Federal Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education
(TEACH Grant) Program
Hope College is participating in the U.S. Department of
Education's TEACH Grant Program, which is being implemented for the first
time for the 2008-2009 academic year.
AMOUNT OF GRANT:
The TEACH Grant Program provides up to $4,000 per year ($16,000
maximum) in grants to first undergraduate degree students pursuing
a teaching program who plan to teach full-time
in high-need subject
areas at schools that serve students from low-income families. Part
time students may receive prorated awards; three-quarter-time
up to $3,000 per year; half-time up to $2,000 per
year;
and less-than-half-time up to $1,000 per year.
Demonstrated need is not required for this program, but because
total financial aid must not exceed the cost of attendance, receiving
a TEACH
Grant may
reduce
your
eligibility
for other sources of financial aid, particularly loans.
TEACHING OBLIGATION:
Grant recipients agree to teach in a classroom setting for at
least four years within eight years of finishing their teacher preparation
program.
They also agree to teach
high-need
subjects in designated schools that serve low-income students. Failure
to complete the four-year teaching obligation causes the grant to convert
to an unsubsidized loan which must be repaid including interest
calculated back to the date the grant funds were disbursed.
SERVICE AGREEMENT:
Each year you receive a TEACH Grant, you must sign a TEACH
Grant Agreement to Serve (service agreement) or ATS available electronically
on
the U.S. Department of Education web site. By submitting the ATS, you
are agreeing to repay the grant as a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan,
with interest accrued from the date the grants funds
were first disbursed if you do not complete the teaching service
requirement. Once the grant is converted to a loan, it
cannot be converted back to a grant.
HIGH-NEED SUBJECT AREAS:
Bilingual education and English language acquisition
Foreign language
Mathematics
Reading
Science
Special education
Other identified teacher shortage areas
GENERAL ELIGIBILITY:
To be eligible for a TEACH Grant at Hope College, you
must:
1. Be a U.S. citizen
or eligible non-citizen
2. Be enrolled in coursework toward a
career in teaching and in a high-need subject area
3. Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 as a high school graduate and
maintain that GPA throughout your academic program OR
score above
the 75th percentile on at least one battery on a national standardized
college
admissions test
4. Complete TEACH Grant counseling and sign a TEACH Grant Agreement
to Serve (ATS) each year
5. Complete a FAFSA, although you do not have to demonstrate financial
need to be eligible
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR HOPE COLLEGE STUDENTS:
1. Be fully accepted to the Hope College Teacher Education
Program for teacher certification
2.
Be majoring in one of the eligible high need majors offered under
Hope's teacher certification programs--
Biology Education
Chemistry Education
French Education
Geology Education
German Education
Mathematics Education, Elementary or Secondary
Physics Education
Science Composite, Elementary Education
Special Education- all
Spanish Education
IMPORTANT CAVEATS
The service requirement stipulates you must teach in a classroom setting
and the majority of teaching time must be spent in your high need
field. Therefore, most elementary teachers will find it difficult to
meet
the full-time teaching requirement as might the reading specialist.
Students pursuing
a second bachelor's degree or certification following a first
bachelor's
degree
are not
eligible
for the TEACH
Grant at Hope.
FURTHER INFORMATION
See the US
Deptarment of Education website for detailed information on
this program.
TEACH GRANT COUNSELING-If after reviewing the above
information you are interested in receiving the TEACH Grant, you must
complete the counseling
session through Mapping
Your Future.
To
proceed to counseling, click
here. Select TEACH Grant Initial and Subsequent under Entrance
Counseling.
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