Overview
Erikson Institute, in partnership with College of DuPage, is pleased to offer a special scholarship for applicants enrolling in the 18-credit-hour graduate certificate program in early childhood bilingual/ESL . Generously funded by Grand Victoria Foundation, this scholarship covers up to 75 percent of tuition expenses for eligible pre-K through third grade teachers.

The certificate program prepares teachers to seek early childhood bilingual and/or ESL approval from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). A cohort of 25 teachers will begin the 15-month program in fall 2010 and complete the program in 15 months. All courses will be taught at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn.

The application deadline for receipt of all materials is June 1, 2010.  You can submit your application online.  If you submit your online application by January 31, 2010, the $40 application fee will be waived.  Applicants who wish to be considered for the scholarship award must also file the 2010-11 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  See additional information about the scholarship program under the Program Highlights section below.

Who should apply
The program is designed specifically for early childhood teachers (Pre-K through third grade) working in public, charter, and private schools or community agencies in DuPage, Kane and Will counties, as well as south suburban Cook County..

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree with a minimum 2.75 grade point average on a 4-point scale
• Completion of an Erikson application for admission with three brief personal essays
• Submission of three letters of recommendation
• Submission of official, sealed transcripts of all previous college-level work
• Interview by a member of the Erikson faculty
• Completion of an applicant self-disclosure form.  
• If English is not your first language or if you completed your undergraduate degree at a university where the curriculum was not taught in English, you must submit official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores and indicate how long you have been an English language speaker.

Program highlights
Grand Victoria-funded scholarships cover up to 75 percent of tuition expenses for applicants who demonstrate financial need. At the 2009–10 tuition rate, the cost to enrolled teachers will be as little as $193 per credit hour instead of $770. A two-credit course will cost $385 and a three-credit course will cost $578. Tuition typically increases slightly each year. In addition to scholarships, students may apply for low-interest federal student loans. In order to determine eligibility for the scholarship and/or federal loans, applicants must submit the 2010–11 FAFSA no later than June 1, 2010.

Students twill ake two classes per semester. Each class meets once a week for 2 hours for a 3-credit course or for 1.5 hours for a 2-credit course. For students who would benefit from academic writing support, Small group and one-on-one writing tutorials are designed to improve your note-taking, writing, and reading skills.

For more information
For questions about the admission process, please e-mail Alex Yang at AYang@erikson.edu or call (312) 893-7154.

For questions about the certificate program, please contact Megan Hillegass at MHillegass@erikson.edu.