Short answer
How do Nashua teachers move to a higher column on the salary schedule?
Nashua pays on five columns: BA, BA+30, MA, MA+30 and PhD. To move, a teacher files a written request with a transcript. A request in by September 1 takes effect from the first workday of the year; one in by February 1 takes effect from the 92nd workday of the 184-day year. Credit counts only for accredited college or university courses allied to the teacher's profession.
Source: Agreement between the Nashua Board of Education and the Nashua Teachers' Union, September 1, 2025 through August 31, 2029, Section 4:4 and Appendix A. Checked .
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How is the Nashua teacher salary schedule organized?
The agreement with the Nashua Teachers' Union, Local 1044 AFT, runs from September 1, 2025 through August 31, 2029. Appendix A prints one teachers' and nurses' salary schedule for each of the four school years. Every schedule has the same shape: five columns, BA, BA+30, MA, MA+30 and PhD, and steps numbered 0 through 23.
Section 4:1 sets how teachers move down the steps. For 2025-26, employees were placed by their credited years of experience. On September 1 of 2026, 2027 and 2028, the new year's schedule takes effect and all eligible employees advance one step. Under Sections 4:2 and 4:3, a year counts toward a step only with at least 90 school days of service in it, and step advancement is on the Superintendent's recommendation. Teachers are told their step and salary during the first full week of school.
New hires get full credit for prior teaching after the bachelor's degree or Statement of Eligibility. Since 2025-26 the district may also credit one year on the schedule for every two years of career experience in an allied field, as determined by the Superintendent or a designee. The pay for each cell is in Appendix A; we do not reproduce it here. For a walk-through of a grid like this, see how to read a salary schedule.
Which units count toward a Nashua column change?
Section 4:4, "Increments for Advanced Credit," sets the test. Credit "shall be given only for courses at an accredited college or university which are allied to the teacher's profession or which are required in connection with an advanced degree program allied to the teacher's profession." The Superintendent grants the placement "upon submission of satisfactory evidence of the completion of all requirements for such credit."
- Accredited institution: the course must be at an accredited college or university.
- Allied to the profession: the course itself must be allied to teaching, or required for an advanced degree program that is. Section 2:6 of the agreement defines "allied fields" as "a closely related subject to that in which the teacher's previous experience occurred."
- Nurses: under Section 4:4.B, only advanced credit or degrees in nursing or a similar field of medical study count for school nurses.
The agreement names the BA+30 and MA+30 columns but does not spell out in Section 4:4 how credits are counted toward them, for example how quarter hours convert or whether credits earned inside a degree carry over. Ask Human Resources how your transcript will be counted before you plan a column move; the quarter versus semester units guide explains the usual conversion.
Does Nashua require approval before you take a course?
For the column move itself, Section 4:4 asks for the written request and transcript after the work is done. It does not require approval before enrolling. Tuition reimbursement is different: under Section 5:8, degree-program and course tuition is reimbursed only with the Superintendent's prior written approval.
- Degree programs: a teacher enrolled in a subject-related advanced degree program at an accredited college or university, with prior written approval for that program, is reimbursed 80% of tuition, up to a yearly maximum set in Section 5:8.B.
- Single courses: a course at an accredited college or university that is allied to the profession, or required for an allied advanced degree program, gets the same reimbursement with prior written approval for the course.
- Changing courses: if you cannot get into the approved course, notify the Superintendent in writing. The Superintendent has ten school days to review; with no action in that time, the new course is reimbursed.
- Commitment: tuition reimbursement carries a two-year commitment to the district, counted from the last reimbursement. It applies to voluntary resignation or retirement, not to reductions in staff.
- Pool and order: all tuition and professional development reimbursement shares one district-wide cap, and a lottery sets the order of payment.
Because the same "allied to the teacher's profession" wording appears in both Section 4:4 and Section 5:8.C, the reimbursement approval is a practical way to learn early whether the district sees a course as allied. Keep the written approval with your transcript. Our article on pre-approval forms covers what to keep.
When are transcripts due, and when does the new column take effect?
Section 4:4 gives two dates each school year:
- September 1: a written request with transcript by this date places you in the new column from the first workday of that work year.
- February 1: a request by this date places you in the new column from the 92nd workday of the 184-day work year.
If the official transcript is not ready by the deadline, the agreement accepts documentation from the college showing that a transcript was requested. The catch is a 60-day clock: if the transcript does not arrive within 60 days after the placement is granted, the increased payments stop, and the higher pay for those credits is deferred to the next adjustment date after the transcript arrives. The Board may also recover amounts already paid. Order the official transcript as soon as grades post, and see our transcript deadlines article for why the filing date usually controls pay.
