School Psychologist Training

Rural Iowa Grow Your Own School Psychologist Program

The University of Northern Iowa (UNI), in partnership with seven of Iowa’s AEAs, is offering a collaborative “grow your own” program that trains new school psychologists to increase access to mental health services in high‑need, rural Iowa schools. Participants earn an Ed.S. in school psychology through UNI while continuing to work full‑time. Upon graduation, students commit to serving as AEA school psychologists in rural areas, helping address critical local needs.

Two pathways are available:

Bachelor’s track:
For educators with Bachelor's degrees currently working in schools (teachers, paraprofessionals, etc.);
Ed.S. in 4 years.

Master’s track:
For professionals with Master's degrees in education and related fields;
Ed.S. in 3 years.

Iowa faces a critical shortage of school psychologists. While NASP recommends 1 psychologist per 500 students, current ratios in Iowa range from 1:1,657 to 1:7,857, limiting student access to mental health supports.

• Financial Support:
  The grant covers the cost of books each semester, travel costs for in-person classes/sessions, and 90% of tuition and fees.
• Part‑time:
  Ability to take classes part‑time while working full‑time.
• Strong professional engagement:
  Join a cohort of up to 12 others taking the same sequence of courses in the program.

Graduates commit to 3 years of service in their AEA after completion.

Informational sessions via Zoom will be held on January 26 (3:30-4:30) and January 27 (4:00-5:00) to provide more information about the program and the process of applying for the program  interested in attending this event, please complete the brief application. Once we receive your application, we will forward the program details and links to the Zoom sessions.