College of Education & Human Services

Paraprofessional Undergraduate Program

The Para Program is a highly accessible pathway to a bachelor’s degree and Professional Educator’s license (PEL) available to those working in the field of education, Birth to 12th grade as paraeducators, teacher assistants, and other direct student contact positions. Those working in a school or early care and education setting, including family and home childcare qualify for this program. Courses are offered through online accessible formats, including synchronous and asynchronous learning, and any required online engagement for the courses are offered after 5:00pm to ensure accessibility for workforce members. From an associate’s degree the pathway is designed to be completed in 6 semesters including summers, and it is designed using a combination of 4 week, 8 week, and 16-week courses to optimize the student’s time and create a manageable approach to a full-time schedule while working. Students that do not yet have an associates degree may qualify as well but the estimated completion time would vary. The program also includes a flexible block and student teaching options that allow for uninterrupted employment for those that are currently working in the same area of education that they would like to be endorsed in. The program also offers opportunities for course credit for various work experiences and credentials obtained, which is evaluated individually upon applying for the program. The program is also designed to offer additional support, such as mentoring (English/Spanish), opportunities to attend educational workshops, tutoring sessions for the content test, assistance with Teacher Education Program Requirements, and networking/social get togethers with those in like degree pathways.  Early childhood students also have access to early learning lab sites on both campuses for observation and research.  The Para Program is currently available in the following areas: 

  • Early Childhood (Birth-Grade 2)-Licensure Pathway (includes the Illinois  Special Education Approval Letter)
  • Early Childhood Nonlicensure Pathway - Gateways Level 5  (options to add the Directors Level 1 Credential or Developmental Therapist Credential
  • Elementary (Grades 1-6)
  • Elementary (Grades 1-6) with ESL Endorsement
  • Special Education

Eligibility

    • Verifiable employment in a school or early care and education setting, including home/family based childcare in a position that directly supports children. 
    • Ability and willingness to attend asynchronous and synchronous courses
    • Transfer GPA of a 2.0 or above or high school diploma/ high school equivalency for those that are new to higher education

Please email education@wiu.edu for further information.

WIU Para Pathway/Incumbent Workforce Steps

  1. Please complete the Google Form linked below to give us preliminary information that will help us get things moving. Please complete this immediately.  Click here for the Step #1 Google Form
  2. Send an email to the Para Pathway coordinator aligned to your best-fit program to let them know you are interested and would like to set up a personalized appointment. 

  3. Please complete your undergraduate transfer application linked below.   If you live closest to the Quad Cities, you will choose Quad Cities Campus and if you live closest to Macomb, you will choose Macomb campus.   Regardless of the campus that you choose, you will not be required to come to a campus to participate in classes but choose the appropriate campus and  DO NOT CHOOSE ONLINE.    

    Note: If you are seeking Early Childhood, you will select the Elementary Education drop down first but then it is very important that you select the Early Childhood dropdown box next.

    Admissions - Undergraduate Application for Admission: Account Creation & Login (wiu.edu)

  4. Please immediately send  all official transcripts that you have from any institution   (including any from WIU) to the following email:  admissions@wiu.edu   or they can be mailed to: Undergraduate Admissions, 1 University Circle, Macomb, IL 61455. 

    Transcript Notes: This should be done as soon as possible. The schools you have attended will have that information on your website. If you can’t find the right spot, try putting “your former school name + transcripts” into the Google search bar. If you are an Early childhood major and have a hold on your account that prevents you from accessing your transcripts, email Lindsay Meeker right away.

  5. Complete your FAFSA linked here. You will want to  have your social security number  available. It will ask you if you want to login to your IRS account to have your tax information shared with FAFSA. It is much easier if you say yes to that option.  The WIU school code for WIU is 001780. 

    Roles | FAFSA Application | Federal Student Aid

    Rise Application ONLY for those that are unable to complete the FASFA due to documentation status

    All Students (Could be a button or TAB for financial opportunities)

    There are a variety of funding options to consider for your pathways. Please see below for some of the options that all students should consider applying for if it is a match to their needs. You may also meet with the WIU financial aid advisors to assist you in finding additional scholarships. If you would like any help completing your FASFA or other scholarship applications, please contact your program coordinator and they will set you up with appropriate assistance to walk through the applications step-by-step. 

Overall Financial Assistance Opportunities: 

The TEACH Grant Program | 2023-2024 Federal Student Aid Handbook

TANF Forms - WIU

Tuition Assistance for Future Illinois Teachers — Golden Apple

Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program (isac.org)

Application Process — Grow Your Own Teachers

Great River Teacher Corps - WIU

Early Childhood Only: 

If you do not have a Gateways Registry Number, you will need to apply for one using the link below. Please note that you will receive an email with a registration code and will need to go back in right away to the link provided by Gateways to complete the application for the registry number. If you do not receive that email after 72 hours, please contact Lindsay Meeker (it may be in your spam folder). If you once had a registry number but it expired, you will need to renew that registry number. 

Registry Membership (ilgateways.com)

Obtain your employment verification form through the Gateways website. The directions are linked below. Be sure to download it and save it on your computer as a pdf because you will need to be able to upload it into ECACE. If you are using a phone, capture a photo and save it in your documents. 

ECACE-Elig-Verif-Form-Tips.pdf (isac.org)

Once you have your Gateways registry number available and have completed your FAFSA, then you should apply for the ECACE scholarship and the Gateways Scholarship. You will need the ECACE workforce eligibility report that you saved from  as well. It is most likely that you will be choosing teacher or teacher’s assistant for your job code/category. Teacher’s assistant applies even if you are a paraprofessional in a public school for preschool or Kindergarten. 

https://www.isac.org/ECACEscholarship   - must be employed or previously employed as a workforce member in Kindergarten and below in public school or community based early care and education

Scholarship - Gateways to Opportunity (ilgateways.com)   - must be employed in a Preschool for All program designated by ISBE or a  Care for children in an Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (IDCFS) licensed program

Special Education Only: 

Illinois offers a Special Education tuition waiver application that may provide financial assistance if you are in a special education program and are willing to commit to a 5-year period of teaching in the field in IL following your degree completion. Sample course sequence for Special Education- Paraprofessional Program Option 

Illinois Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver (SETTW) Program (isac.org)

Student Teaching Considerations

The Para Pathway at WIU is designed to meet the education workforce member where they are in their journey to the Professional Educators License and/or Gateways Credentials. Part of that journey is block and student teaching/internship. We have created flexible options to work to provide an equitable experience for both that allow the workforce member to stay employed in their current placement if it aligns to their licensure pathway and the employer and workforce member are willing to partner with us to ensure successful completion of program requirements. Please review the Block and Student Teaching MOU below: 

Para MOU WIU - F23.pdf

As part of the program, you will also be required to complete all Teacher Education Program Requirements (TEP) by the deadlines assigned in order to complete student teaching. Please note that assistance will be provided, but it is primarily the student’s responsibility to complete all the tasks as assigned. 

Teacher Education Advising - Western Illinois University (wiu.edu)

PARA MOU WIU

 

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