How the TEACH Grant Program can help aspiring teachers
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 | 12:00 AM
The TEACH Grant Program is a grant program specifically geared toward people studying to obtain certain types of teaching degrees. With the help of a TEACH Grant, you can significantly lessen the burden of financing your schooling, allowing you to focus your energy on completing your degree.
What is the TEACH Grant Program?
The TEACH Grant Program is a federal grant from the Department of Education designed to help schools fill their shortages for teachers in high-need fields. As such, prior to applying for the loan, you will need to verify that the subject you wish to teach is classified as high-need. A high-need field is an area of teaching that the federal or state government has identified as possessing a significant shortage of teachers. High-need fields can change with time, but they often include subjects such as math, science, special education and bilingual education.
Though it’s essentially a grant, it has the potential to later be converted to a loan in the event you are unable to meet the demands in place. Only those studying to work in a teaching-related position are eligible to receive the grant. The grant will provide up to $4,000 of your tuition costs every year for both undergraduate and graduate programs. Those participating in summer classes may be eligible for up to $2,000 more per year.
What are the terms of the TEACH Grant Agreement?
As part of the grant agreement, you will be obligated to sign a waiver stating that you will teach in the field of your degree program for at least four full years, and you must complete this obligation within eight years of receiving your degree. Additionally, after graduation, you must teach in a school district that is designated as urban or low-income, and you must teach a high-need subject. In the event that you’re unable to meet these demands, your TEACH Grant will be converted to a low-interest student loan.
What can the TEACH Grant be applied to?
The TEACH Grant Program can be applied to both your bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Provided you are certain that you can meet the requirements of the agreement, applying for the grant for both your undergraduate and graduate degree will bring you the greatest savings. Additionally, the grant can be applied toward both online M.Ed. programs and on-campus education.
Using the TEACH Grant for your undergraduate and master’s degree programs will help you to save a substantial portion of tuition money.
Learn about University of Texas Rio Grande Valley online education degree programs.
Source:
https://studentaid.ed.gov/types/grants-scholarships/teach
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