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Are you thinking about becoming a teacher, but want to make sure it's right for you? There are probably a lot of things you're wondering about, like what you'll need to do to be certified to teach, what salaries teachers make, how you can pay for college and others. Use the information below to find the answers to your questions. The academic advisor at the college you're planning to attend can also counsel you about which classes to take to prepare you for your teaching career.

Teacher Preparation and Certification

Before you decide to enter the teaching profession, make sure you check out the available resources, to learn about the testing requirements to become certified to teach in Illinois, get an idea about teacher salaries and position availability and review teacher preparation programs and curriculum and standards. Use the Matching Assistant, available at IllinoisMentor at collegezone.com, to locate Illinois colleges that offer degrees in education.

State of Illinois/ISAC Programs

There are several programs designed specifically for students studying to become teachers, to help pay for college, including the Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program, the Illinois Future Teacher Corps (IFTC) Program, the Illinois Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver (SETTW) Program, and the Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois program. A comparison chart provides a side-by-side view of the MTI Scholarship, IFTC, and Illinois SETTW programs.

Also, the Nurse Educator Scholarship Program (NESP) is available for graduate-level students pursuing a career in professional or practical nursing education in Illinois.

Federal Programs

The federal Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program was designed to benefit current and prospective teachers.

The U.S. Departments of Education and Defense offer the Troops to Teachers program to help military personnel begin a new career as teachers in public schools. Illinois Troops for Teachers provides information specific to teaching in Illinois, including teacher certification requirements, information about teaching degree programs and assistance in locating employment opportunities.

Loan Cancellation/Forgiveness/Repayment Programs for Teachers

There are also programs available to help teachers repay their student loans after college. The Federal Perkins Loan Cancellation for Teachers program, the Federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program, and some of the Illinois Loan Repayment/forgiveness Programs offer options for repayment or cancellation of student loans, based on certain teaching requirements.