Short answer
How do VBCPS teachers move to a higher column on the salary schedule?
They don't change columns. VBCPS pays teachers by creditable years of experience, from 0 to 47 or more. Advanced study earns an allowance instead: a master's allowance, an advanced certificate allowance for a CAGS, Ed.S. or master's plus 30, or a doctorate allowance. Pay starts the next pay cycle after Human Resources approves the documentation.
Source: VBCPS Regulation 4-35.4, Salary Allowances and Table of Allowances, SY 2026-2027. Checked .
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How is the VBCPS teacher salary schedule organized?
The Salary Information page links the Instructional Experienced-Based Step Pay Scale for SY 2026-2027, Attachment B, effective July 1, 2026. Each row is a count of creditable years of teaching experience, starting at 0 and ending at a final row for 47 or more years. A teacher moves down one row for each year.
The columns are contract types, not degrees: Standard Teaching (10-month), 10-month Extended, 10-month Extended for high school counselors, 11-month, 12-month and ALC. A note on the scale says it reflects roughly a 3.79% entry-level adjustment and a 1.5% difference between each step.
That design means a master's degree never moves a Virginia Beach teacher sideways on the grid. Two teachers with the same years and the same contract type earn the same base salary whether they hold a bachelor's or a doctorate; what separates them is the allowance. Our article on salary lane names shows how this differs from lane-based districts, and how to read a salary schedule covers experience-only grids.
Which units count toward a VBCPS column change?
None, in the usual sense, because there is no column change to earn. What units can do is complete a credential listed in the Table of Allowances for SY 2026-2027, Attachment E, also effective July 1, 2026. Three entries cover instructional staff with advanced study:
- ZALW 7250, Masters Allowance Instructional.
- ZALW 7200, Advanced Certificate, for a CAGS, an Ed.S. or a master's plus 30.
- ZALW 7231, Doctorate Instructional.
The table sets the value of each; the doctorate allowance is the largest of the three and the master's allowance the smallest. The same table lists ZALW 7260 for National Board certification and ZALW 7207, the Career Teacher allowance on a three-year cycle.
Regulation 4-35.4, revised March 20, 2024, attaches conditions. An allowance for an additional degree, license or certification requires that the education be "directly relevant to the position," that it advance the division's mission and strategic goals, and that the Department of Human Resources approve it. The regulation does not define how the 30 hours in a "master's plus 30" are counted, so a teacher building toward that allowance one course at a time should ask Human Resources how its count will be made before enrolling. Our page on units that count lists the transcript details districts usually check.
Does VBCPS require approval before you take a course?
For the allowance itself, approval comes after completion: Human Resources reviews the documentation and decides whether the degree or certificate is directly relevant to the position. The regulation describes no sign-off before enrolling.
Tuition reimbursement is different and does require advance action. Under Policy 4-39 and Regulation 4-39.1, benefits-eligible employees (those with an allocation of 0.5 or more) can be reimbursed each fiscal year, July 1 to June 30, on a first-come, first-served basis. The course must relate to the employee's current job, license, license renewal, advancement or an area of need, and must come from an accredited community college or four-year college or university. The Employee Professional Development Reimbursement application has to be submitted no later than five calendar days before the first day of class. To be repaid, the employee must pass the course, with at least a C where letter grades apply, and send grade documentation and an account activity summary within 30 days of finishing. Seminars, conferences, textbooks and fees are excluded. Our guide to pre-approval forms explains why dates like that five-day window are easy to miss.
When are transcripts due, and when does the new column take effect?
Regulation 4-35.4 sets two timing rules for allowances. New employees provide documentation of completion within 60 days of hire. Current employees provide it once official transcripts, licenses or certifications are issued. Allowances then begin "at the beginning of the next pay cycle once documentation is received and approved by the Department of Human Resources."
The regulation does not mention back pay, and the start date is tied to approval rather than to the date a degree was conferred. A teacher who finishes an Ed.S. in May and sends the official transcript in June is better placed than one who waits until the fall. The transcript deadlines article covers how long institutions typically take to issue an official copy.
Do the same units count toward Virginia license renewal?
