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.