Illinois has some excellent school grants for students who want to be a nurse, medical student, or a teacher, in addition to grants available to other types of students.
The Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarship program gives up to $5,000. per academic year to minority students wanting to become teachers who are enrolled in a state college or university and are studying preschool or K-12 teaching. You must be either Black, Hispanic, Asian, or Native American, and keep up a 2.5 GPA. Also, you must agree to work as a teacher in Illinois for a specified period of time .
The David DeBoit Teacher Shortage Scholarship Program, otherwise known as the Illinois Future Teachers Corps Program awards up to $10,000. per academic year for those who are agree to teach in Illinois in shortage areas or shortage subjects like science or math for an agreed upon amount of time. You are eligible if you are academically motivated and have financial need and you plan to attend an Illinois state college or university .
To address the need for special education teachers, the Illinois Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver almost covers the full tuition for special education teaching students attending Illinois state colleges and universities. Students must agree to be a special education teacher in Illinois for a pre-set time after their studies in Illinois .
If you commit to teach in Illinois for 5 years after college graduation, then the Golden Apple Scholars Program is right for you. The award covers full tuition. You must be willing to teach in primary or secondary public schools within Chicago, Illinois once you graduate. The program is geared towards high school students wanting to attend any Illinois state college or university (Collegescholarships.org, 2010).
The Nursing Education Scholarship Program will pay for full tuition if you agree to work as a nurse after graduation in a nurse shortage area in Illinois for a specific period of time. You must show financial need and enroll in a state college or university .
The Allied Health Care Professional Scholarship Program can help assist you with the cost of your education if you want to become a midwife, nurse, or physician’s assistant. This award requires that you practice in Illinois at a particular medical facility for a specific period of time after graduation .
The Nurse Educator Scholarship Program is for someone who wants to have a career as a nurse educator or in nursing administration. There is help with tuition costs for graduate level nurses studying at a state college or university. The award amount is up to $10,000. plus expenses per year. You must be willing to work as a nurse educator in Illinois after graduation for a certain agreed upon time period .
Furthermore, the Medical Student Scholarship Program awards full tuition and expenses to someone who wants to study to practice medicine. He/she must be willing to become a doctor in a rural, underserved location in Illinois for a specified period of time after graduation .
Another form of college funding that may apply to students with various career and educational goals is the Illinois Dollars for Scholars Program which focuses on lining up wealthy donors and sponsoring corporations with high school seniors.
Therefore, of the various grant programs available to Illinois students, it seems that those who want to become teachers and medical professionals have good opportunities waiting for them with school grants in Illinois.
Illinois School Grants for 2012
The education grants in the state of Illinois can make it possible for more people to attend institutions of higher learning and from there prepare for professional careers. Let us take a look at the Illinois education grants that are available for 2011.
Grow Your Own Teacher Education Grant
The Grow Your Own Teacher Education (GYO) grant has as its purpose to recruit and prepare those individuals throughout the state who wish to become effective teachers. In particular this grant is geared at teaching students who are willing to take jobs following their graduation in hard to staff schools that serve a substantial percentage of students from lower income families. The GYO Initiative is a brand new grant program in Illinois for the year 2011 that is funded and administered by the Illinois State Board of Education.
Illinois Cooperative Work Study Grant Program
The Illinois Cooperative Work Study Program offers grants to independent and public colleges as well as universities. This program was created to enhance public-private sector partnerships, reduce the reliance many students have on loans and to expand internship opportunities in the state. This competitive program also has two other purposes in mind, firstly to encourage Illinois graduates to permanently remain in the state and secondly, to offer links between academic programs and employment.
Nursing School Grant Program
The purpose of this nursing school grant in the state of Illinois is to increase the number of registered nurses (RNs) that are graduating from colleges and universities in Illinois. The Nursing School Grant Program awards grants in two categories. The first category is Expansion Grants and the second is Improvement Grants. The nursing programs that are eligible for this program include the Associates Degree in Nursing (ADN), the Registered Nursing to Baccalaureate Degree Completion programs (RN-BSN), and the Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing (BSN). To qualify for this program the nursing programs must meet accreditation requirements and other criteria deemed necessary for eligibility.