TEACH Grant Information

TEACH Grant Available in 2009-10 for specific Purdue Teacher Preparation Degree Students

A new federal Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant will be made available to specific Purdue University West Lafayette undergraduate and graduate students in the 2009-10 academic year (Fall 2009, Spring 2010, and Summer 2010).

The TEACH Grant Program provides up to $4,000 per year in non-need based grants (forgivable loans) for graduate and undergraduate students who intend to teach full-time in high-need subject areas for at least four years at schools that serve students from low-income families. Graduate students are also eligible for $4,000 per year ($8,000 total). Students may receive up to $16,000 for undergraduate study and up to $8,000 for graduate study. Part-time students are eligible, but the maximum grant will be reduced.

Note that if a TEACH Grant recipient fails to complete the four-year teaching obligation he/she must repay the grant as a Federal Direct loan with a 6.8% interest rate.

Student Eligibility Requirements to Receive a TEACH Grant

1. Student cannot already have a teaching license.

2. Student must be pursuing a specific degree in a "high need" field while also obtaining teaching licensure. High need fields are defined by federal regulations for the TEACH Grant and listed in a Department of Education teacher shortage area. Listed here are current Purdue programs that appear to represent TEACH Grant "high need" teacher fields according to federal regulations:

PURDUE COLLEGE/SCHOOL	MAJOR/AREA
Education	Special Education
Liberal Arts	World Languages (French, German, and Spanish)
Science	Science Education (Biology, Chemistry, Earth Space Sciences, Mathematics, Physics)
Technology	Engineering/Technology Education
Graduate School	Masters degree program in one of areas listed above (i.e., Special Education, World Languages, Science Education, Engineering/Technology Education)

3. Student Must Meet Minimum Academic Requirements

• An undergraduate student must meet minimum academic requirements:

For undergraduates who do not meet one of these criteria, student may still qualify if they have a high school GPA of 3.25 or higher OR a Purdue cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher.

• A graduate student must be enrolled in a graduate program of study leading to a master’s degree and meet minimum academic requirements. Note that a post baccalaureate student seeking a teaching license is not eligible for the TEACH Grant unless they are also pursuing a graduate degree.

For graduate students who do not meet one of these criteria, a student may still qualify if they have an undergraduate GPA of 3.25 or higher OR a cumulative Purdue GPA of 3.25 or higher.

4. Student Must Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Note that students do NOT have to demonstrate financial need. In addition, students must meet the eligibility requirements for federal student aid such as being a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen, be registered with selective service (if required to do so), and not being in default on a federal student loan or owe a federal grant repayment.

5. Student Must Complete TEACH Grant U.S. Department of Education Counseling and Sign TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve. Students will then be required to respond to requests by the U.S. Department of Education to confirm continuing intention to meet the teaching obligation.

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 will be available electronically on a U.S. Department of Education website. The TEACH Grant service agreement specifies the conditions under which the grant will be awarded, the teaching service requirements, and 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 received TEACH Grant funds, although you may work off multiple four-year obligations simultaneously under certain circumstances. Specific definitions of these terms are included below.

Highly Qualified Teacher

You must perform the teaching service as a highly qualified (HQ) teacher, which is defined in federal law at www.ed.gov. Each state has created definitions of highly qualified teachers; for Indiana visit www.doe.state.in.us/hqt; for other states visit www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/pol/tsa.doc.

Full-Time Teacher

You must meet the state’s definition of a full time teacher and spend the majority (at least 51 percent) of your time teaching in one of the high-need subject areas identified by the state.

Schools Serving Low-Income Students

Schools serving low-income students include any elementary or secondary school that is listed in the U.S. Department of Education’s Teacher Cancellation Low-Income Directory at www.tcli.ed.gov. Thousand of schools throughout Indiana are listed as meeting this federal definition, including schools in rural areas as well as in cities like Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, South Bend, Evansville, Lafayette, East Chicago, and Gary.

Documentation

You must respond promptly to any requests for information or documentation from the U.S. Department of Education, even if it seems 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 must 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 accrued from the date the funds were first disbursed. Once a grant is converted to a loan it CANNOT be converted back to a grant!

For More Information

For more information about teacher education programs at Purdue University and teacher licensure requirements in Indiana and other states, contact the Purdue University Office of Professional Preparation and Licensure, www.teach.purdue.edu, (765) 494-5486, licensure@purdue.edu.

For more information about pursuing teaching opportunities for schools serving low-income students, contact the Purdue University Center for Career Opportunities, www.cco.purdue.edu, (765) 494-3981, askcco@purdue.edu.

For more information about receiving a TEACH Grant, contact the Purdue University Division of Financial Aid, www.purdue.edu/dfa, (765) 494-0998, facontact@purdue.edu.

Next Steps

Students should carefully review the eligibility requirements listed here and then visit the TEACH Grant Counseling website to complete information that will be forwarded to the Division of Financial Aid for processing.