The Daily Bulletin Archive

Later this month, the Financial Aid Office will inform eligible students of a new federal student aid program called the Teacher Education Assistance to College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant, which offers $4,000 per academic year to aspiring teachers who agree to teach in high-need areas.

The TEACH Grant was recently approved by Congress through the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007. Recipients must complete four years of full-time service in high-need elementary or secondary schools that serve low-income families. Service must be completed within eight years of graduation. If a student breaks the contract, the award is converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan with retroactive interest from the original date of disbursement, with a six-month grace period prior to repayment.

All undergraduate and graduate students in eligible majors with a minimum grade point average of 3.25 may apply. Unlike most federal aid, students are not required to demonstrate need in order to quality, but they are still required to complete the annual FAFSA form. Students pursuing a second bachelor’s degree or postbaccalaureate teacher certification, however, are not eligible for the TEACH Grant.

High-need fields identified by the government include bilingual education and English language acquisition, foreign languages, mathematics, reading specialization, science, special education, and other teacher-shortage areas identified by state.

Kent McGowan, director of financial aid, said his office sent a letter to Buffalo State students in July to introduce the TEACH Grant and will soon notify eligible students of their option to apply. The first TEACH grants will be awarded to eligible students during the 2008–2009 school year.

“This is a great opportunity for aid to students who know they’d like to teach in low-income schools,” McGowan said. “Our government is offering an incentive for future teachers to provide help where it’s needed the most.”

Faculty and staff are encouraged to share information about the new grant program with education majors. More information about the TEACH Grant is available on the Federal Student Aid Web site.