Congress in 2007 constituted Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program with a motive of providing grants up to $4,000 annually to students who wish to teach primary or secondary schools both public or private serving interests of students belonging to low income families through the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007.
For a grant, you should establish your willingness and interest in serving in a public or private primary or secondary school helping low income students in a capacity of full-time teacher in a high need field as specified in the program. These high need fields are particular areas like Bilingual Education and English Language Acquisition, Science, Special Education, Foreign Language, Mathematics, Reading Specialist and identified teacher shortage areas, enumerated in Department of Education’s Annual Teacher Shortage Area Nationwide Listing.
The list of the primary or secondary schools catering to low-income students is enumerated in the Department of Education’s Annual Directory of Designated Low-Income Schools for Teacher Cancellation Benefits. Within the completion of a period of eight calendar years of program of study, it is very essential for you to teach for at least four academic years for which you have received the grant.
Incase you fail to comply by this condition then the amount you have received as a TEACH Grant will be switched over to Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, which you have to repay to United States Department of Education. In addition you will also be charged interest on the grant amount from the date it was dispersed.
In order to avail TEACH grant, you are required to fill Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) but in this case you need not to exhibit your financial needs.
You should be a citizen of United States or eligible non-citizen and have taken admission as a graduate, post-baccalaureate or an undergraduate student in a postsecondary educational institution, which has preferred to take part in the TEACH Grant Program.
You also have to take admission in course work, which is essential to start a teaching career or have a plan to accomplish such course work that may contain subject area courses. There is also a requirement of meeting certain academic achievement; you may have to maintain GPA aggregate of at least 3.25. You are also required to sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve. If you want to know more details regarding this TEACH grant program, then you can contact college’s financial aid office in which you have enrolled for further information.
