Teachers of Illinois Scholarship Program
Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC)
Up to full cost of attendance for future teachers from high-poverty, high-vacancy Illinois districts who commit to teach in an Illinois shortage district.
- How much
- up to the total cost of attendance (minus MAP grant)
- Who qualifies
- Illinois resident and high school graduate; attended (at some point K-12) an Illinois public district with at least 70% free/reduced-lunch students and a 3-year average teacher vacancy rate at or above the state average; at least half-time at a qualified Illinois college in a program leading to preschool, elementary or secondary teacher licensure (or an added endorsement/master's for licensed teachers, or a College and Career Pathway Endorsement with commitment to enroll); 2.5 cumulative GPA; must teach in an Illinois high-vacancy district afterward.
- For students starting college, undergrads, grad students, transfer students
- For education, teaching students
- U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen
- Partly need-based: your FAFSA can affect whether you get it or how much.
- When to apply
- Opens later Annual priority date in mid-September (2026-27: September 18, 2026); later applications considered only if funds remain.
- How to apply
- Each year, submit the Teachers of Illinois application (including the Teaching Agreement/Promissory Note) through the ISAC Student Portal, and file the FAFSA, by the priority date
- What you'll need
- state application + FAFSA
- Last checked
- October 20, 2026, against the official page (isac.org)
The details
Replaced the Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship starting 2025-26. Pays up to the total cost of attendance (minus any MAP grant) for up to the equivalent of four academic years. Recipients sign a Teaching Agreement/Promissory Note to teach in an Illinois school district with an above-average teacher vacancy rate; if they don't, the award turns into a loan with interest. Award priority: renewals first; a bilingual-applicant set-aside at some funding levels; then greatest financial need, juniors and above, and earliest complete application. Can't be combined in the same term with SETTW or Golden Apple tuition aid.
More money from Illinois
- Monetary Award Program (MAP) Grantup to $8,400 per year (tuition and mandatory fees only)
- AIM HIGH Grant Programvaries by university
- Higher Education License Plate (HELP) Programvaries; tuition and mandatory fees only
Keep looking
- Answer a few questions to see every program you qualify for
- Nearby states: Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Wisconsin
- Federal aid and national scholarships (open to students in any state)
- The FAFSA in plain English (2027-28)
- Should I file the FAFSA if I don't think I'll qualify?
- FAFSA deadlines by state (2027-28)
- The FAFSA for parents: what you need to do
- How to save on textbooks: free, rented and cheaper options
We list programs; we don't decide who gets them. Always check the official page before you apply. Spot something wrong? Tell us.