JB Pritzker, Governor, State of Illinois

Application Procedures for MTI Program

{ISAC Rules, Part 2763.30}

Application Process
Acknowledgement of Application
Incomplete and Ineligible Applications
Renewal Application

Application Process

The priority application consideration date for the Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program application and the corresponding Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) or Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid is the March 31 preceding the academic year for which a scholarship is being requested.

The priority application consideration date for the 2024-25 academic year is March 31, 2024. Complete applications received after that date will be considered for the MTI Scholarship only if funding remains after all timely complete applicants have been awarded.

MTI Scholarship Application

The MTI Scholarship Program application can be accessed from the MTI Application page in the Students & Parents area or directly from the ISAC Student Portal. In order to apply online, the applicant must sign in to the Student Portal (if they have not already done so, they may create a profile here), select Program Applications & Status Checks, then select "MTI Apply Here". Encourage applicants to carefully read the instructions and eligibility requirements before beginning to complete the application.

Students should follow the on-screen instructions for entering and submitting their data via the online application. An e-mail acknowledgement is sent as soon as they submit the Application/Teaching Agreement/Promissory Note (different e-mail acknowledgements are sent depending on whether the application is signed or unsigned).

By signing the application's Teaching Agreement/Promissory Note, the student promises to fulfill their teaching requirement according to the rules of the program under which they receive assistance. The applicant’s signature is legally binding. The applicant is promising to fulfill the teaching requirement or repay the funds received (prorated as appropriate) plus 5% interest and any reasonable collection costs. Recipients must begin to fulfill their teaching requirements within one year following the completion of the postsecondary education degree or certificate program for which the scholarship is awarded.

After the application is submitted to ISAC, MTI scholarship processing (Certification through Program Requirements) will be done by colleges via the MTI system in the GAP Access portal. When an application is received by ISAC, a record is added to the college’s database in the MTI system that can be viewed by selecting the Student tab to display the Student List Eligibility: View screen. Application information will appear on the Student List Eligibility: View screen either as complete or incomplete. An application will remain incomplete until the Application/Teaching Agreement/Promissory Note is received by ISAC. The Student List Eligibility: View screen includes the application status, icons that indicate student eligibility issues or conflicts and sort and filter functions similar to what is available for other programs processed via GAP Access.

Refer to the MTI User Guide to learn about the application process, screen layout and icons that identify student eligibility issues and conflicts.

FAFSA/Alternative Application

In addition to the MTI application, students must also submit the corresponding year’s FAFSA or (if applicable) Alternative Application by the March 31 deadline for priority consideration.

Acknowledgement of Application

When ISAC receives the applicant’s signed promissory note, a letter acknowledging that their application was received and is being processed is mailed. An MTI Notice of Application – Received Timely is sent if the application is received on or before the priority deadline of March 31. An MTI Notice of Application – Received Untimely is sent if the application is received after March 31. The letter also reminds applicants to:

  • notify the school they will be attending of their enrollment plans; and
  • notify ISAC in writing of any changes to their enrollment plans or address changes.

Incomplete and Ineligible Applications

For purposes of the application priority consideration date, applications will not be considered for processing until the date that a complete Application/Teaching Agreement/Promissory Note is received at ISAC. An MTI Notice of Incomplete Application is sent identifying the additional information that is needed. An MTI Notice of Ineligibility is sent when one of the following conditions exists:

  • a prior year version of the application was used rather than the appropriate year version;
  • the applicant indicated enrollment at a noneligible school;
  • Illinois was not indicated as the applicant’s state of legal residence;
  • the academic term for which the scholarship was requested has concluded; or
  • the student is not a citizen or eligible noncitizen of the United States.

Renewal Applicants

Renewal applicants must submit a new MTI application and FAFSA or Alternative Application (if applicable) each year on or before the application priority consideration date of March 31. Applications used in a previous academic year will not be accepted and processed for award consideration in the new academic year.