Federal Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant

Congress created the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant Program (TEACH) to provide grants of up to $4,000.00 per year for students who plan to teach in designated math, science, special education, language, and other high-need subject fields. 

Important: Students who receive a TEACH Grant and do not fulfill all the stringent requirements of the program will have the amount originally awarded as a grant converted to a loan with interest (at the same rate as the Federal Unsubsidized Direct Loan), compounded from the time of the award disbursement. Also, all TEACH Grant recipients are required to complete TEACH Grant Exit Counseling online when they graduate or otherwise cease to be enrolled on at least a half-time basis.

 

To Apply/Eligibility

1. Complete a FAFSA online. Must meet all federal and Minnesota State Mankato eligibility requirements.
2. Sign the TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve each year online.
3. Complete the TEACH Grant Counseling each year online.
4. Undergraduate students: Must be seeking their first undergraduate degree in a program that prepares students to teach as highly qualified teachers in a high-need subject field and admitted to the Professional Education program.
5. Graduate students: Must be admitted to and seeking a Master’s Degree that prepares students to teach as a highly qualified teacher in a high-need subject field, and enrolled in a minimum of 6 graduate-level credit hours (500+ course level) each semester. Graduate Certificate programs are not TEACH-eligible programs of study.

TEACH Grant Amounts

The TEACH Grant program offers up to $4,000 per year ($16,000 total for an entire undergraduate program; $8,000 total for graduate students) in grants to full-time enrolled students who plan to teach full-time in high-need subject areas at schools serving students from low-income families. Funding is available to part-time undergraduate students, although grant amounts will be reduced. Undergraduate students must be enrolled in 12 or more semester credit hours to be considered full-time. Graduate students must be enrolled in 6 or more graduate-level semester credit hours to be considered full-time. The TEACH Grant is not available to Graduate students enrolled in 5 or fewer graduate-level semester credit hours.

Teaching Obligation

In accepting a TEACH Grant, recipients are obligating themselves to teach full-time in a high-need subject field and in a Title I school (low-income students). A recipient must also comply with any other requirements the Department of Education deems necessary. As a recipient of a TEACH Grant, you must teach for at least four academic years within eight calendar years after completing or withdrawing from the academic program for which you received the TEACH Grant.

Important Reminder: If you receive a TEACH Grant but do not complete the required teaching service explained above, you will be required to repay the grant as a Federal Unsubsidized Direct Loan, with interest charged from the date of the TEACH Grant disbursement.

 

Schools Serving Low-Income Students

Schools serving low-income students include any elementary or secondary school listed in the Department of Education’s Annual Directory of Designated Low-income Schools for Teacher Cancellation Benefits. Access the directory and click on the SEARCH button.

TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve: Service Agreement

Each year you receive a TEACH Grant, and you must sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve online. The TEACH Grant Agreement to Serves specifies the conditions under which the grant will be awarded. When you sign the service agreement, you are agreeing to repay the grant as a Federal Unsubsidized Direct Loan, with interest accrued from the date the grant funds are disbursed, if you do not complete the teaching obligation.

Important: Once the grant has been converted to a loan, it cannot be converted back to a grant.

 

High-Need Subject fields at Minnesota State Mankato

Subject Matter	Discipline
Art and Music Education	Dance
Art and Music Education	Visual and Performing Arts (Art Teaching)
Career and Technical Education	Family and Consumer Science
English as a Second Language	English as a Second Language
Health and Physical Fitness	Physical Education
Language Arts	Reading Education (Master’s degree only)
Mathematics	Basic and Advanced Mathematics
Science	Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, Life Sciences, Physics
Special Education	Special Education
Support Staff	Library/Media Specialist (Master’s degree only)
World Languages	German, Spanish

A complete list of high-need subject fields is available at: tsa.ed.gov/#/home/

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To receive and maintain eligibility for a TEACH Grant at Minnesota State, Mankato, you must also meet the following criteria:

• Eligible for federal financial aid (meet all federal and Minnesota State Mankato requirements).
• You are enrolled each semester in coursework that applies to your major (or is necessary coursework) for the degree. Courses include subject area courses (e.g., math course for a student who intends to be a math teacher), as well as professional education and required core or support courses for the major.
• Meet one of the following criteria:
  • Have and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 throughout your college-level academic program
  • Scored in the 75th percentile or better on any one battery of an admissions exam (e.g., ACT)

Have more questions?

MOHELA is the servicer who manages the Federal TEACH Grant. They have additional information on their website: https://www.mohela.com. Or you can contact them directly by phone at 1-888-866-4352 and speak with a representative.

TEACH Grant Exit Counseling

You must also complete TEACH Grant Exit Counseling when you graduate, enroll less than half-time, or withdraw from school.

Complete TEACH Grant Exit Counseling online (this is separate from Exit counseling for Federal Direct student loan borrowers).