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Federal TEACH Grant Program

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Home / Arcadia University Admissions / Office of Financial Aid / Federal TEACH Grant Program

Arcadia participates in the federal TEACH Grant program, designed to benefit prospective teachers. To receive the maximum $4,000 annual award (reduced based on the federal amount stipulated in the Budget Control Act of 2011), students must be completing (or planning to complete) coursework necessary to begin a career in teaching.

Eligible Undergraduate Students

Incoming undergraduate students must:

  • Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen; and
  • Graduate from high school with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25; or
  • Score above the 75th percentile on the SAT or ACT.

Current undergraduate students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25. Second bachelor’s degree candidates are not eligible.

Eligible Graduate Students

Incoming graduate students must be enrolled in a master’s degree program (certificate-only and doctoral students are not eligible); be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen; and:

  • Have graduated from their undergraduate college with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25; or
  • Score above the 75th percentile on the GRE.

Current graduate students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25.

You must be committed to maintaining a 3.25 cumulative GPA throughout your academic program. Your GPA will be checked at the end of each semester for renewed TEACH eligibility.

Federal TEACH Grant Features

  • Undergraduate students can receive up to $4,000 per year ($16,000 total for a four-year program). 
  • Graduate students can receive up to $4,000 per year ($8,000 total).
  • The grant must be repaid as a Direct Unsubsidized Loan if you do not fulfill all of the program requirements. Interest will accrue from date(s) of original disbursement.
  • The annual award amount is pro-rated based on enrollment status; for example:
    • Full-time undergraduate award = $4,000
    • Three-quarter time (9-11 credits/semester) undergraduate award = $3,000
    • Half-time (6-8 credits/semester) undergraduate award= $2,000
    • Less than half-time undergraduate award = $1,000.

Apply for a TEACH Grant

  • Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (note: the grant is not based on financial need).
  • Complete your first online TEACH Grant counseling session. 
  • Sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve (ATS) and Promise to Pay each year for the U.S. Department of Education. The ATS 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.
    • Once you complete the ATS and initial counseling session, Arcadia will receive notification from the U.S. Department of Education. At this point, the Financial Aid Office will evaluate your academic and program eligibility for TEACH Grant funding.
  • Complete subsequent TEACH Grant counseling sessions annually for every disbursement of the grant.
  • Complete the exit TEACH Grant counseling session within 30 days of withdrawing or graduating from the program.
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Teaching Obligation

To avoid repaying the TEACH Grant as a loan with interest, you must perform as a “highly qualified”—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—full-time teacher in a high-need subject area for at least four years (within eight years of finishing the program at a school serving low-income students).

Highly Qualified

The term ‘‘highly qualified,” when used with respect to any public elementary school or secondary school teacher, means that:

  • the teacher has obtained full State certification as a teacher (including certification obtained through alternative routes to certification) or passed the State teacher licensing examination, and holds a license to teach in such State, except that when used with respect to any teacher teaching in a public charter school, the term means that the teacher meets the requirements set forth in the State’s public charter school law; and
  • the teacher has not had certification or licensure requirements waived on an emergency, temporary, or provisional basis.

Full-Time

You must meet the state’s definition of a full-time teacher and spend the majority (at least 51 percent) of your time teaching in one of the high-need subject areas. In order for teaching to count toward meeting the service obligation, the recipient must teach in a designated “high-need” field AND at a designated school.

These designations can change over time. Elementary school teachers who teach many subjects would not be able to fulfill their service agreement.

High-Need Subject Areas

These are subject 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.

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