Patricia Cassin-Graft Student Teacher Assistance Fund Award

Patricia Cassin-Graft, Class of 1957, and Michael J. Graft, Sr. established the Patricia Cassin-Graft Student Teacher Assistance Fund at National Louis University in 2004. The fund is a permanent endowment funded by generous donations from the Graft family and other donors. The fund is meant to assist candidates dedicated to teaching in under-served schools, who face financial stress while student teaching, and who recognize the importance of the philanthropic values that have made these funds available.

Cassin-Graft Scholarship Fund Booklet Released: https://nl.edu/news-and-events/news/news-pages/cassin-graft-scholarship-fund-booklet/

The committee aims to assist outstanding undergraduate and graduate candidates who are completing the final term of their student teaching requirements. Applicants should demonstrate significant financial need, a commitment to serving students in underserved, high-needs schools, and the potential to become exemplary educators and role models throughout Illinois.

The fund does not provide cash awards. Recipients of the award receive a credit to their National Louis University account to offset tuition costs during their final term of student teaching. The fund does not cover student fees.

NOTE: Students participating in a Student Internship, Residency, Alternative Certification, or Paid Student Teaching Program are not eligible for this scholarship. Employees or their dependents receiving tuition waivers are also ineligible.

Applicants must meet the following eligibility guidelines:

• Candidates applying by Friday, September 25, 2026, must have Content Test passing scores on file with NLU to be considered.
• Complete the 2026-2027 FAFSA. A FAFSA must be on file with the NLU Financial Aid Office for all applicants. If one is not on file, applicants must file a FAFSA. Applicants can contact the NLU Student Finance office at StudentFinance@nl.edu for more information or to confirm whether a FAFSA is on file.

• Submit a personal essay describing your aspirations and financial needs.
• Submit at least one letter of recommendation from an NLU faculty or adjunct faculty member who has had you in at least one NLU class within the last 12 months.
• Submit an updated teaching resume.
• In your essay, confirm your intention to teach in the Chicago Public Schools or another underserved, high-needs school in Illinois where the need for qualified teachers is greatest.
• Be a full or part-time degree candidate concentrating in early childhood, elementary, middle grades, secondary, or special education and registered for the final student teaching term.
• Complete all pre-requisite courses for student teaching by the time student teaching begins.
• Maintain a grade point average of 3.25 or higher.
• Submit the completed application by Friday, September 25, 2026.

Step 1: The Essay

To be considered for this award, applicants should prepare an original personal essay that includes all of the following topics in the order presented below. The ideas should be your own, and AI tools should not be used to generate your essay. Grammarly or other AI tools for checking spelling and grammar may be used. Students are requested to include an AI disclosure statement to clarify whether and how AI tools were used in the essay’s brainstorming or revision process. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Academic Research guide from the NLU Library has information and examples of how to cite AI tools and acknowledge AI use: https://libguides.nl.edu/c.php?g=1370658&p=10128706

Personal:

• Your full name and NLU Student ID number

Commitment to Teaching - Reflect on your life | Share personal examples | Use firsthand knowledge:

• Why do you want to teach?
• Your favorite age group to teach, and why
• Your favorite subject to teach, and why
• Confirm your intention to teach in the Chicago Public Schools or another underserved, high-needs school in Illinois where the need for qualified teachers is greatest.

Leadership – Bring in what you know:

• Why do you want to teach in an underserved or high-needs school?
• What do you think your biggest challenge in the classroom will be as a new teacher, and how will you overcome that challenge? 
• Why do you think you should be selected among the other applicants who meet the criteria for this scholarship? 
• How will you sustain your commitment to teaching? 
• How will you "pay it forward" if you receive an award? 

Financial Need – Use your own story:

• A general description of the financial needs you will face during your student teaching
• A general description of other financial resources available to you and other financial obligations that you have

 Civic/Volunteer Interests and Awards – Tap into your past:

• A description of any off-campus volunteer work or causes in which you have participated over the last two years
• Description of other scholarships or awards received in the past

Additional Information:

• Any additional information or personal job experience that you think may be useful for consideration.
• Note on essays: The typographical, grammatical, and editorial quality of essays is weighed as a reflection, in part, of an applicant’s ability to communicate and teach language and communication skills. 

Students are welcome to schedule an appointment to meet with a writing specialist at any stage of writing (including brainstorming). Schedule a one-to-one Zoom session or utilize the Drop-Off Essay option to submit a draft and receive feedback at least one week before the application deadline. Note: Learning Support is not available on weekends, and between quarters, campus coverage is limited. https://nl.edu/learning-support/ or 312.261.3374.

Step 2: The Resume

You must submit an updated teaching resume with your contact information, including the name and phone numbers of your current place of employment if you are employed. It should include your NLU program of study and expected graduation date. Your resume is an opportunity to highlight any accomplishments that make you an ideal merit scholarship recipient. Examples of additional resume sections include Honors, Activities, Achievements, Foreign Languages Spoken, or Volunteer Experience.

The Career Bridge Office can assist with resume writing. Contact careerbridge@nl.edu with the subject line, “Educator Resume Review Supports Needed for Cassin-Graft Scholarship” at least one week before the application deadline. 

Step 3: Letter of Recommendation from an NLU Faculty Member

You must submit at least one letter of recommendation from an NLU faculty or adjunct faculty member who has had you in at least one NLU class within the last 12 months. Candidates enter the faculty’s NLU email address in ScholarshipUniverse and the faculty uploads the letter of recommendation directly to the ScholarshipUniverse portal.

Step 4: The Application

Applications for those seeking tuition assistance for the final student teaching term in the 2026-2027 academic year are due by Friday, September 25, 2026. Content Tests must be passed and on file with NLU before submitting the application.  

To apply, complete the application form online. You will need your NLU student portal username and password to apply. 

All submitted applications will receive an acknowledgment email confirming receipt. If you do not receive a response to your application within one business day, it is your responsibility to contact us so that we can work together to identify the issue.

• Applicants may email questions to Suzanne Martinez at Suzanne.Martinez@nl.edu or Lesley Niggemann, College Operations Coordinator, at lniggemann@nl.edu.
• Finalists will be asked to interview in person with university representatives and the Graft family. One interview date will be scheduled for selected applicants. No rescheduled interviews will be conducted.
• Recipients of the award are required to submit an original, hand-written thank you letter to Mrs. Graft. Further instructions on preparing this letter will be shared with each awardee. Please note that awards will not be posted until NLU’s Advancement Office approves the thank you letter.
• Recipients of the award may be asked to participate in special events on an occasional basis.

Only complete applications will be reviewed. All application materials, including the online application, personal essay, letter of recommendation, and updated teaching resume, must be submitted by the application deadline. The decisions of the scholarship committee are final.

Please note: NLU scholarships may only be used towards tuition charges and are not refundable to the student. Students must adhere to all University policies noted in the Catalog to remain eligible for NLU scholarships.

Financial Aid Applications

2026-2027 FAFSA is now available. Complete ASAP if you plan to take classes during Summer 2026-Spring 2027.