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How 60 college hours changes substitute pay in Texas districts
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
Texas substitute pay by college hours is set district by district, not by TEA. Many districts pay more as you add college hours, finish a degree, or get certified. Northside ISD pays $110 a day at 90+ hours and $120 with a degree; Garland ISD asks for 48 hours to substitute as a teacher. Your district's threshold may be 48, 60 or 90.
A worked example
Say you have 40 college hours from a few years ago and you substitute in a district like Garland. You are 8 hours short of the 48 that opens the teacher-substitute tier. Two or three courses would close that gap. At the temporary 2026-2027 Garland rates, the teacher-substitute tier pays $15 a day more than the aide tier on the same weekday, so over 100 days of work that is about $1,500 before tax.
The same logic applies at 90 hours in a district like Northside, where moving from below 90 hours into the teacher tiers changes the rate. Your own numbers will differ by district and by how many days you work, so do the sum with your district's schedule before you decide.
Why the threshold is not always 60
Many Texas job posts mention 60 college hours as the line between substitute tiers, but nothing in state rule fixes that number. Each district writes its own schedule. Two official 2026-2027 schedules show the spread: Garland ISD uses 48 hours as the minimum to substitute as a teacher, and Northside ISD uses 90 semester hours for its lowest teacher tier.
Two district schedules, 2026-2027
Daily full-day rates as each district publishes them, checked 15 Nov 2026.
| District and tier | Education needed | Daily rate |
|---|---|---|
| Northside ISD, tier 3 | 90+ semester hours | $110 |
| Northside ISD, tier 2 | Degreed, not certified | $120 |
| Northside ISD, tier 1 | Certified teacher | $130 |
| Garland ISD, degreed teacher (temporary schedule) | 48 college hours, associate's or bachelor's | $110 Tue-Thu, $120 Mon/Fri |
| Garland ISD, instructional aide (temporary schedule) | High school diploma | $95 Tue-Thu, $105 Mon/Fri |
What added hours can change
In Garland's case, 48 hours moves someone from aide pay to teacher-substitute pay. In Northside's, 90 hours opens the teacher tiers, and a degree adds $10 a day. Over a school year of regular work, those steps add up. Northside's schedule also says a substitute who gains 90 hours or a degree mid-year can ask to upgrade, effective when the office receives the documents.
- Find your district's current schedule
- Note the hour threshold for each tier
- Ask which documents the upgrade needs
- Plan courses that also count toward a degree
Hours that serve two goals
If you plan to enter a teaching programme later, choose hours in the subject you want to teach. The same courses can count toward a substitute tier now and toward the 12 or 15 content hours under 19 TAC 227.10 later, if the programme agrees they are in the content area.
Documents districts ask for
Districts usually want an official college transcript showing the hours. UPI Study courses carry ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit and reach a transcript only when a college reviews and posts them; TESU, UoPeople and Newlane are partner colleges that consider such credit. Ask your district's substitute office in writing whether it will count hours posted that way before you enrol.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask the educator preparation programme in writing which of your courses it will count as content hours for your certificate, before you enrol.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Questions people ask
How many college hours do you need to substitute teach in Texas?
There is no single state number for substitutes; each district sets its own. Garland ISD asks for 48 college hours, an associate's or a bachelor's to substitute as a teacher. Others use 60 or 90 hours, and some take an associate degree in place of hours. Check your district's substitute page and ask the office which documents it needs before your first assignment.
Do substitutes get paid more with a degree in Texas?
In many districts, yes. Northside ISD's 2026-2027 schedule pays $120 a day to degreed substitutes and $110 at 90+ semester hours, and $130 to certified teachers. Rates and tiers differ by district, so check your own district's schedule and ask its substitute office how to submit a new transcript.
Can I move up a substitute tier during the school year?
Some districts allow it. Northside ISD says a substitute who gains 90+ hours, a degree or certification should tell the substitute office, and the upgrade is effective when the documents arrive. Ask your district how it works there.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
College Algebra
Self-paced online College Algebra course (Math 111). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Principles of Statistics
Self-paced online Principles of Statistics course (Statistics 101). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Start when you have it in writing
Math and science content courses in one plan.
Sources
- Northside ISD: 2026-2027 Substitute Pay Schedule (official)Teacher substitute daily rates: certified $130, degreed not certified $120, 90+ semester hours $110; a substitute who gains 90+ hours or a degree can ask to upgrade. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Garland ISD: Substitutes (official)Substitute teachers need 48 college hours, an associate's or a bachelor's; temporary 2026-27 degreed-teacher rate $110 Tue-Thu and $120 Mon/Fri; certified $125/$135; instructional aide $95/$105. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- SBEC Dec 2025 Item 18: 19 TAC Chapter 227 (current text shown with proposed edits) (official)19 TAC 227.10(a)(4)(A)-(C): 12 semester credit hours in the subject-specific content area, 15 for mathematics or science at or above Grade 7, or a passing content exam score; (a)(2) bachelor's from an accredited IHE for alternative routes; (a)(3) GPA of at least 2.50. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.