Eligibility and Support for Candidates

Are you eligible for National Board Certification?

All candidates for National Board Certification must:

• Hold a bachelor’s degree (Exception: Career and Technical Education teachers must have met the licensure requirements for the state); and
• Possess a valid state teaching or school counseling license (Exception: If you are teaching where a license is not required, you have taught in schools recognized and approved to operate by the state).

Are you eligible for the state loan? 

The North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NC-SEAA) will lend the assessment fee of $1900 upfront to any eligible teacher. Candidates may use the funds to pay for and submit components, at $475 per component. Teachers are eligible for the NC-SEAA loan if they:

• are paid entirely from state funds;
• have taught three full years in North Carolina public schools (This includes DOC, DHHS, Office of Juvenile Justice, and licensed public charter schools);
• hold a valid, clear, continuing Standard Professional II North Carolina teaching license;
• engage in direct classroom instruction or library/media or guidance counseling work at least 70% of the time over the course of the academic year.

What other types of support can you receive?

North Carolina provides support to eligible teachers seeking board certification by:

• providing up to three days of paid release time for new candidates who meet the requirements for the state loan;
• granting one full cycle of licensure renewal credit for those teachers who complete all components of the assessment within the assessment cycle; and
• paying eligible National Board Certified Teachers a salary differential (separate salary schedule) of 12% of their state salary for the life of the certificate.