JB Pritzker, Governor, State of Illinois

Definitions for MTI Scholarship Program

For the purposes of the Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program:

  1. A minority student is one who is either:
    • African American/Black – a person having origins in any of the black racial groups in Africa;
    • Hispanic American – a person of Spanish or Portuguese culture with origins in Mexico, South or Central America, or the Caribbean Islands, regardless of race;
    • 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); or
    • 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.
  2. A qualified bilingual minority applicant is a qualified student who demonstrates proficiency in a language other than English by receiving either:
    • a State Seal of Biliteracy from the State Board of Education; or
    • a passing score on an educator licensure target language proficiency test.

Questions regarding an applicant's minority or qualified bilingual minority status should be directed to the ISAC Call Center by sending an e-mail message to isac.studentservices@illinois.gov, or by calling 800.899.ISAC (4722) and selecting option 3.