Certification & Licensure - Frequently Asked Questions
TEACH
TEACH is an online system used for managing certification requirements for those seeking or currently holding NYS certification in the areas of teaching, pupil personnel services and administration. The New York State Education Department (NYSED) provides a list of TEACH services on their website.
Anyone wishing to obtain NYS certification in teaching, pupil personnel services (includes school counseling) and administration needs to establish a TEACH account. To self-register for a TEACH account visit the NYSED’s Office of Teaching Initiatives website.
We recommend that you establish your TEACH account as soon as possible.
Any requirements that you complete, such as fingerprinting, workshops, and certification exams, are recorded in your TEACH account by the related provider. An established TEACH account is required in order for the provider to confirm completion of the requirement.
Visit Teach Online Services and select “Forgot your Username or Password?”
You can find more information about the TEACH system from the TEACH website's FAQs section.
Workshops
Contact the Financial Aid office to explore loan programs that meet your needs. Your financial aid package that was awarded upon admission to your program offers the latest scholarships that are available through Warner. Your employer, if you are working, may also have employee assistance programs for you to explore.
The UR Food Pantry and the Student Support Basic Needs Hub were created to facilitate the connection of campus and community resources for students experiencing financial hardship. The hub provides urgent, essential student necessities such as food, clothing, housing, and access to academic tools.
Pay your tuition and fees through UR Student. Choose Finances under your applications to view your balance, make payments and select a payment plan. On the right-hand side of the screen, choose View Account Activity to see a detailed statement or to download your invoice.
Previous account charges become due on the 10th of each month. To avoid late fees and holds on delinquent accounts, pay your bill promptly or enter a payment plan agreement. Notifications will be sent via email to your home email address and can sometimes be categorized as spam. To avoid any late charges, log into UR Student to check your charges, even if you do not receive an email.
To sign up for a payment plan, log into UR Student and look under Payments. You can choose the plan that allows for you to be charged in two installments. If you have additional activity that changes your balance, UR Student will recalculate your installments within a business day. Once a semester, you will have to sign up for a payment plan in UR Student after your charges have been assessed.
If you have questions about your bill or need additional assistance, contact the Bursars Office at (585) 275-3931 or bursar@admin.rochester.edu.
Please review Tuition and other costs
The tuition rate generally increases by approximately 3-4 percent each year.
Please contact the Warner finance team at finance@warner.rochester.edu
If your employer pays your tuition but cannot pay on time, contact the Bursars Office at (585) 275-3931 or bursar@admin.rochester.edu.
If paying with a check or money order, make the check payable to the University of Rochester and include your Student ID on the check or money order to ensure correct processing. Mail your payment to:
University of Rochester
Office of the Bursar
330 Meliora Hall
PO Box 270037
Rochester NY 14627
If you require a receipt or verification of tuition payment for reimbursement or other reasons, contact the Bursar's Office at (585) 275-3931.
The University always tries to accommodate student requests and needs but there are many things that factor into the decision. You should start by contacting the international student financial aid advisor in Financial Aid to review your situation and to explore the options available to assist you.
If you have questions regarding the University of Rochester employee tuition benefits process, contact the Office of Total Rewards. You should wait until one day after registration to apply for benefits, and you have to apply within 30 days of the course start date by logging into myURHR Workday using your Active Directory, click on ‘Benefits and Pay’ on the homepage under the Apps section, and click on ‘Employee Tuition Waiver Application’ under the Suggested Links section.
Learn more about tuition benefits for University of Rochester employees.
Refunds may be available, but the amount depends on the date you withdraw from your class(es). Review the Refund Policy. For the current term, please check the academic calendar.
Certification Exams
Talk to your program advisor about specific timing. They will indicate when you are best prepared for successfully completing the exams.
Consult the Certification Requirements page of the TEACH system to see which exams are required for the certification that you’re seeking. Note that each certificate may require a different set of exams so be sure to search the requirements for all certifications that you’re expecting to complete.
Exams are administered by the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations (NYSTCE). For information on certification exams, including details about how to register for tests, finding test dates and sites, refer to their website: www.nystce.nesinc.com.
Exams are administered by the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations (NYSTCE). For information on certification exams, including details about how to register for tests, finding test dates and sites, refer to their website: www.nystce.nesinc.com.
Yes. Although the exams are not part of the NYS registered programs, they are required for certification.
If you’re having trouble finding a time that works for you, a couple of suggestions are:
- expand the region that you’re willing to travel;
- check back frequently to see if a sooner seat time has opened up;
- if you’re registering for an exam that has more than one part, such as the SBL1 and SBL2, try registering for each exam separately.
college Recommendation for New York State Certification
College recommendation means that we are certifying that you have completed all of the requirements for a NYS registered program. This includes all academic work and workshops required for your program.
The Warner School submits the college recommendation to your TEACH account after the degree is conferred.
Yes. The NYS registered programs include the workshops required for certification. We cannot recommend you for program completion, i.e. you cannot graduate, until the workshops are complete.
No. The certification exams are not included in the NYS registered programs.
