The latest federal defense bill includes language that will extend Troops To Teachers until 2029. The program was set to sunset in 2027.
Troops to Teachers helps people transitioning out of the military become certified as classroom teachers and help them find jobs.
Virginia’s office, housed at William & Mary, has been on the verge of closing. Recently, the university agreed to fund the program through June to allow staff more time to obtain a source of state or federal funds, according to Karen Hogue, Interim Director of Troops to Teachers, which is under the Virginia Department of Education.
The extension is part of the final version of the annual National Defense Authorization Act. Lawmakers in the U.S.House voted to approve the bill Wednesday. The new congressional authorization does not come with funding. Congress isn’t expected to vote on a defense budget until the spring.
Troops To Teachers has been around since the 1990s but faced serious hurdles in recent years.
After the Department of Defense shut it down in 2020, Congress brought it back in 2021 but has not provided separate funding. Many state offices in charge of the program closed as federal funding dried up.
