Federal Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant (TEACH)

Description
The Federal TEACH grant assists students that are planning to teach in high need fields in school districts that serve low-income students.   To remain a grant, students must meet specific employment requirements after finishing their program.   The federal TEACH grant does not need to be repaid unless the employment requirements are not met.   Full time recipients in 2021-22 received a maximum of $3,772.

Forms and Procedures to Apply
To apply for the Federal TEACH Grant, students must:

• Apply to and be accepted to McPherson College
• Submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).   The FAFSA is available at studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa .   Students should make sure to include McPherson College’s FAFSA code 001933.
• Complete Entrance Counseling and an Agreement to Serve at studentaid.gov/teach-grant-program.

Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for the Federal TEACH grant at McPherson College, students must:

• Meet the general eligibility requirements as stated within the “Eligibility for Federal Student Financial Aid” section of the Consumer Information Page
• Submit all forms for application
• Be enrolled in a program of study that prepares highly qualified teachers in high need fields.
• Maintain a 3.25 cumulative GPA

Criteria for recipient selection
To be considered for a Federal TEACH Grant, students must be planning to teach in a high need field defined as:

• Bilingual education and English language acquisition
• Foreign language
• Mathematics
• Reading specialist
• Sciences
• Special education
• Any other field that has been identified as high-need by the federal government, a state government, or a local education agency, and is included in the annual Teacher Shortage Area Nationwide Listing.

Criteria for award amount
The actual award amount in any given year will be determined by the following:

• Enrollment status (full time/part-time status)
• Sequestration (yearly reduction from maximum award due to federal law)

The maximum award for a full-time student is $4,000 per year.  Awards first disbursed from 10/01/2020 to 09/30/2022 are subject to a 5.7% reduction resulting in a maximum yearly award of $3,772.

Terms and Conditions
In exchange for receiving a Federal TEACH grant, students must:

• Serve as a full-time teacher for a total of at least four academic years within eight years after completing or otherwise ceasing to be enrolled in the program(s) for which TEACH Grant funds were received.
• Teach as a highly qualified teacher, in a high need field at a school or educational service agency that serves low-income students.
• Provide the U.S. Department of Education with documentation of progress toward completing the service obligation.

For students that do not meet the requirements of the service obligation, all TEACH Grant funds received will be converted to an Unsubsidized Stafford Loan. Federal TEACH grants that have been converted to loans must be repaid and with interest charged from the date of each TEACH Grant disbursement.

Criteria for continued eligibility
To continue receiving federal TEACH grants, students must:

• Meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements as explained in the college catalog each semester.
• Submit a new FAFSA, entrance counseling, and agreement to serve each year.