The Illinois Board of Higher Education is offering a competitive grant opportunity for Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Consortium member universities offering master’s and doctoral programs for prospective early childhood faculty. The grant opportunity is part of the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) initiative. ECACE is co-led by the IBHE and the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB), in partnership with the Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Student Assistance Commission, Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development, and Illinois Department of Human Services.
The Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois Program (DFI) was established by the Illinois General Assembly and signed as Public Act 093-0862 on August 4, 2004. This act combines the Illinois Consortium for Educational Opportunity Program (ICEOP) and the Illinois Minority Graduate Incentive Program (IMGIP) into a single fellowship program. The purpose of DFI is to increase the number of underrepresented faculty and staff in Illinois institutions of higher education and higher education governing boards.
General Grants are direct appropriations to the BHE necessary to implement state and Board policies.
The goal of the Grow Your Own Teacher Education (GYO) Initiative is to recruit and prepare parent and community leaders and paraeducators statewide to become effective teachers 1) in hard‑to‑staff schools serving a substantial percentage of low-income students, and 2) in hard‑to‑staff teaching positions in schools serving a substantial percentage of low-income students. The GYO Initiative is new to the IBHE. Prior to fiscal year 2011, the GYO Initiative was funded and administered by the Illinois State Board of Education.
The Illinois Cooperative Work Study Program provides grants to both public and independent colleges and universities and is designed to enhance public-private sector partnerships, expand internship opportunities, reduce student reliance on loans, encourage permanent employment of Illinois graduates in Illinois, and provide links between academic programs and employment. (Competitive program)
The "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001" (NCLB) amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). This Act, signed into law on January 8, 2002, places significant emphasis on assisting schools and school districts in increasing the academic achievement of all students by improving teacher and principal quality and ensuring that all teachers are highly qualified.
The purpose of the Nurse Educator Fellowship Program is to ensure the retention of well-qualified nursing faculty at institutions of higher learning that award degrees in nursing. Awards will be used to supplement the salaries of the nursing faculty selected for the Fellowship. Participation in this program is open to Illinois institutions of higher learning with a nursing program approved by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC). Nominations must be certified by the institution's Chief Nursing Administrator.
The purpose of the Nursing School Grant Program is to increase the number of registered nurses graduating from Illinois institutions of higher learning. The Nursing School Grant Program will award grants in 2 categories: Expansion Grants and Improvement Grants. Eligible nursing programs include Associate Degrees in Nursing (ADN), Registered Nursing to Baccalaureate Degree Completion Programs (RN-BSN), and Baccalaureate Degrees in Nursing (BSN). Programs must meet accreditation requirements and other eligibility criteria. Expansion grants and Improvement grants shall be determined in a competitive process and will be awarded on the basis of NCLEX-RN pass rates and other performance criteria. Expansion Grant funds may be used to hire faculty, develop new programs and increase classroom space to expand capacity. Improvement grant awards will be much smaller award amounts and may be used to purchase classroom materials, increase academic support services, or make curriculum modifications to increase retention and licensing exam pass rates.