Teacher Programs Webinar

1. Teacher Programs Webinar Illinois Student Assistance Commission March 29, 2010

2. ISAC’s Teacher Education Programs • Illinois Future Teachers Corps (IFTC) Program • Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program • Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program • Illinois Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver (SETTW) Program • Illinois Teachers and Child Care Providers Loan Repayment Program

3. Illinois Future Teacher Corps (IFTC) Program • Replaced ITEACH Teacher Shortage Scholarship Program (previously DeBolt) in July 2003 • Intended for academically talented students who are pursuing a teaching career in Illinois • Priority given to those in teacher shortage disciplines or willing to teach at hard-to-staff schools • Requires five-year teaching commitment

4. IFTC Eligibility Criteria • Must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment at or above the junior level • Must be enrolled at least half-time • Must be pursuing a postsecondary course of study leading to initial teacher certification or taking additional courses needed to gain ISBE approval to teach, including alternative certification.

5. IFTC Eligibility Criteria • Must apply for federal financial aid by completing the FAFSA • Must maintain satisfactory academic progress as determined by the institution • As a renewal applicant, must maintain GPA of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale

6. IFTC Awarding • Timely renewal applicants receive priority consideration • Then a combination of the following selection criteria is applied: • Cumulative Grade Point Average • Financial need (based on Expected Family Contribution) • Status as a minority status

7. IFTC Awarding • Point values are assigned to the selection criteria: • Cumulative grade point average: 0-40 points, reflecting the GPA from highest to lowest • All GPAs are converted to a 4.0 scale • Expected Family Contribution: 0-30 points, from lowest to highest • Minority students: 15 points

8. IFTC Awarding • Award amount depends upon teaching commitment made • Up to $5,000 if agree to teach in a shortage discipline or hard-to-staff school • Up to $10,000 if agree to teach in both • Award can be used for tuition, fees, room and board or commuter charges (cannot exceed COA) • A recipient can receive the award for up to four semesters or six quarters

9. Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program • For minority students enrolled in a teacher education program • Undergraduate or graduate student • includes freshmen • may give preference to juniors and above • Must be enrolled at least half-time • Requires a one-year teaching commitment for each year of scholarship received • Converts to a loan if commitment is not met • Up to $5,000 per year for 8 semesters/12 quarters

10. MTI Eligibility Criteria • To qualify, a student must: • be a minority student • be an Illinois resident • be enrolled at least half-time as an undergraduate or graduate student • be pursuing a teaching degree • maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale • meet satisfactory academic progress as determined by the institution

11. MTI Eligibility Criteria • Definitions for minority students • African American/Black • a person having origins in any of the black racial groups in Africa • Asian American • a person with origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, including Pakistan, and the Pacific Islands, including among others, Hawaii, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia

12. MTI Eligibility Criteria • Definitions for minority students • Hispanic American • a person of Spanish or Portuguese culture with origins in Mexico, South or Central America, or the Caribbean Islands, regardless of race • Native American • a person who is a member of a federally or state recognized Indian tribe, or whose parents or grandparents have such membership, including the native people of Alaska

13. MTI Awarding • All timely, certified applicants are considered in initial awarding • If funding is insufficient for all timely qualified applicants, awarding is based on date-received order of applications as follows: • Qualified renewal applicants • Qualified applicants at or above the junior level • Other qualified applicants

14. MTI Awarding • Priority for male applicants • 30% of allocated funds are reserved for qualified male minority students until January 1 of each fiscal year • Reserved funds remaining after January 1 may be awarded to qualified female students

15. MTI Benefits • Award amount is up to $5,000 per year • Can receive for a maximum of 8 semesters or 12 quarters • Can be used for tuition, fees, room and board or commuter charges (cannot exceed COA) • Award is made in multiple disbursements • Can request full award in one semester if eligibility isn’t determine until final term of the award year or if the student will be enrolled for less than a full award year (e.g. a student graduating in December)

16. Applying for IFTC and MTI • IFTC and MTI = Teacher Education Scholarship Programs or TESP • Same application is used for both programs: • Teacher Education Scholarship Programs Application • Interactive online application • Requires State of Illinois digital ID • Must be submitted each year • Students can apply for both programs, but cannot receive both in the same academic year • Student must indicate on the application which program he/she will accept if qualified for both

17. Applying for IFTC and MTI • New application is made available in December • Priority application filing date is March 1 (prior to the start of the academic year) • Application also serves as a promissory note

18. Golden Apple Scholars (GAS) of Illinois • Focuses on recruiting bright, talented high school students into teaching careers • Students are nominated by teachers, counselors, principals • Nomination period: April 1 – November 30 • Up to 100 scholars are selected each year • Scholars receive $2,500 scholarship for first two years and at least $5,000 for third and fourth years • Requires a five-year teaching commitment in an Illinois school of need • Eligibility, application process and awarding is handled by Golden Apple Foundation

19. TESP Awarding Process • Initial Certification • Applicant data appears in My Zone where schools must verify enrollment and certify eligibility • Generates a notification to students regarding eligibility • Rank and Awarding • Initial qualification • Students with a completed initial certification will be considered for an award • Notification • Letters sent to students by ISAC • Schools receive information in My Zone

20. Student Certification Process for TESP and GAS • Schools must complete certification online via My Zone to verify enrollment for both timely and untimely applicants • regardless of whether the student is eligible or not • Students will not be considered for awarding or notified of their eligibility (or ineligibility) status until their record is certified • Schools should complete certifications as soon as possible after they appear in My Zone so students will be considered in all rank and awarding cycles.

