Students in LCTI’s Future Educators program talk with visitors at the school’s November Open House.

SCHNECKSVILLE, Pa. — Aspiring teachers who want to get a head start on college for free should consider Lehigh Career & Technical Institute’s Future Educators program.

The intensive, dual-enrollment program provides students with an opportunity to earn 14 tuition-free credits toward a bachelor’s degree during their senior year of high school. To be considered for admission to this distinguished program, students must:

• Reside in a Lehigh County school district
• Be entering their senior year of high school
• Have a grade-point average of 2.5 or better
• Have an excellent attendance record
• Have a written recommendation from their high school counselor or teacher
• Meet academic prerequisites for Lehigh Carbon Community College

Save time & money on college

Students in the Future Educators program earn 14 credits from Lehigh Carbon Community College, all while they’re still in high school. That’s a semester’s worth of coursework and the credits are readily transferable to Commonwealth, Kutztown, Millersville and Penn State universities, as well as other schools. And thanks to our program partner, LCCC, the tuition is free.

Explore career pathways

Students observe and engage in public schools across the Lehigh Valley. Learning to develop and then deliver lessons in diverse K-12 classrooms is part of the program curriculum. Students also have opportunities to step out of the classroom and into less traditional learning spaces like Da Vinci Science Center and Lehigh Valley Zoo.

Get an early college experience

The Future Educators program is a great way for students to ease into college expectations. Our LCCC courses are built around high school schedules. We bus students between their sending high schools and LCTI, which is across the street from LCCC and accessible via a 5-minute walk. No additional transportation is required.

Seats are limited; apply now

We’ve already begun accepting applications for next year’s Future Educators program, but there’s still plenty of time to submit before the March 1 deadline. Now is a good time for prospective applicants to talk to their counselors and teachers about recommendations. Students should also begin thinking about their application essays, which typically highlight why applicants want to attend LCTI.

We’re accepting applications for the 2026-2027 Future Educators program. The deadline is Sunday, March 1, 2026.

Apply now