STCU Awards $20,000 in Teacher Classroom Grants

The credit union gave $200 grants to 100 randomly drawn educators, including 69 teachers from 46 Washington districts.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Financial Aid

Bold vector editorial illustration of a wooden school desk with colored pencils and a supply pouch against a cream background. — STCU awarded $200 classroom grants to 100 randomly drawn educators, including 69 teachers from 46 Washington school districts. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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STCU, a credit union founded by high school teachers in 1934, awarded $20,000 in classroom grants to 100 randomly drawn educators. Each grant is $200, and winners may spend it on anything that enhances students' classroom experience.

Why it matters

The grants give educators flexible funding for classroom needs, and Washington teachers make up most of the recipients. The 13th year of the program has pushed total gifts past $300,000 to nearly 2,000 educators.

The program awarded $200 grants to 100 educators through an online random drawing open to classroom-based staff at eligible public and private districts in Washington, North Idaho and Eastern Oregon. Sixty-nine recipients came from 46 Washington districts, and the source does not report how many applicants entered.

The players

STCU

STCU is a credit union founded by high school teachers in 1934 that runs the classroom grant program.

The details

Winners were selected through an online random drawing open to teachers, counselors, and other classroom-based positions at public and private districts served by Washington ESDs 101, 123 and 171. The drawing also included districts in neighboring North Idaho and Eastern Oregon, and recipients include teachers from the Grand Coulee Dam, Nespelem and Wilbur-Creston school districts.

2026: STCU awards classroom grants for the 13th year.
2026-11-04
Coverage of the STCU classroom grant awards is published.

Financial Aid Landscape

Teacher-focused grants from community institutions like STCU's 13-year-old classroom program supplement school budgets that rarely cover individual classroom needs. The 2026 awards continue a program that has given over $300,000 to nearly 2,000 educators in Washington and neighboring regions.

Teachers in eligible Washington, North Idaho and Eastern Oregon districts who are classroom-based can enter future drawings for a $200 grant to spend on their students' classroom experience. The grants are flexible, so educators may use them on any item that enhances instruction.

The takeaway

Classroom-based educators at eligible districts should watch for the next STCU drawing, since the program has already reached nearly 2,000 teachers over 13 years. Flexible grants like these can cover small classroom needs that standard district budgets often leave out.