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28. Totals button provides numbers of completed and outstanding certifications. • Updates in real time.

29. Filter Function

30. Certification Reminders • Multiple staff at same school can work on different TESP Certifications at the same time. • Multiple changes to a Certification in one day will keep the same date and display the last set of modifications. • Totals and report results change in real time. • Refresh periodically to keep totals and reports current. • For GAS,

31. Certification Reminders • Prior to Initial Qualification, schools can make as many changes as needed to Student Certifications. • A new Certification Completion Date will display each time a record is updated. • Edits and updates can be made online up until the point when a Status Code appears on the Certification List View. • To make edits or updates after Status Codes appear, contact School Services: • schoolservices@isac.org or 866.247.2172

32. Qualification (Status) Codes • Blank - indicates a new student certification that needs to be completed by the school • remains blank until qualification is done by ISAC • U – Unqualified • Q – Qualified  • E – Exceeds maximum eligibility units • W – Withdrew application • D – Disqualified • DW - Disqualified due to withdrawal of the application • DE – Disqualification due to exceeding maximum eligibility units • T – Transferred

34. Award Notification • TESP • Award announcements letters sent to students by ISAC • Award announcement information for eligible students is provided to schools in My Zone • GAS • Communication to applicants regarding award status is done by Golden Apple Foundation

36. TESP & GAS Payment Process • Payment Request Rosters are completed online via My Zone and submitted to ISAC electronically.  • A cumulative list of payment request rosters is available for the entire fiscal year • Schools will receive a payment results report after ISAC processes the claim and assigns a voucher number and voucher date via the My Zone portal.

38. IFTC Payment Process • Options in the Requirements Not Met Drop Down Menu 1 – Citizenship 2 – Residency5 – Default8 – Initial Teacher Cert/ISBE Approval9 - Conflicting Scholarship10 – SAP18 – HS Grad/GED22 - FAFSA23 – Accepts Award24 – GPA32 – Exceeds Max Units36 – Junior or Above

39. Select “Reset” to clear all entries and begin again. • Select “Save” if the payment request roster is only partially completed; this allows users to return to data entry at a later time. • Select “Submit” to save and transmit a complete roster to ISAC.

40. IFTC Payment Process • Students determined to be eligible for both TESP programs, will only appear on the roster of the program for which they were funded. • The fall term roster includes all terms based on the terms of enrollment that were certified by the school. Subsequent payment request rosters include only the term(s) yet to be requested.

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43. SETTW Program • For students pursuing a degree in special education • Exempts recipients from tuition and mandatory fees for up to four calendar years at any of the 12 public universities in Illinois • Requires a teaching commitment • 250 waivers awarded each year

44. SETTW Eligibility • Student must be: • a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen • an Illinois resident • Enrolled or accepted for enrollment as an undergraduate or graduate student in an area of special education • at one of the participating institutions • must be enrolled in a special education program within 10 days after the beginning of the term for which the waiver was initially awarded

45. SETTW Eligibility • Student must meet one of the following: • Graduated from an approved high school in the academic year in which the award is made and be performing in the upper half of the graduating class • Graduated from an approved high school prior to the academic year in which the award is made and do not hold a valid teaching certificate • Hold a valid teaching certificate that is not in the discipline of special education

46. SETTW Eligibility • Student must • Meet school’s satisfactory academic progress criteria • Remain in attendance on a continuous basis for up to four years • Student cannot • Be in default on a federal student loan or owe a refund on any state or federal grant or scholarship • Be a prior recipient of this waiver or be awarded a Minority Teachers of Illinois or an Illinois Future Teachers Corp Scholarship for the same academic year

47. Applying for SETTW • Applicants must complete the Illinois Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver Application • Download/print from College Zone • Signed original must be mailed to ISAC by priority consideration date • Must be postmarked on or before March 1 (prior to start of the academic year) • Faxed copies not accepted

48. SETTW Application • Consists of three sections • Section A – all applicants must complete • Section B – required for certified teachers only • Must also attach a copy of teaching certificate • Section C – high school applicants must complete • Must be signed by a high school official • Application also serves as a promissory note

49. Student Notification • A Notice of Eligibility is sent to each qualified applicant by July 1 • Other notifications sent include: • Notice of Application Receipt • Notice of Incomplete Application • Rights & Responsibilities • Accompanies Notice of Eligibility • Notice of Unavailable Funds • Notice of Ineligibility

50. Determining Awards • 40 waivers are awarded to applicants who hold valid teaching certificates and are not in the discipline of special education • If more than 40 applicants qualify, a lottery is used to select the 40 recipients