The Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program provides applicants work or have worked in early childhood education and are seeking additional credentials and/or a degree in early childhood education scholarship funding to pursue credentials and advancement of already-held degrees in early childhood education.

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110 ILCS 28/1

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To cover up to the total cost of attendance (after other financial aid received), including tuition and fees, room and board, and books and supplies.

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Individuals;

Qualified applicants must: 1) Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen; 2) Be a member of the incumbent workforce, currently working or having worked in the early childhood field (in either a licensed or license-exempt facility), including home-based child care (e.g., family, friend, neighbor), center-/community-based child care, Preschool for All programs, school-based preschool settings, and Head Start programs, that serve children from birth to age five. Acceptable positions include teachers, assistant teachers, directors, family child care providers and assistants. Applicants must provide documentation confirming their current membership in the Gateways to Opportunity® Registry. A licensed facility is a child care program in a center or home (family child care) that is licensed by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Most programs that serve more than three children aged 0 – 12 in a center or home are required to be licensed. Public and private schools and programs in other settings may not be required to be licensed and are typically categorized as "license-exempt", if serving children aged three and older. License-exempt refers to child care that is not required to be licensed by DCFS. They may include programs operated by public or private elementary school systems, high schools or institutions of higher learning; programs conducted on federal government premises; and other programs recognized or registered with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), if children in the program are aged three and older. 3) Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment on a full- or part-time (at least 3 credit hours) basis at the undergraduate or graduate level at a public or non-profit private 2- or 4-year Gateways-entitled and Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) member institution, and be pursuing at least one of the following: a) an Associate of Applied Science degree (or related certificate) in early childhood education or an associate degree with a concentration in early childhood at an approved college; b) a bachelor's degree in early childhood education, with or without a Professional Educator License; or c) for those who already hold a bachelor's degree, courses to make you eligible for a lead teacher position in a licensed program; a Professional Educator License with an Early Childhood Endorsement; additional endorsements (Bilingual, English as a Second Language, Special Education), letters of approval or credentials; or, for those seeking licensure, and/or an additional endorsement, a Master's degree in early childhood. 4) Maintain satisfactory academic progress as established by your college. 5) Complete the online application process by submitting a complete Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity Scholarship Program application and a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on or before by the ISAC-established date in order to receive priority consideration. 6) Be certified as meeting eligibility requirements by the college at which you will use the scholarship. 7) Not be in default on any federal student loan, nor owe a refund on any State or federal grant. If you are in default, you may re-establish your eligibility.

Individuals

Direct Payments for Specific Use

Education

The application process requires proof of employment as part of the incumbent workforce through an Eligibility Verification Form. Incumbent workforce is defined as having worked in the early childhood industry (in either a licensed or license-exempt facility), including home-based child care (e.g., family, friend, neighbor), center-/community-based child care, Preschool for All programs, school-based preschool settings, and Head Start programs, that serve children from birth to age 5. Acceptable positions include teachers, assistant teachers, directors, family child care providers and assistants. An Eligibility Verification Form from the Gateways Registry must be downloaded and/or printed and then uploaded when completing the application. No other documentation of employment history will be accepted. If you have prior employment that is not listed on your Eligibility Verification Form, you may request that it be added by completing the Reporting Prior Employment for ECACE Scholarship form.

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The online ECACE application submitted on or before by the ISAC-established date in order to receive priority consideration. A FAFSA must also be completed for the same academic year that the applicant is applying for the scholarship. To determine eligibility for the scholarship, the ECACE-participating Illinois college(s) at which the award will be used must be listed on the applicant's FAFSA. The FAFSA results will be used to prioritize awarding, although the applicant does not need to demonstrate financial need to receive the award. Applications are processed in date-received order.

Renewal applicants (applicants who received an ECACE Scholarship in the previous academic year) will receive priority consideration. ISAC prioritizes recipients from among the neediest of applicants, according to information from the FAFSA.

After the applicant submits an ECACE Scholarship application, they immediately receive an e-mail confirming the application was received. The applicant is responsible for informing the college financial aid office that they will be enrolling and that ECACE Scholarship application has been submitted. Once ISAC determines that both the ECACE Scholarship application and the FAFSA have been submitted, the applicant will receive a letter stating that their application is considered complete. The college will certify the applicant's eligibility and request payment on the applicant's behalf. Program funds are disbursed directly to the college.

Applicants are encouraged to complete and submit both the ECACE application and the FAFSA on or before each year's priority consideration date, which is announced when the application is made available. The 2023-24 ECACE Scholarship application is anticipated to be available by the end of May 2023.

Application processing time may be up to 4 weeks.

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Applicants must apply annually.

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For students attending community colleges and public universities, the scholarship will cover the applicant's total cost of attendance for an academic year (including summer) after other financial aid is received. Students at participating non-profit private institutions may receive an amount no more than the cost of the most expensive program of study in the early childhood education field at an Illinois public college. Recipients of the scholarship are expected to continue or return to teaching or direct services in the early childhood care and education field in Illinois after they complete their program of study.

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The grant is applicable total cost of attendance, minus other financial aid received.

Aims to address the shortage of qualified early childhood educators by encouraging the pursuit of credentials and advancement of already-held degrees in early childhood education, with an aim toward building a strong, well-prepared workforce.

Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) and the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (30 ILCS 708).

500 West Monroe, 3rd Floor Springfield, IL 62704

1755 Lake Cook Road Deerfield, IL 60015-5209

https://www.isac.org/students/during-college/types-of-financial-aid/scholarships/ecace.html#Eligibility

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FY 2022 : $55,000,000
FY 2023 : $120,000,000
FY 2024 : $114,000,000