TEACH Grant FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• What happens if I change majors?
  If you change majors to an ineligible TEACH program, then you will not be able to continue to receive the grant; and, if you graduate and do not pursue the teaching requirements, then the grant is converted to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan.
• What happens if my GPA drops below a 3.25?
  If you qualify for this grant by GPA, and it drops below a 3.25, then you are ineligible for the grant until your GPA returns to the 3.25.
• Can I change my mind?
  Like all funds, we can send back the money up to 14 days after it disburses.  After that, you are responsible for communicating with the government your plans and they will work with you on repayment of funds. 
• What happens if my major is taken off the “list”?
  If this happens while you are in school, then you may need to change your major; if, however, this happens after you had already begun teaching, then you may continue and it will still count toward your years of service.
• What happens if I get moved to another school which doesn’t meet the criteria?
  If this happens, then you will need to either change subjects or request a different school.  If the school you begin in loses its Title I (low-income) standing, you are still eligible to continue working there and will continue to count toward your years of service. 
• When would I have to start making payments if it becomes a loan?
  Like all Stafford Loans, repayment would start 6 months after you graduate or fall below half time.
• Can the grant be denied if I’m close to my lifetime max on loans?
  No, this grant is not based on need and does not factor into your lifetime limit on loans. 
• How often do I have to apply/reapply?
  Each year you will need to indicate on your FAFSA that you are interested in teaching and complete the Agreement to Serve Application with the Federal Government.
• Can I get the grant for just one year?  How about one semester?
  This grant is $4000 per year and is pro-rated for less than full time and/or one semester. 
• What happens if I get the grant and then go to grad school?
  This grant will stay a grant and you will be expected to fulfill your teaching obligation once you complete graduate school. 
• I got the grant as an undergraduate student and started to teach. Now I want my masters degree. Can I get the TEACH grant as a grad student now?  What happens to the grants I got as an undergraduate student?
  The TEACH Grant would be the only federal grant you would be eligible for as a graduate student and the maximum is $4000 for two years as a graduate student.  While you are a graduate student your service obligation for the grants you received as an undergraduate will be suspended.  However, once you get your masters degree you will have to teach for another four years regardless of how many years you taught before getting your masters degree.  These four years of teaching will count towards your service obligation for the grants you received both as an undergraduate and as a graduate student (provided that you teach full time in a high-need field at a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves students from low-income families) and they must be completed within eight years of getting your masters degree.
• I’m doing my student teaching right now in a low income school in a high need field. Does that count towards my time in my agreement to serve?
  No, student teaching does not count toward the four years you are required to teach in order to fulfill your agreement with the federal government.
• If I complete a Bachelor and a Masters degree, do I have to do 8 years of service?
  No, if you continue from one right into the other, then it is 4 years total.