The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program provides grants for graduate and undergraduate students. The TEACH grant is for students who intend to teach full-time in high-need subject areas for at least four years at schools that serve students from low-income families.

Students may receive up to $16,000 for undergraduate study and up to $8,000 for graduate study. Part-time students are eligible, but the maximum grant will be reduced, based upon the number of hours you are scheduled. The amount students are eligible for will be determined by the Financial Aid Office at the current rate provided by the Department of Education.

If you fail to complete the four-year teaching obligation, you will have to repay the grant with interest. You must be enrolled in one of the following majors at Lourdes University to receive the TEACH grant:

• B.S. Middle Childhood
• B.A. Adolescent to Young Adult
• B.A. Primary Education
• B.S. Intervention Specialist Education Program: K-12 Mild to Moderate
• B.A. Dual Elementary Education Program with Dual Licensure in Special Education Pre K-5
• Master of Education Special Education (M.Ed.)

Student Eligibility Requirements

To receive a TEACH Grant you must:

• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), although you do not have to demonstrate financial need.
• Meet the eligibility requirements for federal student aid.
• Be enrolled in a program of study designated by Lourdes as TEACH Grant-eligible. Eligible programs are those that prepare a student to teach in a high-need area. Students who are considered eligible for the TEACH Grant at Lourdes University must be enrolled in one of the eligible programs listed above.

Meet the following academic achievement requirements:

• Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 (on a 4.0 scale) on your college coursework to receive a grant for each subsequent term.
• If in the M.Ed. program, must have a 3.25 undergrad GPA or be a current or retired teacher. (must provide documentation)
• Accept the TEACH Grant on your award.  You can do this on your Web for Students account (link back to directions for accepting aid on Web for Students).
• Complete TEACH Grant Entrance Counseling
• Sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve (ATS), and you must respond to all requests by the U.S. Department of Education confirming your continuing intention to meet the teaching obligation. The ATS will be available to complete electronically from the Department of Education.
• When you leave school, or if you change programs you are required to complete TEACH exit counseling.

Teaching Obligation
You must be a highly-qualified, full-time teacher in a high-need subject area at a school serving low-income students for at least four years to avoid repaying the TEACH Grant (with interest). You must complete the four years of teaching within eight years of finishing the program for which you received the grant. You incur a four-year teaching obligation for each educational program for which you received TEACH Grant funds, although you may work off multiple four-year obligations simultaneously under certain circumstances. Specific definitions of these terms are included below.

Highly-Qualified Teacher
You must perform the teaching service as a highly-qualified teacher, which is defined in federal law. The definition of a highly-qualified teacher can be found on the Department of Education’s website.

Full-Time Teacher
You must meet the state’s definition of a full time teacher and spend the majority (at least 51 percent) of your time teaching one of the high-need subject areas. Elementary teachers who teach many subjects would not be able to fulfill their service agreement.

High-Need Subject Areas:

• Bilingual Education and English Language Acquisition
• Foreign Language
• Mathematics
• Reading Specialist
• Science
• Special Education
• Other identified teacher shortage areas as of the time you begin teaching in that field. These are teacher subject shortage areas (not geographic areas) that are listed in the Department of Education’s Annual Teacher Shortage Area Nationwide Listing.

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.

Documentation
You must respond promptly to any requests for information or documentation from the U.S. Department of Education, even if they seem repetitive. These requests will be sent to you while you are still in school as well as once you are out of school. You will be asked regularly to confirm that you still intend to teach or that you are teaching as required. You must provide documentation to the U.S. Department of Education at the end of each year of teaching.

If you temporarily cease enrollment in your program of study or if you encounter situations that affect your ability to begin or continue teaching, you will need to stay in touch with the U.S. Department of Education to avoid your grants being converted to loans before you are able to complete your teaching obligation.