Teach Grant Program

The College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 created the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program.

Amounts

The federal TEACH (Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education) Grant Program provides grants up to $4,000 per academic year to undergraduate students for a possible total of $16,000 for four years. To qualify for one of the grants you must major in a high-need subject area and you must teach in that high need subject area for a minimum of four years in a school (public or private; elementary or secondary) that serves students from low-income families.

The first TEACH Grants will be awarded to eligible students for the 2008-2009 school year. Three-quarter time students may receive up to $3,000 per year; half-time students can receive up to $2,000 per year; and less-than-half time students can receive up to $1,000 per year. Although you do not have to have financial need as defined by the FAFSA, the Teach Grant plus other aid may not exceed the Cost of Attendance; Teach Grants may also reduce eligibility for other forms of aid.

Teaching Obligation

In exchange for receiving a TEACH Grant, you must be highly-qualified and teach full-time for a minimum of four years in a high-need subject area in a school serving low-income students.
You must complete the four years of teaching obligation within eight years of finishing the program for which you received the grant. Specific definitions of these terms are included below.

Highly-Qualified Teacher

All students who complete a state approved certification program at Birmingham-Southern are considered “highly qualified.” The federal information sheet discussing “highly qualified” can be found online at: http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg107.html.

Full-Time Teachers

You must meet the state’s definition of a full-time teacher and spend the majority (at least 51 percent) of your time teaching one of the high-need subject areas. Elementary school teachers who teach many subjects would not be able to fulfill their service agreement.

High-Need Subject Areas Generally

Foreign Language
Mathematics
Science
Special Education

Other teacher shortage areas are listed in the Department of Education’s Annual Teacher Shortage Area Nationwide Listing.

High-Need Subject Areas available at BSC

Biology
Chemistry
French
German
Math
Physics
Spanish
Dual Certification Program in Special Education and Elementary Education (Collaborative Education Major)

Schools Serving Low-Income Students

Schools serving low-income students include any elementary or secondary school that is listed in the Department of Education’s Annual Directory of Designated Low-Income Schools for Teacher Cancellation Benefits at http://www.tcli.ed.gov/CBSWebApp/tcli/TCLIPubSchoolSearch.jsp.

TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve (ATS)

Each year you receive a TEACH Grant you must sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve. The Agreement (ATS) is a legally binding document that defines the teaching obligations you must meet and specifies your repayment obligation if a TEACH Grant that you receive is converted to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan. When you sign the service agreement, you are agreeing to repay the grant as a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, with interest accrued from the date that the grant funds were disbursed, if you do not complete the teaching obligation. Once the grant has been converted to a loan, it cannot be converted back to a grant.

Documentation

You must respond promptly to any 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.

Eligibility Requirements

Steps required for the Teach Grant eligibility at Birmingham Southern College:

Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) www.fafsa.ed.gov/ annually, although you do not have to demonstrate financial need to be eligible.
Be a U.S. Citizen or eligible non-citizen
Be enrolled as a full-time student at BSC and be admitted to the Teacher Education Program (TEP) in one of the designated high need subject areas. You will need to provide the Financial Aid Office with a copy of your TEP admission letter.
1. All other programs are not eligible
2. Students pursuing a second bachelor’s degree or certification following a first bachelor’s degree are not eligible for Teach grant at BSC
Be enrolled in coursework that is necessary to begin a career in teaching or plan to complete such coursework. Such coursework may include subject area courses (e.g., math courses for a student who intends to be a math teacher)
Maintain a cumulative GPA of a least 3.25 throughout your program and throughout the academic year (or score above the 75th percentile on at least one battery on a national standardized college admission test). You would need to request the Records Office send a copy of your test scores showing percentiles or your transcript showing your current GPA to the financial aid office
Annually sign a Teach Grant Agreement to Serve https://teach-ats.ed.gov/ats/index.action
Complete Teach Grant Entrance Counseling prior to the first disbursement and Interim Counseling prior to the third disbursement http://mappingyourfuture.org/oslc/counseling/index.cfm?act=Intro&OslcTypeID=33

Awarding Process

Students that qualify for the TEACH Grant will be reviewed based on the information reported on the 2008-09 FAFSA and the BSC Education Department. Students will be notified by the Financial Aid Office if they are eligible to receive the TEACH Grant. Once students have been offered the TEACH Grant they may accept and/or decline the award. Accepting the award will also require students to fulfill the teaching obligation and complete the TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve. Students must also complete Teach Grant Entrance Counseling prior to the first disbursement and Interim Counseling prior to the third disbursement.

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 can’t be converted back to a grant!

For further information, please see http://www.studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/TEACH.jsp or contact the financial aid office.

Updated 12/11/08