Eligibility

To qualify for the IFTC Program, an applicant must:

• be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen; 
• be a resident of Illinois; 
• be enrolled, or accepted for enrollment, at or above the junior level, on at least a half-time basis in a Teacher Education Program at an eligible Illinois public or private college,
• apply for federal student financial assistance by completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine the Expected Family Contribution (EFC); 
• be a student who is pursuing a postsecondary course of study leading to initial certification or pursuing additional course work needed to gain Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) approval to teach, including alternative teacher certification;* 
• be a high school graduate or have received a General Educational Development (GED) Certificate; 
• meet the satisfactory academic progress policy of the school; 
• comply with federal Selective Service registration requirements; 
• not be in default on any student loan nor owe a refund or repayment on any state or federal grant(s); 
• have not been awarded a Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship or an Illinois Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver (SETTW) for the same academic year; 
• continue, as a renewal applicant, to meet the above list of eligibility criteria and to maintain a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of no less than 2.5 on a 4.0 scale; and 
• have not received 4 semesters or 6 quarters of IFTC assistance.

*  Note: Subject to appropriation, only applicants pursuing an initial teaching certificate in an approved teacher shortage discipline or agreeing to teach at a hard-to-staff school will be considered for an award.

Teaching Commitment

To qualify to receive an IFTC award, the student must sign a commitment to teach for five years at an Illinois public, private or parochial preschool, or at an Illinois public elementary or secondary school. The student must begin teaching within one year following the completion of the postsecondary education degree or certificate program for which the IFTC funds were awarded, and must teach continuously until the teaching requirement is fulfilled. If the student is unable or unwilling to fulfill the teaching commitment, the award converts to a loan, payable in full, plus interest at 5%.