Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education -TEACH Grant

The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH Grant) program provides federal grant assistance to undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, or graduate students in a post-secondary education who plan to teach. As a condition for receiving a TEACH Grant, you must agree to teach full-time for a least four years (within an eight year period) at schools or educational service agency (ESA) serving low-income students. Failure to meet the terms of the service obligation, all TEACH grant funds that you received will be converted to a DIRECT Unsubsidized loan that you must repay in full, with interest charged from date of each TEACH Grant disbursement.

Grant highlights include the following:

• Undergraduates preparing to teach in a high-need subject area may receive up to four years of non-need grants of $4000 per year ($16,000 total).
• Graduate students in Curry licensure or endorsement programs focused on high-need areas are eligible for 2 years of funding at $4,000 per year ($8,000 total). 
• Part-time graduate students preparing to teach in high-need areas are also eligible, but the maximum grant will be reduced.

The TEACH Grant actually functions like a loan with a forgiveness component. You receive the money like a grant while in school. If you do not fulfill the obligations of the grant, it will convert to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan that you must repay, with interest charged from the date of each TEACH Grant disbursement

Eligibility

To receive a TEACH Grant you must:

• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), although you do not need to demonstrate financial need
• Meet the eligibility requirements for federal student aid.
• Be enrolled as an undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, or graduate student in a post-secondary education institution.
• Sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve and Department of Education's TEACH Grant Loan Counseling
• Meet one of the following academic achievement requirements: 
• Score above the 75th percentile on SATs, ACTs, or GREs, OR
• Have and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 (on a 4.0 scale) on college coursework.

High-need areas include:

• Bilingual education and English language acquisition
• Foreign language
• Mathematics
• Reading specialist
• Science
• Special education
• Other identified teacher shortage areas listed in the Department of Education's Annual Teacher Shortage Area Nationwide Listing.

Schools Serving Low-Income Students

• Schools serving low-income students include any elementary or secondary school that is listed in the Department of Education's Annual Directory of Designated Low-Income         
• View qualifying schools, and click on the SEARCH button.

Teach Grant Agreement to Serve and Promise to Pay

Each year you receive a TEACH Grant, you must sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve AND complete the Department of Education's online counseling session. You can access both these online forms. The Agreement to Serve specifies the conditions under which the grant will be awarded and the teaching service requirements. It also includes an acknowledgement by you that you understand that if you do not meet the teaching service requirements you must repay the grant as a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, with interest accrued from the date the grant funds were disbursed.

Teaching Obligation

To avoid repaying the TEACH Grant with interest, you must:

• Serve as a full-time teacher for a total of at least four academic years within eight calendar years after you complete or withdraw from the academic program for which you have received the TEACH Grant. To qualify as a full-time teacher, you must meet the state's definition of full-time status and spend the majority (at least 51 percent) of your time teaching one of the high-need subject areas. 
• Perform the teaching service as a highly-qualified teacher at a low-income school.
• Comply with any other requirements that the Department of Education determines to be necessary. For example, you will be sent written requests for information or documentation. These requests will be sent to you while you are still in school as well as once you are out of school.
• You will be asked annually to confirm that you either still intend to teach or that you are teaching as required. You must provide documentation to the U.S. Department of Education at the end of each year of teaching. If you temporarily cease enrollment in your program of study or if you encounter situations that affect your ability to begin or continue teaching, you will need to stay in touch with the U.S. Department of Education to avoid having your grants converted to loans before you are able to complete your teaching obligation. If you do not complete the required teaching service obligation, TEACH Grant funds you received will be converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan that you must repay, with interest charged from the date of each TEACH Grant disbursement.
• Comply with any other requirements that the Department of Education determines to be necessary. For example, you will be sent written requests for information or documentation. These requests will be sent to you while you are still in school as well as once you are out of school.

How to Apply

• All students must reapply for financial aid every year by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• Apply for a U.S. Department of Education Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) if you don't already have one. Your FSA ID will allow you to electronically "sign" financial aid applications and federal loan promissory notes. Apply for an FSA ID online 
• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). For the quickest and most accurate processing, students are encouraged to complete the FAFSA . Morgan State University school code for the FAFSA is 002083.

How the process will work:

• The Office of Financial Aid will automatically offer the TEACH grant to eligible students 
• The Financial Aid Office will confirm if all requirements have been met:
  • Classification
  • Major
  • GPA or Percentile
  • Students will be notified via MSU websis items to complete
  • Ability to Serve Agreement (ATS) 
  • Department of Education's TEACH Grant Loan Counseling 
  • Upon receipt of the confirmation and completion of all Department of Education documents TEACH Grant will be disbursed