Federal TEACH Grant

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Federal TEACH Grant

The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program provides grants of up to $4,000* per year to students who intend to teach in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves students from low-income families.

*Amounts are subject to change due to federal sequestration. TEACH Grant funds will be prorated based on your enrollment status (i.e. full-time, three-quarter-time, half-time).

Service Obligation for TEACH Grant

To meet the TEACH Grant service requirement, you must:

Work as a highly qualified, full-time teacher in a high-need subject area at a school that serves low-income students.
Complete four years of teaching within eight years after finishing your degree.

Key Definitions:

Highly Qualified Teacher: Defined by the U.S. Department of Education.
Full-Time Teacher: Must spend the majority of time teaching in a high-need subject area. Due to the 51% rule, most elementary teachers will not qualify.
School Serving Low-Income Students: Designated by the U.S. Department of Education. Check the list at https://studentaid.gov/tcli/

IMPORTANT: If you do not complete this service obligation, your TEACH Grant will be converted into a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, and you will be required to repay it with interest accrued from the date the grant was disbursed.

Federal Teach Grant Eligibility Requirements:

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Be a U.S Citizen or eligible non-citizen.
Be enrolled as an undergraduate student working on an initial bachelor’s degree or a graduate student working on an initial master’s degree, studying in a TEACH Grant eligible program (see below).
Be enrolled in coursework that is necessary to begin a career in teaching or plan to complete such coursework. Such coursework may include subject area courses (e.g., math courses for a student who intends to be a math teacher).
Meet certain academic achievement requirements (generally, scoring above the 75th percentile on a college admissions test or maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25).
Sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve. Note:The Agreement to Serve will not be available for you to complete until your eligibility for the grant is confirmed.
Complete TEACH Grant Counseling for either initial or subsequent receipt of a TEACH Grant.

High-Need Subject Areas:

The following are designated as high-need subject areas:

Mathematics
Science (such as Biology, Geology, Chemistry or Physics)
Foreign Language
Bilingual Education
Special Education
Reading Specialist
Other “High Need” Field as designated by the U.S. Department of Education

Federal Teach Grant Eligible Programs:

Wichita State University has designated the following programs to be TEACH Grant eligible programs:

Undergraduate:

Early Childhood Unified
Early Childhood Unified/Elementary Education Apprentice (TAP Students Only)
- Early Childhood qualifies for the TEACH Grant. However, to fulfill the service obligation, you must meet the requirements to complete coursework necessary to begin teaching in a high-need area listed above.
PreK thru 12 – Foreign Language (French, Latin, Spanish)
PreK thru 12 – ESOL
Middle Level – Math or Science
Secondary Education – Biology, Chemistry, Earth & Space Science, Math, or Physics

Graduate:

Special Education – Adaptive
Special Education – Functional
Special Education – High Incidence
Special Education – Low Incidence
Special Education – Early Childhood Unified
Reading Specialist
Transition to Teaching with Endorsement in Math, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Science, Earth Space Science, French, Latin or Spanish

Review Financial Aid Terms & Conditions for additional details and eligibility requirements for the TEACH Grant at wichita.edu/finaidpolicy.

To verify whether the school you will be teaching is a school serving low-income students: https://studentaid.gov/tcli/directory-search