Working in education is not a consistent experience across individuals. Some will find it difficult to find jobs in states that offer their teachers great compensation and benefit packages.
Others will pour their heart to their work, refusing to leave an underserved district even as their colleagues walk interior and exterior the revolving door of low-income public education.
Some educational subjects have plenty of teachers, making it harder to find a job in certain regions of the country, while other fields like special education and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) could use more up-and-coming talented educators.
As you prepare to visit college for your teaching degree, it's important to keep these things in your mind. If you are interested in working in a high-need field like special education or STEAM and therefore are willing to do so in a low-income school district, you'll want to know the federal government has money awaiting you — to the tune as high as $4,000/year.
What Are TEACH Grants?
In to encourage future teachers towards high-need fields and employment in low-income school districts, the federal government issues TEACH grants. The max grant is about $4,000/year, but fluctuates slightly depending on the federal budget.
TEACH grants are slightly a little different than your typical grant, which requires a bit more of you than going to class and passing. TEACH grants come with a service requirement.
Sure, you may say you need to work in a high-need field inside a low-income school district now, but will you really follow through?
To make sure you will, you must agree to a four-year service obligation inside a low-income school district while teaching in a high-need field. You'll still be earning an income, however the government needs you to provide quality education towards the children you promised to serve, causeing this to be “service obligation” mandatory.
It must happen within the first eight years following graduation or the date you dropped out of school. If you do not certify that the past year of employment has either fulfilled or not fulfilled, the service requirements on October 31 of every year, your grants is going to be turned into Direct Unsubsidized Loans.
On top of getting your grants transformed into loans, it'll cost you back interest. Therefore it is to your advantage to complete your service obligation if you take the college money.
How Do I Obtain a TEACH Grant?
The initial step to receiving a TEACH grant is filling out your FAFSA-even if you do not you might be getting any financial aid. Without a completed FAFSA, you aren't eligible for the TEACH grant.
From there, you will have to find out if your school participates in TEACH grants. If you're using TEACH grants as an integral part of your education funding, you will need to ensure your school participates before deciding which school to go to.
You can also get to make certain that you are taking part in a TEACH program at your school. While your school may take part in TEACH, if you aren't within the right major, you won't be eligible. You'll find all this information by getting in contact with your school's financial aid office.
They're even the ones who will provide you with the paperwork essential to apply for a grant. The forms includes required counseling about how exactly a TEACH grant will affect your financial future along with a service agreement which you must sign.
What Are High-Need Fields?
If you're going to operate in a high-need field, you'll presumably want to study it while you are at college. As the designation of high-need fields may change, for the moment you are able to work in among the qualifying fields:
- English as a Second Language (ESL)
- Foreign languages
- Mathematics
- Reading specialist
- Science
- Special Education
These would be the national needs, but different areas around the country may have shortages in other locations. You can aquire a full listing of high-need fields according to location here.
What Qualifies Like a Low-Income School?
While you can operate in traditional, public K-12 settings for that TEACH grant, years served at eligible educational agencies count, as well. To obtain a full list of areas which become qualified as low-income, check out the Teacher Cancellation Low-Income Directory.
Your work will also qualify if you're employed using the Bureau of Indian Education.
Should I Remove a TEACH Grant?
Grants have the freedom money. You should more often than not take free money when it comes to funding your college education.
But because TEACH grants include conditions, it's extremely vital that you be very sure that education is the industry for you personally. It's also important to be truthful with yourself regarding your willingness to relocate to some position that will meet TEACH grant requirements, regardless if you are considering constraints in your location or your field of expertise.
If you're certain that teaching is the right career path for you personally, though, and you have no problem relocating to find an eligible job, the TEACH grant could be a great way to knock off up to $16,000 off your tuition bill over the course of your studies.
This post was written by Brynne Conroy, the dog owner and creator of Femme Frugality–an award-nominated Women’s Finance site. She is also the author of The Feminist Financial Handbook, by which she tackles the concept of going to college for free with grants, scholarships, smart financial planning and zero student loans.