards may be eligible for a stipend; this only includes competencies with course dates that began after July 1, 2023. If you began competencies prior to July 1, 2023, or took competencies outside of the Literacy Matrix, please contact Lastinger Learning Services for information on enrolling.
Stipend Application Steps
Applications for Literacy Matrix stipends for programs completed between July 1, 2024 and April 28, 2025:
Important – if you have not yet successfully applied for your Reading Endorsement with FDOE, please do so.
All submissions will be reviewed in the order they are received.
Stipend processing may take up to 8 weeks to process after the official course end date, grading period, final grade, mastery completion, and submitting an accurate stipend application. Please understand stipend timelines are an estimation and processing times vary by participant.
Stipend Applications are now closed for fiscal year 2024-2025.
Stipends Application & Employment Verification
All applications will be reviewed in the order received by our Financial Services Team for eligibility determination according to the requirements. Our team will then reach out with next steps as needed.
At the end of the application, you must upload your most recent pay slip as verification of your employment at a K12 Local Educational Agency (LEA) public school, publicly funded charter school, or district. Contact your supervisor or school administration, if you need help downloading your paystub.
Recommended pay stub file types: PDF, PNG, JPG.
To be eligible for the stipend, you must complete all competencies, submit your stipend application to Lastinger Center, and apply for Reading Endorsement with FDOE within 30 days of course completion and no later than June 1, 2025, whichever comes first.
Stipends are only available for courses officially ending on or before April 28, 2025.
Please note, courses are only considered complete, and grading is only considered final, after the official end date of the course. If the official end date of your course is after April 28, 2025, you may not be eligible for a stipend at this time.
Remember to apply for the Reading Endorsement with Florida Department of Education Bureau of Educator Certification as early as possible; it is a requirement before stipend distribution can occur. Educators who already hold a Reading Endorsement from the past are not stipend eligible and only those who hold a valid Florida Department of Education (FDOE) Professional Certificate (EDUCATOR CERTIFICATION) that can have the reading endorsement added are stipend eligible. This means that exchange teacher certification holders, some temporary certificate holders, district certification holders, and others may not be eligible for the stipend; for questions about adding the Reading Endorsement please directly contact FDOE’s Bureau of Educator Certification.
By completing the application, you agree to the terms of payment and affirm eligibility upon completion of all requirements, aiding in verifying your eligibility, and that you and your employer must be eligible at the time of completion (Local Educational Agency (LEA) public school, publicly funded charter school, or district).
Payment Distribution
The primary stipend distribution method will be via Zelle (direct deposit) or JP Morgan Concourse (ACH/Zelle – Coming Soon).
For Zelle, you must have access to online banking through your financial institution to receive the stipend. You must provide an email address or mobile number that’s already connected to your bank profile with Zelle; or you can connect your bank account later. The University of Florida is not responsible for any erroneous payment information. You will not be asked to share your banking information with UF.
To get started with Zelle, please visit https://www.zellepay.com/.
Note: JP Morgan Concourse, and information on using it, is coming soon. The University of Florida is transitioning to JP Morgan Concourse in May/June 2025. On the stipend application you will provide your email for receiving payment via Concourse and Zelle. Concourse supports both Zelle and ACH payment options and requires only an email for transactions.
The University of Florida will enforce a Fiscal Year-end pause on all financial activity in June/July 2025. This means stipend payment distributions are expected to pause on June 16, 2025 and return with the new fiscal beginning. If you are not paid the stipend by this pause, your stipend will be distributed once the University resumes financial activity, estimated in mid-July 2025.
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