iteach Alabama — Cost, Requirements, and How the Program Works

iteach is one of three Alternative Teacher Preparation Organizations (ATPOs) approved by the Alabama State Department of Education to prepare career changers for full professional certification. If you hold a bachelor's degree in a non-education field and meet the target teaching field's requirements, iteach offers a path without going back to school for a second degree — but the cost structure, timeline, and certificate limitations are worth understanding before you enroll.

What iteach Alabama Costs

The total program fee is $5,449 at standard pricing, or $4,949 if you use the discounted payment plan. Here's how the payments break down:

• Application fee: $0
• Enrollment fee: $10
• Monthly coursework fee: $99/month during the pre-service training phase
• Residency balance: Once you begin your paid teaching residency, the remaining balance converts to interest-free monthly installments

The pre-service training phase takes 8 to 12 weeks of fully online, asynchronous coursework. After that, you're eligible to begin teaching full-time under a Conditional Certificate in a Teaching Field (CCTF), which your employing superintendent must request from the ALSDE.

Compare this to other approved ATPOs: American Board (ABCTE) charges $1,450-$1,900 as a one-time fee, while university-based Alternative Class A programs can run $15,000-$30,000 in graduate tuition but result in a master's degree.

Entry Requirements

To qualify for iteach Alabama, you need:

• A bachelor's degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution
• A minimum 2.50 overall GPA (if your GPA falls between 2.00 and 2.49, you'll need either a 5% increased score on your Praxis Subject Assessment or six upper-level semester hours in your teaching field)
• A passing score on the Praxis Subject Assessment in your target teaching field
• A cleared criminal background check through Fieldprint Alabama ($46.20 fee)
• Full-time employment in an Alabama school district — a superintendent must sponsor your CCTF application

That last point is critical. iteach does not place you in a teaching job. You must secure your own employment first, and the hiring district's superintendent must formally request your conditional certificate from the state.

How the Program Timeline Works

The CCTF that iteach candidates teach under is renewable for up to three one-year terms within a four-year window. During this period, you complete iteach's pedagogical coursework alongside your full-time teaching responsibilities.

To convert your CCTF into a standard Class B Professional Educator Certificate, you must:

1. Complete all iteach program requirements
2. Pass the Praxis Subject Assessment (if not already done)
3. Pass either the edTPA portfolio assessment or the Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) exam — candidates with three or more years of teaching experience can choose either one
4. Complete the Alabama Teacher Mentor Program (ATMP) requirements during your first year, including a minimum of 2.5 hours of weekly contact time with an assigned mentor

What iteach Does Not Cover

iteach's CCTF route has field restrictions. It is not available for Early Childhood (P-3), Elementary Education (K-6), or Special Education. If you want to teach in those areas through an alternative route, you need a university-based Alternative Class A program, which issues an Interim Employment Certificate (IEC) instead; the TSEC route is also available for collaborative special education grades 6-12.

iteach also does not provide test preparation. You'll need to register for and pass your Praxis exams independently through ETS ($120-$170 per exam). If your target field requires the Pearson Foundations of Reading exam (test 890), that's a separate $139 registration through Pearson.

Is iteach Worth It?

iteach makes sense if you want a low-cost, fast entry into secondary teaching and you've already identified a hiring district. The $4,949 price point is reasonable compared to graduate programs, and the online format means you can complete pre-service training while job hunting.

It's a weaker fit if you're unsure about which teaching field to pursue, if you want to teach elementary or special education, or if you'd benefit from the salary bump that comes with a Class A (master's level) certificate. Alabama's salary schedule pays Class A teachers more than Class B at every experience step — over a 30-year career, that gap adds up.

The Alabama Teacher Certification Guide includes a side-by-side comparison of all approved programs — ATPOs, university Alt-A, and traditional routes — mapped against your degree, GPA, and target teaching field.

See more Alabama guides →