Troops to Teachers (TTT) was established in 1994 as a Department of Defense program. The National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2000 transferred the responsibility for program oversight and funding to the U.S. Department of Education but continued operation by the Department of Defense. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 provided for the continuation of the TTT Program. The National Defense Authorization Act for FY2013 transferred the responsibility for the program oversight and funding back to the U.S. Department of Defense. TTT is managed by the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES), Pensacola, Florida.
The TTT mission is to:
- Assist transitioning Service members to become employed as teachers.
- Assist our Nation’s youth by providing good role models.
- Assist schools by providing teachers in critical subjects (math, science, special education, foreign language, and career-technical) for needy schools.
Current Status Funding for the program is appropriated annually. Military personnel interested in a second career in Kindergarten through High School in public, charter or Bureau of Indian Affairs schools may submit a registration form at any time. TTT registration can be accessed through ProudToServeAgain.com.
Program Function To meet our objective of assisting eligible military personnel to transition to a new career as public school teachers, a network of State TTT Offices has been established to provide participants with counseling and assistance regarding certification requirements, routes to state certification, and employment leads. The TTT homepage provides information and resource links, including links to state Departments of Education, state certification offices, and other job listing sites in public education.
For participants that meet certain criteria as defined by the legislation, financial assistance may be provided (upon availability of funds) to eligible participants to assist with their transition to the classroom. The purpose of the financial assistance is to provide transition assistance for those becoming first-time teachers and, therefore, is not available to those that became teachers prior to registration with TTT. Click here to register with TTT.
Eligibility All current and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces whose last period of service is characterized as honorable with an interest in instructional or non-instruction pre-K through high school employment may participate in the program for counseling and referral services. Those who meet certain criteria as defined by the legislation may also be eligible to apply for TTT financial assistance to assist with their transition to the classroom.
