MINORITY TEACHERS OF ILLINOIS (MTI) SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Students who are planning to become preschool, elementary or secondary school teachers and are of African American/Black, Hispanic American, Asian American or Native American origin may qualify for up to $5,000 per year as part of the Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program to pay for tuition, fees, and room and board, or commuter allowances, if applicable. This scholarship may be received for a maximum of eight semesters or twelve quarters.

As part of the application process, the applicant must agree to the terms and conditions that are outlined in the application's Teaching Agreement/Promissory Note. Recipients of this scholarship must teach in Illinois. If this teaching obligation is not fulfilled, the scholarship converts to a loan, and the recipient must repay the entire amount plus interest.

Eligibility

To be eligible, an applicant must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen
• Be a resident of Illinois
• Be a minority student of either African American/Black, Hispanic American, Asian American or Native American origin
• Be a high school graduate, or hold a General Educational Development (GED) certificate
• Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment at a qualified Illinois institution of higher education in a course of study which, upon completion, qualifies the student to be certified as a preschool, elementary or secondary school teacher by the Illinois State Board of Education, including alternative teacher certification
• Maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress as determined by the college
• Complete the application process by:
  • submitting a fully-completed application for the Teacher Education Scholarship Programs,
  • being certified as meeting eligibility requirements by the college at which the scholarship will be used, and
  • accepting the scholarship (if one is offered)
• Sign a teaching commitment and promissory note agreeing to fulfill the teaching commitment or repay funds received plus interest.
• Not be in default on any student loan, nor owe a refund on any state or federal grant
• Not have previously received funds from the MTI Scholarship Program for the equivalent of four academic years, which is the program maximum
• Not receive funds from the Illinois Future Teacher Corps (IFTC) or Illinois Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver (SETTW) programs during the same term(s) for which funds from the MTI Scholarship Program are received

The Teacher Education Scholarship Programs application (which must be submitted each academic year in order to apply for the Illinois Future Teacher Corps (IFTC) and/or Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship programs) is available online as an interactive application within the Student Zone. The online application has many benefits:  

• program information at the applicant's fingertips: by applying online, the applicant will have easy access to program details in College Zone that will help them complete the application accurately (e.g., participating school lists, current teacher shortage disciplines for the IFTC Program, minority student definition, etc.);
• online edits prevent errors: when the applicant indicates they are ready to submit the application, automatic edits are performed to make sure all required fields have been completed with valid responses - if errors are identified, the applicant is prompted to correct them before the application can be submitted;
• faster delivery time: the application is accessed by the applicant, completed, submitted, and received at ISAC - all on the same day (rather than being downloaded, printed, manually completed by the applicant and then sent via the mail); and
• immediate confirmation that application has been received: upon successful electronic submission of the application, a confirmation page displays - listing all data provided by the applicant, confirming the applicant's digital signature, and stating the date and time of submission. This page can be printed and retained for the applicant's records.

The online, interactive application replaces the downloadable paper version, collecting all the information needed to determine eligibility (including the applicant's agreement to the program terms and conditions, as outlined in the application's Teaching Agreement/Promissory Note).

For priority consideration, a complete application must be received at ISAC on or before March 1 preceding the academic year for which the applicant is applying. A new application must be submitted each year an applicant wishes to be considered for a scholarship. Because the number of scholarships awarded each year is based on limited funding, it is possible that not all applicants who meet the March 1 priority consideration deadline will receive a scholarship. All applicants are encouraged to submit their applications as far in advance of March 1 as possible. Applications received after that date will be given consideration for the scholarship if, after the initial round of awarding, funding remains available.

Please note: once an electronic application has been successfully submitted, a confirmation page will display to verify the exact date and time it was received by ISAC. For individuals who are unable to apply electronically and receive ISAC approval for an alternate means of applying, the application received date will be based upon the U.S. Postal Service postmark date.

Details  

• Applications are processed in date-received order.
• ISAC selects recipients from among the highest scoring qualified applicants on the basis of renewal applicant status and minority student status. Individuals are considered renewal applicants if during the previous academic year they received funds from the program for which they are currently applying.
• The total number of scholarships awarded in a given fiscal year is contingent upon available funding.

How Funds Are Disbursed

ISAC works with the college to disburse funds for this program. The college certifies student eligibility and then submits a payment request on behalf of the student. It may take up to eight weeks after the date that ISAC processes the payment request before funds are received at the college.

Depending on the college, students may be responsible for payment until program funds are received. Qualified applicants who are awaiting receipt of funds from this program should contact the Financial Aid Office or Business Office to determine the college's policy.

ISAC offers three programs designed specifically for individuals studying to become teachers: the MTI Scholarship Program, the Illinois Future Teacher Corps (IFTC) Program, and the Illinois Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver (SETTW) Program. An overview of these programs is provided in the Financing Teacher Education brochure and its accompanying comparison chart.

Printable version