Education Begins With Home
Taking applicationsTulsa: Tulsa Public Schools, Union Public Schools, Tulsa Legacy Charter, KIPP Tulsa, Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences, College Bound Academy, Tulsa Honor Academy, Under the Canopy, Crossover Preparatory Academy
- For
- Traditionally certified, emergency-certified and noncertified classroom teachers at the listed schools who qualify for Green Country Habitat for Humanity's homebuyer program (income limits, homebuyer education, sweat-equity hours)
- How much
- Up to $50,000 forgivable down payment assistance plus a below-market 30-year fixed Habitat mortgage and closing cost help
- Kind
- Loan that is forgiven over time
Launched Jan 2025 with a $5M fund for 100+ educators; forgiven after 5 years of mortgage payments. Expanded beyond TPS in Sept 2026 with a Zarrow Family Foundation gift (Tulsa Flyer, Sept 9, 2026). Program sites: greencountryhabitat.org/education and EducationBeginsWithHome.org (not fetched). Habitat purchase, so it replaces rather than layers with OHFA 4 Schools.
Checked November 2026 · our sources
Do I qualify? →How the teacher program works
Education Begins With Home is a partnership between Tulsa Public Schools and Green Country Habitat for Humanity that launched in January 2025 with a $5 million fund aimed at more than 100 educators. Tulsa Public Schools announced it as a way to make teacher homeownership reachable, pairing the mortgage and the down payment help through one partner. Qualifying teachers receive up to $50,000 in down payment assistance, which is forgiven after five years of mortgage payments. The first mortgage itself is a below-market, 30-year fixed Habitat loan, and the program also helps with closing costs.
Which teachers and schools qualify
A September 2026 gift from the Zarrow Family Foundation widened the program beyond Tulsa Public Schools. Classroom teachers at these schools can apply: Tulsa Public Schools, Union Public Schools, Tulsa Legacy Charter, KIPP Tulsa, Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences, College Bound Academy, Tulsa Honor Academy, Under the Canopy and Crossover Preparatory Academy. Traditionally certified, emergency-certified and noncertified classroom teachers are all eligible. You must also qualify for Green Country Habitat's homebuyer program, which has income limits, homebuyer education and sweat-equity hours.
Education Begins With Home vs. OHFA 4 Schools
Because the purchase is financed with a Habitat mortgage, this program replaces OHFA 4 Schools rather than layering on top. 4 Schools gives any Oklahoma school employee 3.5% repayable help and a 0.125% rate cut on an OHFA Gold loan; Education Begins With Home is far larger and forgivable, but limited to listed Tulsa schools and Habitat's income and sweat-equity rules. Eligibility also differs: since 2025 OHFA says 4 Schools covers all school employees at accredited public, charter and private/parochial schools, including support staff, while Education Begins With Home is for classroom teachers at the listed schools. Teachers who earn above Habitat's limits can look at 4 Schools or REI Home100 instead. The school employees page covers 4 Schools, and the teacher income guide explains how lenders read contracts and summer pay.
How to apply
Start with Green Country Habitat for Humanity's education program, confirm your school is on the list, and complete the Habitat application, class and sweat-equity hours. Other Tulsa-area help is on the Tulsa County page, or check your eligibility.
Questions about Education Begins With Home
How much do Tulsa teachers get from Education Begins With Home?
Up to $50,000 in forgivable down payment assistance, forgiven after five years of mortgage payments, plus a below-market Habitat mortgage and closing cost help.
Do noncertified teachers qualify?
Yes. Traditionally certified, emergency-certified and noncertified classroom teachers at the listed schools can apply if they qualify for Habitat's homebuyer program.
Can I combine it with OHFA 4 Schools?
No. The program uses a Habitat mortgage, so it replaces OHFA 4 Schools rather than layering with it.
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Similar programs
Summarized from the program's official page as of November 2026. Money and rules change, so check the current terms with the program or a lender who takes part. Oklahoma Down Payment Assistance has no connection to this program.
