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State Scholarships

Below is a description of two scholarships available for Illinois students. Please note that these scholarships require a separate application outside of Northwestern's regulation financial aid application process. More details and links are provided.

It is important to be aware that these scholarships have specific terms and conditions, including a teaching committment. If these conditions are not met, the scholarship will convert to a loan that must be repaid, with interest.

Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois

  • The Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program encourages academically talented Illinois students, especially minority students, to pursue teaching careers, especially at high-need, hard-to-staff schools by providing tuition assistance (tuition, fees and room and board or commuter allowance) at one of the participating colleges.  You may qualify for up to $2,500 as a freshman or sophomore, and up to $5,000 as a junior or senior.
  • As part of the application process, you must agree to teach, on a full-time basis, for a period of not less than five years at nonprofit Illinois public, private or parochial preschool, or an Illinois public elementary or secondary school considered a School of Need.  You must begin teaching within two years of the completion of your degree or certificate program for which the assistance was awarded.  If the teaching commitment is not fulfilled, the award will convert to a loan, which must be repaid, with interest.
  • For more information, please visit the Illinois Student Assistance Commission's website.

Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program

  • If: 1) you plan to teach at a nonprofit Illinois public, private, or parochial preschool, elementary school, or secondary school, for which the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has determined that no less than 30 percent of the enrolled students are African American/Black, Hispanic American, Asian American, or Native American; and 2) you are of African American/Black, Hispanic American, Asian American or Native American origin or are a qualified bilingual minority applicant, then – starting with awards made for the 2022-23 academic year – you may qualify for up to $7,500 per year as part of the Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program (prior to the 2022-23 academic year, the maximum annual award amount for this program had been $5,000). Funds from this program may be used  to pay for tuition, fees and room and board, or commuter allowances, if applicable. This scholarship may be received for a maximum of the equivalent of four academic years (eight semesters or 12 quarters) of full-time enrollment.
  • As part of the application process, you must agree to the terms and conditions that are outlined in the application's Teaching Agreement/Promissory Note (available for 2017-18 academic year and later via the Program Requirements page). By receiving this scholarship, you must teach in Illinois. If this teaching commitment is not fulfilled, the scholarship converts to a loan, and you must repay the entire amount plus interest.
  • For more information, please visit the Illinois Student Assistance Commission's website.

Program and eligibility requirements outlined here are subject to revision based on federal, state and institutional changes to regulations and policies.