Professional Membership

Any person engaged in educational work of a professional nature in Iowa is eligible for professional membership provided that, where required by law, s/he holds an appropriate license issued by the State of Iowa or, where no license is required by law, qualifies as listed below:

"Educational work of a professional nature" is defined as teaching and directly related specialized educational services authorized by an appropriate board, governing body, or legal agency, and includes teachers, supervisors, administrators, researchers, business managers, registered nurses, consultants, school psychologists, social workers, speech and hearing clinicians, and other specialists engaged in professional services in schools and colleges, in professional associations directly related to education, in government offices of education, in voluntary accrediting agencies, and in organized educational programs of business and industry.

When you join us, you're joining with 3.2 million members nationwide. Our membership includes four levels -- national, state, UniServ, and local association. Our state is divided into 19 UniServ units (field offices) whose staff provide expert help and assistance to members in their area. UniServ unit and local association dues vary, depending on where you are employed, but the NEA and ISEA dues amounts for full and halftime members are:

ISEA dues are determined by the percentage of time members are employed. First-year teacher members have an option of receiving up to $100 cash back or, provided they are employed full time, a $1,000 interest-free loan, and there are discounts available for substitutes, school nurses earning less than $26,500, persons on leaves of absence, and non-teaching coaches. Please tell us a little about yourself and we'll have someone from your UniServ office or local association contact you with more detailed information.

Education Support Membership

Any person who is not engaged in educational work of a professional nature but is engaged in providing services which are directly related to education (e.g., bus drivers, cooks, custodians, maintenance personnel, cabinet makers, secretaries, non-certified teacher aides, administrative assistants, etc.) may be eligible for educational support membership.

When you join us, you're joining with 3.2 million members nationwide. Our membership includes four levels -- national, state, UniServ, and local association. Our state is divided into 19 UniServ units (field offices) whose staff provide expert help and assistance to members in their area. UniServ unit and local association dues vary, depending on where you are employed, but your combined NEA and ISEA dues will be 1.1 percent of your basic annual gross salary.

Please tell us a little about yourself and we'll have someone from your UniServ office or local association contact you with more detailed information.

Retired Membership Questions

Retired Membership

Any retired person having previously qualified for Professional or Educational Support membership who is at least 45 years old is eligible for NEA/ISEA Retired membership. Many persons choose to continue their membership after retirement in order to remain eligible for Member Benefits programs, including the $1 million liability insurance coverage for retired members who chose to substitute teach. In addition, retired members receive publications and many other opportunities to keep in touch with the education world.

Annual Retired: $58
Lifetime Retired: $613

If you haven't retired yet, but are at least 45 years old, you may be eligible for a Pre-retired Lifetime Retired membership, provided you maintain a Professional or Educational Support membership until you retire. Pre-retired Lifetime Retired dues are also $613.

Those interested may make their checks payable to ISEA and send them to ISEA Membership Processing, 777 Third Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50309-1301. Be sure to include your name, address, home phone, and social security number.

Click here if you have questions about the NEA/ISEA Retired program and would like to have someone contact you.

Pre-Retirement Inclusive Association Membership (I AM)

ISEA active members can invest just a little each year in order to maintain their Association membership and many benefits of belonging when they retire.

Under the "I AM" program, current ISEA members pay only $61.30 a year for ten years to become "prepaid subscribers" to an NEA/ISEA Pre-retired Lifetime Retired membership. That means that after retirement, there will be no additional cost to main your membership and benefits, including our insurance and discount programs.

If you retire or leave education before the ten-year period is up, you can simply pay the remaining balance in order to maintain your membership.

To join, all you need to do is download the application and pay the fee by check or payroll deduction. Please return your completed form to your UniServ unit office. 

Student Membership

Any college or university student who intends to enter the education profession is eligible for student membership.

The ISEA Student Program has 500 members on 33 campuses across the state. We join more than 60,000 fellow NEA Student members on 900 campuses around the nation.

Combined NEA and ISEA dues are $37 for 2008-09. In addition, most of our local chapters charge a small dues amount to help support local programs. Those amounts amounts vary and are collected at the campus location.

Join now by clicking below -- it's fast and it's easy. When you join online, you'll also receive a year's free subscription to 'Instructor' magazine!