Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant
- The Award
- Candidate Eligibility Requirements
- How to Apply
- Teach Grant Agreement to Serve and Promise to Pay
- Teaching Obligation
- Documentation
- Important Reminder
The Award
The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program provides up to $4,000 per year in grants for graduate and undergraduate candidates who intend to teach fulltime in high-need subject areas for at least four years at schools that serve students from low-income families.
- Undergraduate Study: up to $4,000 per year for first baccalaureate degree to a maximum of $16,000
- Graduate Study: up to $4,000 per year for a master’s degree to a maximum of $8,000
If you fail to complete the four-year teaching obligation within eight years of completing or ceasing your program of study, you will have to repay the grant with interest.
Candidate Eligibility Requirements
To receive a TEACH Grant, you must:
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), although you do not have to demonstrate financial need.
- Meet the general eligibility requirements for federal student aid.
- Be enrolled in a program of study designated as TEACH Grant-eligible. Candidates must also have been accepted into ASU’s Educator Preparation Program. Eligible programs are those that prepare a candidate to teach in a high-need area. For example, a bachelor’s degree program with a major in mathematics could qualify for a candidate who intends to be a math teacher.
- Sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve and respond to requests by the U.S. Department of Education confirming your continuing intention to meet the teaching obligation.
- Complete initial and subsequent TEACH Grant counseling with the College of Education, including exit counseling.
For undergraduate programs, a candidate must meet one of the following academic requirements:
- Score above the 75th percentile on a college admissions test (SAT/ACT); or graduate from high school with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 (on a 4.0 scale) to receive a grant as a freshman
- Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 (on a 4.0 scale) on all college coursework to receive a grant for each subsequent term (must maintain a GPA of at least 3.25)
For graduate programs, a candidate must meet one of the following academic requirements:
- Score above the 75th percentile on a college admissions test (SAT, ACT, GRE)
- Have an undergraduate cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 (on a 4.0 scale) to receive a grant in the first term
- Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 (on a 4.0 scale) through the most recent term in the master’s degree program
- Be a current teacher or be a retiree from another occupation with expertise in a high-need field and be enrolled in a master’s degree program
- Be a former teacher pursuing an alternative route to certification within a master’s degree program
How to Apply
- Before completing the application, read all the information posted on this page.
- Complete the TEACH Grant Application and submit the original document to the Department of Teacher Education.
- You will be notified to schedule an appointment for initial TEACH Grant counseling with a representative in the College of Education.
- Once you have been screened and counseled in the College of Education, your application will be forwarded to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships for processing. Then, the TEACH Grant will be added to your financial aid package and adjusted, if applicable.
- Before the grant can be applied to your bill, you must complete the TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve (ATS) via the Federal Student Aid website.
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 Promise to Pay (service agreement) that is available electronically on the U.S. Department of Education website.
The TEACH Grant service agreement specifies the conditions under which the grant is awarded and the teaching service requirements. It also includes an acknowledgment 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 first disbursed.
Teaching Obligation
To avoid repaying the TEACH Grant with interest, you must be a highly qualified, full-time teacher in a high-need subject area for at least four years at a school serving low-income students. You must complete the four years of teaching within eight years of finishing the program for which you received the grant.
You incur a four-year teaching obligation for each educational program for which you receive TEACH Grant funds, although you may work off multiple four-year obligations simultaneously under certain circumstances. Specific definitions of these terms are included below.
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Highly Qualified Teacher
You must perform the teaching service as a highly qualified teacher as defined by federal law.
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Full-Time Teacher
You must meet the state’s definition of a full-time teacher and spend the majority of your time teaching one of the high-need subject areas. Elementary teachers who teach many subjects may not be able to fulfill their service agreement. -
High-Need Fields
- Bilingual Education and English Language Acquisition
- Foreign Languages
- Mathematics
- Reading Specialist
- Science
- Special Education
- Other teacher shortage areas documented as high-need by the federal government, state government or a local education agency, approved by the U.S. Department of Education, and listed in the Department of Education’s Annual Teacher Shortage Area Nationwide Listing at the time you begin your teaching service
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Schools Serving Low-Income Students
Schools serving low-income students include elementary or secondary schools listed in the Department of Education’s Annual Directory of Designated Low-Income Schools for Teacher Cancellation Benefits.
Documentation
You must respond promptly to all requests for information or documentation from the U.S. Department of Education, even if they seem repetitive. 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 regularly 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 your grants being converted to loans before you are able to complete your teaching obligation.
Important Reminder
Failure to complete the teaching obligation, respond to requests for information or properly document your teaching service will cause the TEACH Grant to be permanently converted to a loan with interest. Once a grant is converted to a loan it CANNOT be converted back to a grant.
Apply Now
Complete this TEACH Grant application and submit it to the ASU Department of Teacher Education.
For More Information
To learn more about pursuing a TEACH Grant-eligible program and/or receiving a TEACH Grant, contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.
More information about the requirements associated with a TEACH Grant can be found on the Federal Student Aid website.