TEACH Grant Program to Pay for College
Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant is different from other federal aids. You should take up certain classes and do certain kinds of job for the grant to keep coming.
If you are thinking of beginning a career in teaching, then you can opt for the TEACH Grant that offers up to $4,000 a year for students who are planning to complete coursework for the said career.
You need to sign a TEACH Grant Agreement, for receiving a TEACH Grant which requires you to serve:
- in a high-need field
- at an elementary school, secondary school, or educational service agency that serves students from low-income families
- for at least four complete academic years within eight years after completing (or ceasing enrollment in) the course of study for which you received the grant.
A TEACH-Grant-eligible program prepares you to teach as a qualified teacher in a high-need field. This culminates to a bachelor’s or master’s degree, or is a post-baccalaureate program. However, a post-baccalaureate program is not TEACH-Grant-eligible program if it is offered by a school that also offers a bachelor’s degree in education.
You have to keep in mind if the program that is offered by the school is a TEACH-Grant eligible program. Contact the financial aid office of the school to ensure if the program that you have opted for is TEACH-Grant eligible.
If you meet the following criteria, you would be eligible for TEACH-Grant program: You should:
- meet the basic eligibility criteria for the federal student aid programs
- complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSASM)
- be enrolled as an undergraduate, post-baccalaureate student, or graduate student at a school that participates in the TEACH Grant Program.
- meet academic achievement requirements like a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25
- receive TEACH Grant counseling that explains the terms and conditions of the TEACH Grant service obligation.
- sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to serve.
TEACH Grant Service Obligation includes:
- serving as a full-time teacher for a total of at least four academic years within eight years after you receiving TEACH Grant funds
- performing teaching service as a highly qualified teacher at a low-income school or educational service agency.
- teaching a high-need field
- providing the U.S. Department of Education with documentation of your progress toward completing your service obligation.
If you fail to meet the obligations of the TEACH Grant funds, the amount that you have receive till that date, would be converted to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan. You would be required to repay the loan in full with interest charged from the date of each TEACH Grant disbursement.
- Bilingual education and English language acquisition
- Foreign language
- Mathematics
- Reading specialist
- Science
- Special education, as well as any other field that has been identified as high-need by the federal government, or state government, or a local education agency, and that is included in the annual Teacher Shortage Area Nationwide Listing (Nationwide List).
You can get a temporary suspension of the eight-year period for completing your TEACH Grant service obligation, if you enroll in a different program which is also a TEACH Grant eligible program. You can get exemption under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
For latest updates see official website of TEACH Grant https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/grants/teach