To become teachers, individuals must attend and graduate from accredited university degree programs and earn state teaching licenses. The costs of attending college for four years and earning a degree can be overwhelming. To subsidize these costs, the federal government offers Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grants to prospective teachers willing to fulfill certain requirements.
Background on TEACH Grants
TEACH Grants provide grant money--which students need not repay--for individuals looking to become elementary, middle or high school teachers at public schools in low-income areas. As of February 2011, TEACH Grants provided up to $4,000 in student aid for college or university tuition. To qualify for a TEACH Grant, a prospective teacher must sign an agreement to work as a teacher at a public school in a low-income district for at least four academic years in an eight-year period. Additionally, the individual must teach in a "high-need field" for which there is a teacher shortage, such as bilingual education, science, special education or mathematics.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for TEACH Grants, students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and enrolled in undergraduate or graduate majors leading to degrees qualifying them to become full-time teachers. Additionally, TEACH Grant recipients must be currently enrolled in (or plan to take) courses relevant to teaching, such as mathematics, history, science or other core classes required for their degrees. Also, to receive TEACH Grants, applicants must score above the 75th percentile on university-entrance standardized tests, such as the ACT or SAT, or must maintain at least a 3.25 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) while in college.
Application Process
To apply for a TEACH Grant, an individual needs to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Additionally, an applicant must complete the official "TEACH Grant Initial and Subsequent Counseling" course before signing an agreement to accept a grant, according to the Federal Student Aid website. Also, a student should contact his university's financial aid office to find out his school's specific instructions (if any) on apply for TEACH Grants.
Warning
If a student decides not to fulfill the terms of the TEACH Grant agreement, the federal government will convert her grants to unsubsidized Direct Stafford Loans, which she must repay in full. Additionally, the government will charge the person interest on said loans going back to the day the individual received the TEACH Grant.
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