Residency Policies

Admissions

Applicants must hold a high school diploma or its equivalent. A bachelor’s degree is recommended for applicants who want the MACTE credential to carry across institutions and states, because portability frequently depends on it.

Admission requires a completed application, a written statement of purpose, and an interview with the Executive Director. Because the Formation Year is delivered online, every applicant must also have access to a computer with a working camera and microphone, a current web browser, and reliable internet service.

Admission decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability.

Tuition and Fees

The Early Childhood (Primary) Track is $5,000 in tuition. Tuition is payable in full before instruction begins, or in nine interest free monthly installments across the academic phase. A one time materials fee of $150 is due with the first payment.

The Elementary Track is $7,000 in tuition, payable on the same terms, in full before instruction begins or in nine interest free monthly installments, and carries the same one time materials fee of $150.

The institution charges no interest, no finance charge, and no fee for electing the monthly plan.

Books are estimated at $200 across the full program and are purchased directly by the resident rather than billed by the institution. Residents are responsible for their own travel and lodging for the two summer intensives. There are no other required institutional charges.

The Primary Track begins September 8, 2026. The Elementary Track begins September 7, 2027.

Cancellation and Refunds

A resident may cancel their enrollment agreement within five business days of signing it and receive a full refund of all amounts paid. A resident who cancels after those five business days but before the first day of instruction is entitled to a full refund of tuition, and the institution retains no more than the application processing charge permitted by rule.

Once instruction has begun, tuition is refunded on a pro rata basis according to the portion of the enrollment period completed at the time of withdrawal, consistent with the refund schedule of the Illinois Private Business and Vocational Schools Act of 2012. The materials fee is refundable until materials are issued.

All refunds are paid within thirty calendar days of the institution’s receipt of written notice.

Attendance and Participation

The Formation Year requires participation in the weekly live cohort seminar, completion of the weekly asynchronous modules, and monthly structured observations. A resident who misses a seminar reviews the recording and submits the session reflection within one week. More than three unexcused absences in a single term triggers a conference with the Cohort Guide and a written participation plan.

The Practicum Year requires full time presence in the placement classroom on the school’s calendar. Absences during the Practicum Year follow the placement school’s staff attendance policy, and an extended absence requires a revised practicum plan.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Progress is reviewed at the end of each term against the program’s competencies, which include coursework completion, seminar participation, observation records, demonstration videos, and album entries.

A resident who is not meeting expectations receives a written improvement plan stating clear benchmarks and a timeline of at least four weeks. A resident who does not meet the benchmarks of that plan may be withdrawn from the program, with any refund calculated under the refund policy above.

Academic Integrity

All submitted work, including album entries, reflections, and demonstration videos, must be the resident’s own. Montessori albums draw on a shared pedagogical tradition, and residents are taught how to attribute the sources they build on.

Presenting another person’s album or written work as one’s own is grounds for dismissal, following a documented review in which the resident has an opportunity to respond.

Credential and Employment

Upon satisfactory completion of all program requirements, the resident receives the Montessori Makers Residency credential for their track along with an official transcript.

The institution does not guarantee employment or any particular wage. Montessori teaching is not a state licensed occupation in Illinois.

Complaints

A concern should first be raised with the Cohort Guide or with the Executive Director, by email at info@montessorimakers.org or by telephone at (773) 234-2412. The institution responds in writing within ten business days.

A complaint may also be registered directly with the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

Surety Bond

The institution maintains a surety bond of $15,000 as required by the Act. The bond is sufficient to repay the greatest amount of unearned prepaid tuition held by the institution at any one time.

Records

Transcripts and enrollment records are maintained permanently, and are provided to residents upon written request at no charge.