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The federal Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program was designed to benefit current and prospective teachers. The maximum TEACH Grant amount is up to $4,000 per academic year. Maximum aggregate awards are $16,000 for students working toward their first undergraduate or post-baccalaureate (nondegree) program, and $8,000 for graduate students. Recipients of this grant must sign an agreement to meet specific teaching requirements within eight years after completing the program for which the grant was received. If the teaching requirement is not fulfilled, the grant must be repaid as an unsubsidized Direct Stafford Loan.
Applicants must complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA on the Web (but not the paper FAFSA) includes a question that will assist colleges in identifying students who may be eligible for a TEACH Grant.
The TEACH Grant is effective beginning with the 2008-09 academic year. Details (including eligibility requirements, specifics regarding the agreement to serve/promise to pay, and academic requirements for the college the applicant attends) are provided on the TEACH Grant page at Student Aid on the Web. Check with your college to see if you qualify.
Receiving TEACH Grant and ISAC Teacher Program Funds in the Same Academic Year
Qualified applicants may receive funds from the TEACH Grant and one of ISAC's teacher programs (which include the Illinois Future Teacher Corps (IFTC), the Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship, and the Illinois Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver (SETTW) programs) during the same academic year, as long as total funds received from all financial aid does not exceed the applicant's cost of attendance (COA). In the event that an applicant qualifies for both the TEACH Grant and one of ISAC's teacher programs, and the receipt of both would cause the overall financial aid package to exceed the COA, the applicant would need to work with the college's financial aid office to determine how the award(s) would be reduced.
Students who accept funding from the TEACH Grant and any of ISAC's teacher programs (either during the same academic year, or in different years) should be aware of the teaching requirements associated with each program. While the rules for ISAC's programs do not prohibit concurrent teaching, it is the student's responsibility to communicate with ISAC and the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to verify if their particular teaching assignment will satisfy the requirements for each program.
A comparison chart provides a side-by-side view of the IFTC, MTI Scholarship, Illinois SETTW, and TEACH Grant programs.
Click here to access the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
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