Do the same units count toward New Hampshire license renewal?
Renewal runs on a different track. Section 7:4 of the agreement requires teachers other than school nurses to meet the Nashua School District Professional Development Master Plan, which a joint committee of union and Superintendent appointees oversees. Under the state's Ed 500 rules, licenses renew every three years, and a master plan can use continuing education hours, a body of evidence or both; college course work is among the eligible activities. Your plan decides how a course is recorded for renewal, and Section 4:4 decides separately whether it moves your column. The New Hampshire renewal section has the state rules.
Section 5:8.K also lets a non-continuing contract teacher ask the district to reimburse state certification fees needed for the assignment, up to a yearly limit, with a written request by October 1.
Where can Nashua teachers earn graduate-level units?
Every district, Nashua included, decides for itself whether a course counts for the purpose a teacher needs it for: a column move, a stipend, license renewal or an added endorsement. No provider, university or website can make that decision, so the rules above come first, and written approval from Nashua's human resources office is the safest record to have before you pay.
Before you enroll: Nashua's 2025-2029 teacher contract (Section 4:4) says credit "shall be given only for courses at an accredited college or university which are allied to the teacher's profession or which are required in connection with an advanced degree program allied to the teacher's profession." Whether a course is allied to your profession is the Superintendent's decision, so ask Human Resources about a specific course before you enroll.
| Question | What Nashua says | What to look for on the provider's site |
|---|---|---|
| Type of unit | Nashua: Accredited college or university courses; allied to the teacher's profession | Semester or quarter units, graduate-level or not, and the university named on the transcript and its accreditor |
| Grade | See units that count | Letter grade or pass/fail on the transcript |
| Deadline | Nashua: September 1 or February 1 | Published grading and transcript-posting time, and any rush option |
| Approval | Nashua: Not for the column move; prior written approval for tuition reimbursement | Course descriptions or syllabi you can attach to an approval form |
| Price | Not set by the district | All-in price per credit, including any university or first-course fee (compare) |
Graduate-level credit providers, listed with the same facts
With those rules in hand, compare providers on the same points. Providers listed on this site, each with the same facts:
- Teacher Friendly: self-paced online, units through University of the Pacific; $336 first course for 3 credits (price notes)
- Credits for Educators: self-paced online, units through University of the Pacific; $297 for 3 credits (price notes)
- For Teachers By Teachers: self-paced, units through CSU Pueblo or UMass Global; $285 CSU Pueblo for 3 credits (price notes)
- Fresno Pacific University CE: self-paced, up to 1 year, units through Fresno Pacific University; ≈$475 for 3 credits (price notes)
- Graduate Credit Courses: self-paced, units through Cal Poly Humboldt; $570 for 3 credits (price notes)
- Model Teaching: self-paced, 1 year, units through a choice of six universities, including University of the Pacific; $359 for 3 credits (price notes)
The provider directory lists 28 providers and programs by what teachers need them for, and Compare sets published prices for 16 of them side by side, with transcripts from 11 universities. A listing on this site does not mean Nashua has approved a provider or course; only the district can do that. TeacherPayGuide has commercial relationships with some providers it lists; how listings work.
Nashua salary questions teachers ask
What columns are on the Nashua teacher salary schedule?
Five: BA, BA+30, MA, MA+30 and PhD, with steps 0 through 23, under the 2025-2029 agreement.
When is the Nashua deadline for advanced credit?
September 1 for placement from the first workday of the year, and February 1 for placement from the 92nd workday of the 184-day year. The request must be in writing with a transcript.
What if my transcript is late?
College documentation that a transcript was requested is accepted at first. If the transcript does not arrive within 60 days after placement is granted, the increase stops until the next adjustment date after it arrives.
Which courses count for a Nashua column move?
Courses at an accredited college or university that are allied to the teacher's profession, or required for an advanced degree program allied to it. The Superintendent grants the placement.
Where can Nashua teachers take graduate-level courses for salary credit or renewal?
Nashua decides which courses count, under the rules on this page, so check with human resources before you enroll. Providers that teachers compare include Teacher Friendly, Credits for Educators, For Teachers By Teachers, Fresno Pacific University CE, Graduate Credit Courses and Model Teaching. They differ in format, transcript university, grading time and price; the provider directory and the Compare page list 16 providers with the same facts for each.
Sources
- Agreement between the Nashua Board of Education and the Nashua Teachers' Union, Local 1044 AFT, September 1, 2025 through August 31, 2029, including Appendix A salary schedules, Nashua School District. Checked
- Collective bargaining agreements, Nashua School District Human Resources. Checked
- N.H. Code of Administrative Rules, Ed 500, New Hampshire State Board of Education. Checked
Reviewed November 12, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error