Connecticut ARC Program — Cost, Requirements, and the 9-Month Path to Certification

Who the ARC Is For

The Alternate Route to Certification is Connecticut's fast track for career changers — industry professionals, military veterans, and other degree holders who want to teach without completing a traditional multi-year education program. The ARC is administered by the Connecticut Office of Higher Education, not a university, which matters because it keeps costs significantly lower than a master's-level preparation program.

You're eligible if you hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. If your GPA falls between 2.5 and 3.0, you can submit a formal written waiver documenting exceptional professional experience — but this is a petition, not a guarantee.

You also need a passing score on the Praxis II subject-area assessment (or ACTFL for world languages) before the cohort starts. The ARC covers secondary content areas, world languages, and certain specialty endorsements. Elementary and special education tracks require different alternative pathways.

What the Program Looks Like

The ARC is a 9-month intensive hybrid program. Classes are held virtually on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, with in-person Saturday sessions in Hartford. The application window opens January 15 and closes April 30 each year, with cohorts starting in late summer.

The program includes a mandatory 40-consecutive-school-day clinical teaching practicum during the late winter, plus completion of the edTPA performance portfolio.

Total cost: $7,125, broken down as:

• $125 nonrefundable application fee
• $2,000 nonrefundable tuition enrollment deposit
• $5,000 final tuition balance

That's a fraction of what traditional master's programs charge. For comparison, UConn's Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates runs significantly higher in tuition alone.

From ARC Graduation to the Classroom

Graduating from the ARC doesn't automatically give you a teaching certificate. Here's what happens next:

1. Secure a teaching position. You need a job offer from a Connecticut public school district in your approved endorsement area.
2. The district requests your Temporary 90-Day Certificate. The hiring district's HR office submits Form ED 172 through the state's database. The CSDE issues the certificate within 2 to 4 weeks — and since October 2025, the issuance fee is $0.
3. Teach for 90 school days. During this window, you're a salaried, full-time teacher under temporary authorization.
4. Transition to the Initial Educator Certificate. After completing 90 days, the district superintendent signs Part III of Form ED 172A, which gets mailed (physical paper, original signature required) to the CSDE. The state then issues your ten-year Initial Certificate.

The transition from temporary to Initial is not automatic. The paper form requirement catches many ARC graduates off guard — the CSDE will not accept scanned or emailed versions of ED 172A.

The Path Forward

Once you hold your Initial Certificate, you enter the standard advancement pipeline: the TEAM mentoring program (two years), 50 school months of teaching experience, a master's degree (if first certified after 2018), and the $375 Professional Certificate fee.

If you're weighing whether the ARC is the right route — or trying to figure out the GPA waiver process, testing timelines, and application sequence — the Connecticut Teacher Certification Guide walks through each step with the specific forms and deadlines you'll need.

See more Connecticut guides →