DOE is approving retroactive negotiated service contracts with Hofstra University and Long Island University (LIU) to fund scholarships in special education, clinical disciplines, and related services for September 1, 2024 through August 31, 2026. The two‑year total is 2974555, with LIU accounting for most of the funding, and supports master’s and doctoral candidates in bilingual special education, speech‑language pathology, visual impairment, counseling, psychology, social work, and OT/PT who in turn commit to teach or practice in NYC public schools. These agreements continue DOE’s long‑running scholarship program to address chronic shortages of special educators and therapists.While awards to Hofstra and LIU are decided, DOE emphasizes that past lapses in extensions required catch‑up contracts, which suggests continued and possibly growing investment in similar arrangements. This creates future opportunities for other universities and for vendors that manage scholarship tracking, service commitments, and workforce planning analytics to support DOE’s strategic staffing needs.

Vendor responsibility review notes resolved class‑action litigation for LIU; these universities have participated in DOE scholarship programs for 20+ years.