TEACH Grants

Back in 2007, Congress passed and created the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education or TEACH Grant program. These grants will provide financial assistance up to $ 4,000 per year for all students who are planning to teach in public or private schools. These schools must be for students whose parents have lowincome resources. To qualify for these grants you will have to agree to teach as a full time student in a private or public school for low income students. In the terms to receive these grants you have to agree to teach for a minimum of 4 academic schools with 8 calendar years.

Before you agree to these terms you really have to think about it because if you don’t and you default on the agreement then this loan will be converted to a Federal District Unsubsized Stafford Loan and you will be responsible for repayment on the loan. This loan will become owed to the United States Department of Education. Then you will be accessed an interest rate and rather than utilize a grant that does not have to be repaid.

In order to become eligible for these grants you must qualify under these requirements.

· You must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid of FAFSA · You have to be a United States Citizen or Eligible Non Citizen · You have to be enrolled in course work that is required to become a teacher. This can include teaching subjects like math or science. · You have to meet the academic standards such as maintaining a 3.25 grade point average. · You also have to sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve

If you can achieve and agree to these requirements then you will have no problem becoming a recipient of the TEACH Grant. In the terms of the agreement you may have the option of choosing a high need field such as Foreign Language, Mathematics, Reading Specialist, Science and Special Education.

The TEACH Grant Agreement that has to be signed includes some stipulations such as · Your teaching service has to be in a high needs field · You have to agree and comply with the required teaching service obligation. · You have to agree to teach at a low income family school for 4 academic years. · If the Department of Education sees it fit to add requirements then you must comply.

If these requirements are something that you can agree to, you can contact your financial aid office at your College for more information. You can do some research on these grants online and read the agreements in their entirety. Since this is a grant that does not have to be repaid, unless you are willing to stick it out it will turn into a loan and you will have to pay it back with interest. Do some research and some serious thinking about whether or not this grant will work for you.