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Golden Apple Scholars Program in Illinois
$23,000
Award AmountMar 1, 2027
DeadlineDescription
The Golden Apple Scholars Program in Illinois is a teacher preparation and tuition assistance program for high school seniors and freshman and sophomore Illinois college students who have the determination and drive to be highly effective teachers in Illinois schools-of-need. We prepare aspiring teachers for immediate and lasting success in the most challenging teaching environments. Standardized test scores are optional and not required for acceptance to the Golden Apple Scholars Program, however, home school students are required to submit test scores for application review. Students accepted into the Scholars program must submit test scores after induction to assist in research purposes. The complete list of eligible colleges and universities and the completion requirements once given the scholarship are available on the scholarship's website. The deadline of application for college students is March 1, 2025 and for high school seniors is April 1, 2025. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information. Up to $23,000 in total financial assistance for college, inclusive of paid professional development. Benefits also include extensive classroom teaching experience, instruction from award-winning educators and expert partners, academic and social-emotional support, job placement assistance, and mentoring in the first years of teaching. Entry points: high school Class of 2026, college freshmen and sophomores at partner universities in Illinois, and community college students in Illinois. General requirements: U.S. citizen, eligible non-citizen or DACAmented student, and resident of Illinois. Application process: complete online application including references and personal statements, upload unofficial transcripts, standardized test scores (ACT or SAT) are optional (required for home school students), and participate in prospective Scholar interviews. Every application receives a holistic review. Completion requirements include 2.5 GPA, participation in Golden Apple Scholar Institutes, code of conduct compliance, Bachelor's degree from an Illinois Partner University, Illinois teaching certification, teaching for five years in an Illinois school-of-need within 7 years of graduation, and an anticipated college graduation date no earlier than the summer of 2028.
Eligible Majors
Application Requirements
Test Scores (SAT/ACT)
Personal Statement
Transcript
Interview
References
Eligibility
High School Senior, College Freshman, College Sophomore, Community College Student
Bachelor
Not Specified
Not required
High School Senior, Undergraduate Student, Community College Student
Location
Illinois
Demographics
US Citizen, Eligible Non-Citizen (FAFSA), DACA Recipient / DREAMer
School Requirements
4-Year College/University, Community College
Augustana College, Aurora University, Benedictine University, Blackburn College, Bradley University, Chicago State University, Concordia University, DePaul University, Dominican University, Eastern Illinois University, Elmhurst University, Eureka College, Governors State University, Greenville University, Illinois College, Illinois State University, Illinois Wesleyan University, Judson University, Knox College, Lake Forest College, Lewis University, Loyola University Chicago, McKendree University, Millikin University, Monmouth College, National Louis University, North Central College, North Park University, Northeastern Illinois University, Northern Illinois University, Northwestern University, Olivet Nazarene University, Quincy University, Rockford University, Roosevelt University, Saint Xavier University, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, Trinity Christian College, Trinity International University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Illinois at Springfield, University of St. Francis, VanderCook College of Music, Western Illinois University, Wheaton College