skip the i-GuideIllinois State UniversityAdmissions at ISUAcademics at ISUEvents at ISUMap of ISUISU A to Z ListingISU AccessibilityISU 150th Anniversary
Office of the University Registrar

If you're not teaching right away

If you are not planning on teaching right now, you will still need to process your Illinois Teaching Certification application after graduation. For those students intending to pursue non-teaching employment or to delay the start of their teaching careers:

  1. Complete the regular teacher certification process [entitlement program, application via OTIS or paper form] for an Illinois Teaching Certificate as soon as possible.
  2. Register your certificate at any ROE.
  3. Regularly renew your registration even though you are not currently teaching.

If at some point you decide to return to teaching but you have not completed steps #1-3 from above:

  • You will have to take additional course work to REGAIN your status as a certified teacher if you have not maintained your registration [renewals].
  • You will need to complete additional course work &/or skills testing if you have not completed the application process for the teaching certificate at the time you graduated. You will now have to comply with the current laws & standards – not the laws & standards in place at the time of your graduation.
  • You will need to complete the STATE-APPROVAL PROGRAM VERTIFICATION form #ISBE 73-05 if you did not complete the application process for the teaching certificate and it has been over three years since your graduation. Mail, fax or bring in the ISBE 73-05 form (with the top section completed) to the Evaluation Services Office for verification and signatures (Mail: Campus Box 2202, fax: (309) 438-2338, in person: Moulton 107). We will forward the form directly to Springfield and then you will need to work with your ROE to complete the application process.