TEACH Grant

The TEACH Grant helps students who are preparing to become elementary or secondary teachers in a high-need field, such as mathematics, science, foreign language, bilingual education, special education or reading. The statutory maximum is $4,000 a year; awards first disbursed between October 1, 2020 and before October 1, 2026 were reduced by 5.7 percent to $3,772 under federal sequestration. Students must attend a participating school, be enrolled in a program the school has designated as TEACH-eligible, file the FAFSA, complete counseling every year and sign an Agreement to Serve or Repay. The usual academic bar is a 3.25 cumulative GPA or a test score above the 75th percentile. In return, recipients must teach full time for four academic years at a school or agency serving low-income students within eight years of leaving their program. If the obligation is not completed, every TEACH Grant received becomes a Direct Unsubsidized Loan with interest charged from each disbursement date. Students should weigh that risk carefully before accepting.