JB Pritzker, Governor, State of Illinois

2022-23 MTI Scholarship Updates

05/11/2022

Unless otherwise noted, links in this message are to corresponding pages at the Illinois Student Assistance (ISAC) website (isac.org).

The following provides important updates regarding the 2022-23 Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program, including expanded eligibility and implementation of the certification process.

FY23 Program Appropriation Triggers Expanded Eligibility

As previously announced, the fiscal year 2023 (FY23) state operating budget that was recently approved and signed into law includes an appropriation of $4,200,000 for the MTI Scholarship Program, which is more than double the FY22 appropriation of $1,900,000.

This significantly increased funding level triggers expanded eligibility that – effective January 1, 2022 – was adopted into the MTI Scholarship administrative rules, including a new category for bilingual applicants and higher award amounts for recipients.

  • When at least $4,200,000 is appropriated for the MTI Scholarship in a given fiscal year (as is the case for FY23), then – to the extent allowed by the amount of funding that remainsat least 30 percent of the appropriated funds will be reserved for qualified bilingual minority applicants, with priority given to those applicants who are enrolled in an educator preparation program with a concentration in bilingual, bicultural education.
  • Because the FY23 program appropriation exceeds $2,850,000, the maximum annual award has increased to $7,500 for the 2022-23 academic year and all subsequent years (previously – including for the 2021-22 academic year – the maximum annual award amount was $5,000).

Submit Certification Data

Effective today (Wednesday, May 11, 2022), colleges may certify eligibility for the 2022-23 MTI Scholarship Program using the MTI system.

NOTE: In order to implement the 2022-23 MTI certification process, 2021-22 certification functionality has been disabled. ISAC's School Services staff worked with colleges to submit outstanding 2021-22 MTI certifications before the 2022-23 functionality was launched. Colleges should work directly with School Services staff if any future changes are needed to 2021-22 MTI certification data.

What's New

  • To prevent scrolling across multiple columns, entry of certification data is now done by clicking on the student's name from the "Certification List: View" screen within the MTI system.
  • The following fields appear in the "Certification Data" window:
    • Eligible (Yes/No)
      • If "No," only the Ineligible Reason field must be completed (select response from drop-down menu).
      • If "Yes," all fields other than Ineligible Reason must be completed.
    • Academic Level (Drop-down Menu)
    • Anticipated Terms (Drop-down Menu)
      • Colleges should provide their best estimate of the term(s) for which the student will be enrolled and payment will be requested.
    • Is the student bilingual (Yes/No)
      • If "Yes," must also answer the following:
        • Bilingual Type (Drop-down Menu)
        • Bilingual Program (Drop-down Menu)
    • Career Pathway Endorsement (Yes/No)
      • Qualified applicants who are not yet enrolled in an educator preparation program but have received one or more College and Career Pathway Endorsements and commit to enrolling in a course of study leading to teacher licensure, including alternative teacher licensure, may receive MTI Scholarship funds.
    • EFC (Enter Value from 0 [Zero] through 999999)
      • Colleges should report the expected family contribution (EFC) from the valid Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) on which a student's financial aid would be based, as of the date that MTI certification is completed (i.e., the date the college submits MTI certification data to ISAC).
      • If changes are pending that will impact the student's EFC (e.g., corrections, verification, or professional judgment reviews), the college may choose to postpone submitting certification data for the student until after the ISIR transaction reflecting the revised EFC has been received.
    • Save/Submit (Button)
      • All required fields must be completed in order to activate this button (i.e., partially completed records cannot be saved and then completed and submitted later).
      • Once a record has been saved and submitted, it can no longer be edited by the school (contact School Services if changes are needed to previously-submitted certification records).
    • Close (Button)
      • Select "Close" to close the "Certification Data" window and return to the "Certification List: View" screen.
  • Only records that still need to be certified appear on the "Certification List: View" screen.
    • Records that have been certified – whether as eligible or ineligible – will continue to appear on the "Student List Eligibility: View" screen.
  • The Certification Procedures for MTI page and the MTI User Guide have been updated to reflect 2022-23 processing.

Reminders

  • Colleges are encouraged to continue certifying eligibility for MTI Scholars on a daily basis throughout the year, to ensure that your students will be included in the awarding process.
    • Separate notification will not be sent when new records are made available in the MTI system.
    • The schedule for awarding 2022-23 MTI Scholars will be announced once determined.
  • All certification records available in the MTI system must be completed, regardless of whether the college certifies a student as eligible or ineligible and regardless of whether the student is currently enrolled.
    • The only way applicants will receive notification from ISAC regarding their eligibility status is if their colleges have submitted the certification data via the MTI system.
  • The MTI system is available each day from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. (CT).

Applications Still Being Accepted

The 2022-23 MTI Scholarship Program application continues to be accepted, even though the March 31, 2022 priority consideration date has passed. Complete applications – including the 2022-23 FAFSA (or Alternative Application, if applicable) – received after this date will continue to be considered for the MTI Scholarship Program for as long as funding remains after all timely complete applicants have been awarded. All minority students and qualified bilingual minority applicants who meet the program's eligibility requirements should be encouraged to complete and submit their applications as soon as possible.

Future Updates

Watch for future updates regarding the 2022-23 MTI Scholarship Program – including information about payment processing, once available – via our usual methods of communication (including the MTI Program News area, the FAA Message Board, and ISAC's e-Messaging service).

You are receiving this message because you registered for ISAC's e-Messaging service through one or more subscription groups for FAAs.

If you have any questions regarding this e-Message, please contact ISAC's School Services Department by calling toll free at 866.247.2172 or sending an e-mail message to isac.schoolservices@illinois.gov.