The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant is a merit-based Federal Title IV program designed to encourage highly qualified teachers to serve in low-income schools in high-need fields.
Amount of Grant
The TEACH Grant Program provides up to $4,000 per year ($16,000 total for undergraduate studies and $8,000 total for graduate studies) in grants to students who plan to teach full-time in high-need subject areas at schools that serve students from low-income families. Half-time students can receive up to $2,000 per year; less than half-time students can receive up to $1,000 per year.
Eligibility
The TEACH Grant Program is available for undergraduate and graduate students, students enrolled in a post-baccalaureate teacher credential program and current teachers. To be eligible for the program, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and possess a minimum 3.25 GPA. Students who do not meet the GPA requirement may also qualify if they scored above the 75th percentile on one of the batteries in a school admission test.
Program Requirements
In exchange for TEACH Grant funding, recipients sign an Agreement to Serve committing to:
- Serve as a full-time, highly qualified teacher* (see definition below) for at least 4 academic years within 8 years of completing the academic program
- Teach within certain high-need fields (Mathematics, Science, a Critical Foreign Language, Bilingual Education, English Language Acquisition, Special Education, Reading Specialist or another field as defined by the state education agency)
- Teach at an eligible school
*Highly qualified teacher - According to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), a teacher who has obtained full state teacher certification or has passed the state teacher licensing examination and holds a license to teach in the state; holds a minimum of a bachelor's degree; and has demonstrated subject area competence in each of the academic subjects in which the teacher teaches.
Failure to fulfill the program requirements will result in the grant converting to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan at 6.8% interest, which begins from the time the funds were initially awarded. The Department of Education predicts that 80% of the funds awarded will convert to loans. Once converted to a loan, the funds cannot be converted back to a grant.
Additional TEACH Grant Resources:
-U.S. Department of Education TEACH Grant Website
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/TEACH.jsp
-TEACH Grant Fact Sheet
http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/attachments/siteresources/4807Teach_FactSheet_v3.pdf
-High Need Fields by State
www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/pol/tsa.pdf
-Schools Serving Low-Income Students by State
http://www.tcli.ed.gov/CBSWebApp/tcli/TCLIPubSchoolSearch.jsp
If you have a TEACH Grant, you may login here: TEACH Grant login
You may apply for Financial Aid by completing the FAFSA here: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