In Virginia Beach, renewal is often the main reason to earn units, since individual credit hours do not change base pay. Virginia renews a ten-year license with 270 points, and each semester hour of college credit counts for 30. The Career Teacher allowance also leans on licensure: it requires a five- or ten-year renewable license (or an SLP license or National Board certification), a continuing contract, 10 years of total teaching experience or National Board certification, Proficient ratings, and 100 points across four categories, with at least 20 each in Teaching and Learning, Building Leadership Capacity, Professional Learning and Community Relations. The principal signs off, and the allowance renews every three years.
The full point table, including the 20 points per quarter hour and the rule that coursework cannot be required, is in the Virginia renewal section. Our article on renewal credit versus salary credit explains why a course can matter for one and not the other, and the Virginia state guide sets Virginia Beach beside lane-based divisions.
Where can VBCPS teachers earn graduate-level units?
Every district, VBCPS included, decides for itself whether a course counts for the purpose a teacher needs it for: license renewal, an added endorsement or a degree program. No provider, university or website can make that decision, so the rules above come first, and written approval from VBCPS's human resources office is the safest record to have before you pay.
VBCPS pays by completed degree, certificate level or rating rather than by units, so courses short of a degree do not change a VBCPS salary on their own (see units that count). Where graduate-level units still help is license renewal, explained in the renewal section, and any other purpose VBCPS or Virginia names in writing.
Before you enroll: Regulation 4-35.4 pays only for a completed degree, license or certification that Human Resources finds "directly relevant to the position," and it decides after the fact. Confirm the relevance of a program with Human Resources before you build toward it.
| Question | What VBCPS says | What to look for on the provider's site |
|---|---|---|
| Type of unit | VBCPS: Completed degree or certificate directly relevant to the position | 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 | VBCPS: Within 60 days of hire; otherwise once official transcripts issue | Published grading and transcript-posting time, and any rush option |
| Approval | VBCPS: Not for allowances; 5 days before class 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
For renewal, or for a future move to a district that pays for units, many providers issue graduate-level units through accredited universities. 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)
- CE Credits Online: self-paced, 180 days, units through Valley City State, Augustana, Adams State or Cal Poly Humboldt; from $449 for 3 credits (price notes)
- TLC Graduate Credits: self-paced, units through CSU Pueblo; $425 for 3 credits (price notes)
- Upward Teachers: self-paced, 1 to 6 months, letter grade, units through UMass Global; $240 sale for 3 credits (price notes)
- VESi: self-paced online, 2- or 3-unit courses on special-needs instruction, units through University of the Pacific; $444 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 VBCPS has approved a provider or course; only the district can do that. TeacherPayGuide has commercial relationships with some providers it lists; how listings work.
VBCPS salary questions teachers ask
Does Virginia Beach have a master's column on the teacher pay scale?
No. The 2026-27 instructional scale is organized by creditable years of experience and contract type. A master's degree earns the Masters Allowance Instructional (ZALW 7250) instead.
Does VBCPS pay extra for a master's plus 30?
Yes. The Advanced Certificate allowance (ZALW 7200) covers a CAGS, an Ed.S. or a master's plus 30, subject to Human Resources approval.
When does a new VBCPS allowance start?
At the beginning of the next pay cycle after Human Resources receives and approves the documentation, under Regulation 4-35.4.
How early do I apply for VBCPS tuition reimbursement?
The Employee Professional Development Reimbursement application must be submitted at least five calendar days before the first day of class.
Where can VBCPS teachers take graduate-level courses for license renewal?
VBCPS does not raise pay for units short of a degree, so check the renewal rules on this page and confirm with human resources or the state agency before you enroll. Providers that teachers compare include Teacher Friendly, Credits for Educators, CE Credits Online, TLC Graduate Credits, Upward Teachers and VESi. 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
- Instructional Experienced-Based Step Pay Scale, SY 2026-2027 (Attachment B), Virginia Beach City Public Schools. Checked
- Table of Allowances, SY 2026-2027 (Attachment E), Virginia Beach City Public Schools. Checked
- Regulation 4-35.4, Salary Allowances, Virginia Beach School Board. Checked
- Policy 4-39, Employee Professional Development Reimbursement, Virginia Beach School Board. Checked
- Regulation 4-39.1, Employee Professional Development Reimbursement, Virginia Beach School Board. Checked
Reviewed November 11, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error