Alternative Certificates
In accordance with Nebraska State Statute 79-8,145.01, Nebraska recognizes specific programs for an Alternative Certificate. An Alternative Certificate is valid for teaching in all Nebraska schools. Once issued, an Alternative Certificate expires August 31 of the 2nd year following issuance and may be renewed. Please note, an Alternative Certificate will not lead to a full initial or standard teaching certificate. In order to be eligible for a regular teaching certificate, you will need to go through one of Nebraska’s Alternative Pathways.
In order to qualify for the Alternative Certificate, the following need to be met:
- An application and Fee in the TEACH system (Please note that registration for TEACH is required first; then an application can be submitted)
- Fingerprints (required only if someone has lived outside of Nebraska in the past five years)
- Official Transcripts showing Bachelor’s Degree earned
- Submit evidence of having successfully completed an alternative teacher certification program operated by an organization approved by Nebraska
More information on how to send supporting documents can be found in the FAQ section of this website.
Create an account in TEACH.
You will need to use your personal email address. This will be the address that your certificate gets emailed to as a PDF.
Start a new application
- What type of Certificate or Permit are you applying for today? = Select Teaching
- Ever held a Nebraska Teaching Certificate? = No
- Ever held an educator license in another state? = Yes/No
- Then select “First Time Applicant” and “Alternative Permit*” from the dropdown box and complete the online application.
*Please use Alternative Permit at this time while we work on updating our system to reflect the new certificate type.
In the application
A checklist will appear on the left side of the application. As you complete each section, the red X will change to a green check mark. Each tab has instructions to complete each section.
Certificate Type Tab
Select “All School Certificate or Permit” or “Nonpublic School Certificate”. Districts you add to the employment section will be able to monitor your application and status.
Personal Information Tab
Enter your information. On this tab you can select the option “I hereby give my consent to the Nebraska Department of Education to use SMS messaging to send me notifications via text message and email.”
Academic Record Tab
Follow the instructions on this tab with information about any college or university you attended as a student. Official transcripts must be sent directly from the college. Most colleges have a portal that will identify the service they use to send transcripts. A transcript from Parchment or National Student Clearinghouse can be sent directly to nde.tcertweb@nebraska.gov.
You can also mail a transcript to the following address: Nebraska Department of Education, Educator Certification, PO Box 94987, Lincoln, Nebraska 68509. Please note that if you mail a transcript yourself, it must be in a sealed envelope from the college.
Personal & Professional Fitness Tab
Answer the questions listed. Any answer of “yes” will require explanation and documentation.
Testing Tab
A .pdf copy of your completion certificate from your program can be uploaded in this section. They can also be sent to nde.tcerweb@nebraska.gov.
Fingerprint Tab
Select the option that accurately describes your residency for the last 5 years. Please note, that attending an out of state college would require you to select option “C”, as this means you were not continuously living in the state of Nebraska.
Declaration, Authorization and Signature Tab
Your electronic signature will need to match the name on the application. If you previously had started the application, be sure to update your signature to reflect today’s date.
Fee and Payment Tab
To move to the fee and payment, all of the tabs must be saved and have a green check mark next to them.
The completion of the following programs can lead to this certificate:
- American Board