The Patricia Cassin-Graft Student Teacher Scholarship is open to undergraduate and graduate students completing their final term of student teaching requirements for licensure. The deadline for this year’s scholarship is January 21, 2022. To apply for a Patricia Cassin Graft Scholarship, click here.

Patricia Cassin-Graft, ‘57, and Michael J. Graft, Sr. created the Patricia Cassin-Graft Student Teacher Assistance Fund at National Louis University to assist candidates who are dedicated to teaching in under-served schools and face financial burdens.

The Graft Scholarship has assisted 160+ students since 2002. Among them is Kathleen McInerney, '15 M.A.T.. She began her career in education as a student teacher at Distinctive Schools. Initially, she was an NCE student balancing her M.A.T. coursework, classroom responsibilities, and working a part-time weekend job. In 2015, Kathleen was awarded a Cassin-Graft Scholarship. The extra financial support provided her with the opportunity to concentrate and hone in on practicing her teaching skills. “I was able to quit my second job, which made it really nice to be able to focus on actual student teaching, and it helped me learn a lot more in my final year during student teaching than years prior with competing priorities, demands, and distractions from my second job.” After completing her student teaching requirements and M.A.T. program, Kathleen accepted a teaching position at Distinctive Schools, where she has served as a full-time instructor ever since.

Students who are interested in being considered must meet the following eligibility guidelines:

• Submit a completed application by the deadline, Friday, January 21st, 2022.
• Be a full or part-time degree candidate concentrating in Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle Grades, Secondary, or Special Education.
• Maintain a grade point average of 3.25 or higher.
• Completion of all prerequisite courses for student teaching by the time student teaching begins.
• Candidates applying by the January 21, 2022 deadline must have Content Test passing scores on file with NLU to be considered.
• Submit one letter of recommendation from an NLU faculty member or adjunct faculty member who has had you in at least one class within the last 12 months. The letter should be emailed by the professor directly to stapplications@nl.edu by the Friday January 21, 2022 deadline.
• Submit an essay describing your aspirations and financial needs.
• Complete the 2021-2022 FAFSA and demonstrate financial need as assessed by the University’s financial aid office.
• Confirm your intention to teach in the Chicago Public Schools or other high-need, low-income schools where the need for teachers is the greatest.

NOTE: Students in a residency or paid student teaching program, or who are receiving Student Teaching Federal Work-Study funds, are ineligible for this scholarship. Students who are employees or dependents of employees receiving a tuition waiver are also ineligible.