TEACH Grant

Through the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, Congress created the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program that provides grants of up to $4,000 per academic year to students who plan to become teachers.

Due to federal sequestration, the maximum award amount of $4,000 is reduced by 5.7% until October 1, 2023.

The Financial Aid & Scholarship Office will not disburse the TEACH Grant until after the census date of each semester. This is after the Add/Drop deadlines have passed.

Award is pro-rated based on enrollment status:

Disbursed on, or after, Oct. 1, 2022 and before Oct. 1, 2023:

Enrollment Status Academic Year Semester
Full Time $3,772 $1,886
Three-Quarters Time $2,829 $1,415 / $1,414
Half Time $1,886 $943
Less than Half Time $943 $472 / $471

Lifetime aggregate:

  • Undergraduate: $16,000
  • Graduate: $8,000

Student Eligibility Requirements

To receive a TEACH Grant at San Jose State, you must:

  • Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), although you do not have to demonstrate financial need.
  • Be a U.S. Citizen or eligible non-citizen.
  • Be enrolled in a credential or graduate program leading towards teaching. 
  • 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).
  • Adhere to Satisfactory Academic Progress standards and maintain a Grade Point Average of 3.25 for each semester of disbursement.
  • Sign a TEACH Grant ATS (Agreement to Serve); see below for more information on the TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve.
  • Complete the Entrance Counseling Requirement as specified on the Department of Education's ATS Website.
  • Students who are auditing classes or taking classes for "no credit" are not eligible for any financial aid towards those registration fees.

There are conditions to receiving this grant that are not placed on other grants. Please make sure you understand these conditions prior to receiving the money.

TEACH Grant Conditions

  • A candidate must agree to serve as a full-time teacher in a high-need field that serves low-income students.
  • Must teach for at least four academic years within eight calendar years of completing the program of study for which you received a TEACH Grant.

Be INFORMED: If you fail to complete this service obligation, all amounts of the TEACH Grants that you received will be converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan. You must then repay this loan to the U.S. Department of Education. You will be charged interest from the date the grant(s) was disbursed.

  • Upon completion of each year of service, you must provide certification of that service from the school or educational service agency.
  • The eight year period for completing the teaching obligation begins when enrollment in the program ends. For each year of the person's service obligation, student must teach a majority of classes in a high-need field. These are designated by the state where and when student begins teaching.

Programs not eligible:

  • Multiple subject credential
  • Math subject credential
  • Spanish subject credential

 

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. This list changes annually.

TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve

  • Each year you wish to receive a TEACH Grant, you must sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve (ATS).
  • Included with the TEACH ATS is the Entrance Counseling that is also required to be completed annually.
  • The TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve 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 disbursed.
  • Specifically, the TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve will provide that:
    • For each TEACH Grant-eligible program for which you received TEACH Grant funds, you must serve as a full-time teacher for a total of at least four academic years within eight calendar years after you completed or withdrew from the academic program for which you received the TEACH Grant.
    • You must perform the teaching service as a highly-qualified teacher at a low-income school. The term highly-qualified teacher is defined in section 9101(23) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 or in section 602(10) of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act.
    • Your teaching service must be in a high-need field.
    • You must comply with any other requirements that the Department of Education determines to be necessary.
    • You must complete Exit Counseling shortly before ceasing attendance, or within 30 days of leaving school, withdrawing from a TEACH Grant-eligible program, or completing correspondence or study abroad program. Exit Counseling is available at www.nslds.ed.gov.

Additional Resources