Eligibility

Recipients can be

• Undergraduate students
• Graduate students
• Enrolled in a postbaccalaureate teacher credential program
• Current or former teachers or retirees

Basic requirements

Students must

• Be eligible for federal student aid, and
• Be enrolled in course work to begin a career in teaching or plan to complete course work for a career in teaching
• Be above the 75th percentile on one part of an admissions test (such as the SAT, ACT, GRE, etc.) or have at least a 3.25 GPA for each payment period — in high school or college for first year students and in college for other students — or meet certain academic achievement requirements (generally, scoring above the 75th percentile on a college admissions test or maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.25).

Award

• Full-time students may receive $4,000 per year, up to a maximum of $16,000 for undergraduate and postbaccalaureate study, and up to a maximum of $8,000 for graduate study.
• Amounts are prorated for less than full-time enrollment.

The award, when combined with other assistance cannot exceed cost of attendance.

To apply

All applicants must

• Fill out the FAFSA and make sure the school you attend participates in this grant program
• Undertake initial counseling
• Sign an Agreement to Serve
• Enroll in a TEACH Grant-eligible program at a participating institution, and
• Be currently completing, or intend to complete, course work necessary to begin a career in teaching in a high-need field.

Agreement to Serve?

Each award year, TEACH Grant recipients must sign an Agreement to Serve that explains that the recipient must teach for four years within eight years of completing or ceasing enrollment in a TEACH Grant eligible program as a full-time highly-qualified teacher in a low-income elementary or secondary school in a high-need field.

Students can access and sign the Agreement with their federal student aid PIN at www.teach-ats.ed.gov.

TEACH Grant recipients must submit evidence of employment that is certified by the chief administrative officer of the school on completion of each year of teaching.

The high-need fields

• Mathematics
• Science
• Foreign language
• Bilingual education and English language acquisition
• Special education
• Reading specialist

Other high-need fields are listed in the Department of Education's Teacher Shortage Areas Nationwide Listing 1990–91 thru 2009-10 (March 2009).

Learn more

Students can find more information on this grant at www.teachgrant.ed.gov.