No. The college recommendation is just one of the requirements for certification. To view a list of certification requirements, consult the NYS certification requirements.
Generally, the college recommendation eliminates the need for you to also submit transcripts. If you have a unique situation, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) may ask for transcripts to be submitted, but that’s a rare instance.
Fingerprinting
Fingerprinting is a New York State requirement for certification applicants in teaching, counseling, and administration as well as anyone who is intending to work with children, either through their Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) or Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) licensure.
Fingerprinting is completed through IdentoGO. Students will need to set up an account before scheduling an appointment. You can read about the NYSED Fingerprinting Process from Start to Finish.
You can find the service code here: NYSED Fingerprinting Process from Start to Finish
For certification students, the service code is: 14ZGQT
Complete your fingerprinting as soon as possible. Many internships and student teaching placements cannot begin until fingerprinting has been complete.
There are different levels of fingerprinting clearance. If you have previously completed the fingerprinting process through the NYS Department of Education, you do not have to be fingerprinted again.
That would depend on where you had fingerprinting completed. If you’ve had fingerprinting done through MorphoTrust, contact them directly at www.IdentoGo.com or 877-472-6915. If you completed the fingerprinting process elsewhere, you will need to contact that agency.
MorphoTrust transmits fingerprinting results directly to the TEACH system.
In the TEACH system, at the home page, choose “Fingerprinting” and then submit. If your fingerprints have been submitted to your TEACH account, you will see this message: “Your DCJS and FBI results have been received.” or “We have received your fingerprint information from NYC.” will appear if you had your fingerprinting completed by NYCDOE.
Contact NYSED Fingerprint Helpdesk; ospra@nysed.gov or call (518) 473-2998.
Consult NYSED Fingerprint FAQ's.
Applying for Certification
Apply for NYS certification through the TEACH system.
Consult the “How to Apply” section of the New York State Education Department (NYSED) website for information about how to complete the application.
Email the New York State Education Department at tcert@mail.nysed.gov to request a pathway change. You can also consult the Office of Teaching Initiatives website.
You can begin the application process at any time, but you may want to wait to pay for the application until all of the requirements are met. College recommendation of program completion is just one of the requirements for certification. To view a list of certification requirements, consult the NYS certification requirements.
Yes. The certification exams are just one of the requirements for certification. You can begin the application process at any time, but you may want to wait to pay for the application until all of the requirements are met. To view a list of certification requirements, consult the NYS certification requirements.
You can find the New York State program code in the top section of your Program of Study. Be sure to indicate that you’re applying via the NYS-approved program pathway.
It’s advisable to apply for certification upon program completion, but that’s up to each graduating student to decide. Changes to NYS certification requirements could have an impact on eligibility and it’s the candidate’s responsibility to determine what works best for them.
The university does not evaluate applications for certification. To find out about questions such as timing, go to the New York State of Education (NYSED) Office of Teaching Initiatives website and select “Certification.”
Certificates
You should first discuss the implications of the additional certification for an understanding of how it will change the length of completion of the program. After making the decision that you want to pursue the additional certification, you must reach out to Admissions (admissions@warner.rochester.edu) to have the advanced certification application form forwarded to you. The application form is an abbreviated application.
NYS regulation states that the internship certificate can only be issued if the candidate has “Not completed the internship for their program, and Been hired by a school district or BOCES for their internship…”
For more information, you can read about the internship certificate on the New York State Education Department (NYSED) website here.
NYS does not issue printed copies of time-limited certificates, such as for initial certification. If you wish to have a copy of a time-limited certificate, log into your TEACH account and select “I would like a printed certificate”. There will be a fee associated with this request.
Alternately, you can log into your TEACH account and make a printed copy of the page showing certifications issued.
Log in to your TEACH Account, select “Account Information”, click on “Certificates” and click GO. The information displayed includes all of your certificate applications and all issued certificates. The New York State Education Department (NYSED) offers further information about checking the status of your application.
NYS does not issue printed copies of time-limited certificates, such as initial certification. If you wish to have a copy of a time-limited certificate, log into your TEACH account and select “I would like a printed certificate”. There will be a fee associated with this request.
NYS automatically mails printed copies of professional and permanent certificates and mails them to the address listed in the TEACH account. Therefore, should your mailing address change, it’s important to update it in your TEACH account.
Miscellaneous
Transcripts that are needed as evidence for satisfying program pre-requisites can be submitted to admissions@warner.rochester.edu.
To order a transcript, go to https://www.rochester.edu/registrar/requests/transcripts.html. For questions regarding degree conferral and transcripts contact our registrar, at registrar@warner.rochester.edu.
Students having completed all program requirements who need documentation before the degree/certificate becomes official can complete this form to request a confirmation letter: Degree/Certificate Confirmation Letter Request. The Warner School Registrar will send it to the email address provided, unless otherwise indicated.
For information about obtaining certification outside NYS, consult the Certification Outside of New York State section of our Certification & Licensure page. Check with the education department of the state where you intend to work. Send any documentation that needs to be completed by the university to certification@warner.rochester.edu .