If you are going to college to be a teacher, the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant might be beneficial for you.
Let’s look at what it is and who is eligible.
What is the TEACH Grant?
The TEACH Grant Program provides grants of up to $4,000/year to student who are going to college in order to begin a career in teaching.
This grant is a little different from other Federal grants because it requires you to complete four years of qualifying teaching. If you don’t complete that teaching obligation, then the grant turns into a direct unsubsidized loan that must be repaid in full with interest. The interest will be charged from the date the TEACH Grant was given.
As you know, we follow Dave Ramsey’s principles around here so we would advise you to only take this grant if you are 100% sure that you will fulfill the teaching obligation so that this remains a grant and does NOT turn into a loan.
If you receive the TEACH Grant, you will be required to sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve where you agree to teach
in a high need field,
at an elementary school, secondary school, or educational service agency that serves low-income families, and
complete at least four academic years within eight years after completing the course of study for which you received the TEACH Grant.
Schools that participate in the TEACH Grant Program determine which programs that they offer are eligible for the TEACH Grant. For this reason, you should contact your Financial Aid office to discuss this grant.
Who is eligible for the TEACH Grant?
Here are some of the eligibility requirements for the TEACH Grant:
Meet the eligibility criteria for federal student aid
Complete the FAFSA
Be enrolled at a college that participates in the TEACH Grant Program
Be enrolled in a program that is eligible for the TEACH Grant
Meet certain academic achievement requirements
Receive TEACH Grant counseling
Sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve (mentioned above)
To ensure that you are eligible for the TEACH Grant, it is recommended that you discuss it with your school’s Financial Aid office.
This article was intended to give you an introduction and basic overview of the TEACH Grant, if you are interested in learning more, you can read more at studentaid.gov.