Federal TEACH Grant 

1. The Federal Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program is a new federal student aid program available to many education majors at SUNY Oswego beginning in 2008-2009.
   
   Program Description:  The TEACH Grant is a federal program designed to encourage students in certain education areas to teach in low-income schools.  This is a significant program for students who are eligible to receive it and are willing to commit to the service requirement attached to it.
   
   In order to receive the grant students will first be required to sign a Service Agreement, promising to teach in a high-need field at a low-income school after graduation from college.  If the grant recipient does not complete this service commitment, the grant reverts to an unsubsidized Stafford loan with retroactive interest.  there are also academic requirements, including maintenance of a minimum 3.25 cumulative GPA to continue receiving the grant.
   
   Award Amount:  The program allows for awards of $4,000 per academic year for full-time study for up to four years of undergraduate and two years of graduate level higher education.  Proportionate awards are available to half-time and three-quarter time students.  Students may receive up to $16,000 for undergraduate study and up to $8,000 for graduate study and post-baccalaureate teacher certification coursework.
   
   Eligibility Requirments
   
   To receive a TEACH Grant you must:
   Complete the 2008-2009 Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Be sure to list Oswego State as one of the colleges   authorized to receive the information. Oswego's code is 002848.
       
   Meet eligibility requirements to receive federal student aid
   
   Be enrolled in a program of study designated as TEACH Grant-eligible.  Eligible programs are those that prepare a student to teach in a high-need field.  For example, a bachelor's program with a math major could qualify for a student who intends to be a math
   teacher.
   
    Meet one of the following academic achievement requirements:
   
                  Score above the 75th percentile on a college admissions test (e.g. SAT, ACT, GRE) or
   
                  Graduate from high school with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 (on a 4.0 scale) to receive a grant as a freshman or
   
                  If a continuing student, have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25(on a 4.0 scale) on college coursework to receive a                            grant for each subsequent term
   
                  Complete TEACH Grant counseling requirements
   
                  Sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve and respond to requests by the U.S. Department of Education confirming a
                  continuing intention to meet the teaching obligation.
   
   Financial Need Not Required:  Eligibility for TEACH is not based on family income or financial need.  However, a student must complete a FAFSA application each year to receive TEACH.  The FAFSA is required in order for the college and the U.S. Department of Education to determine citizenship status and other basic eligibility requirements, and to establish a student record as a basis for payment of the awards.
   
   Enrollment Status and Approved Programs:  The student must be enrolled in an Education Degree Program at SUNY Oswego that leads to a teaching career in an identified "high need" field.  The identified "high need" teaching specialties as of this writing are:  mathematics, science, foreigh language, bilingual education, special education and reading specialist.
   
   TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve and Promise to Pay:  Each year a TEACH Grant is received, a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve and Promise to to Pay (service agreement) must be signed. This will be available electronically on a Department of Education Web site.  The TEACH Grant service agreement specifies the conditions under which the grant will be awarded, the teaching service requirements, and includes an acknowledgment that the student understands that if they do not meet the teaching service requirements, they must repay the grant as a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, with interest accrued from the date the grant funds were first disbursed.
   
   Service Commitment:  Within eight years of graduation from a degree program (or any other separation from the College, the student must teach for four academic years in a low-income school in one of the above-listed "high need" fields as a "highly-qualified full-time teacher".
   
   A list of "low-income" schools is available at the U.S. Department of Education Low-Income Schools Search.
   
   Failure to Meet Service Commitment:  If the student is unwilling or unable to meet the service commitment after graduation, or if the student withdraws from the College without completing the education degree, the TEACH grant will revert to an unsubsidized Federal Direct Stafford Loan (student loan) with retroactive interest.  This can result in a substantial loan obligation when years of accrued interest are added to the original loan amount, so the TEACH grant is a commitment that should be carefully considered in advance.  Please consider this very seriouwly prior to agreeing to receiving this grant!
   
   Highly-Qualified Teacher:  The student must perform the teaching service as a highly-qualified teacher, which is defined in federal law.  The information sheet can be found on-line.
   
   Full-Time Teacher:  The student must meet the state's definition of a full-time teacher and spend the majority (at least 51%)of their time teaching one of the high-need subject areas.  Elementary teachers who teach multiple subject areas would likely not be able to fulfill their service agreement.
   
   Documentation:  The student 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 the student while in school as well as once they are out of school.  They will be asked regularly to confirm that they either still intend to teach or that they are teacing as required.  They must provide documentation to the U.S. Department of Education at the end of each year of teaching.
   
   If the student temporarily ceases enrollment in their proram of study or if they encounter situations that affect their ability to begin or continue teaching, they will need to stay in touch with the U.S. Department of Education to avoid their grants being converted to loans before they are able to complete their teaching obligation.
   
   Latest Updates and Information:  Rules and interpretations of the regulations related to this program are not final.  We will provide more extensive information as it is available.
   
   Amount:
   This grant will provide up to $4,000 per academic year.
   
   Disbursement:
   By semester. May be used as a deferment if paperwork  is complete.
   
   How To Apply:
   File a Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Be sure to list Oswego State as one of the colleges authorized to receive the information. Oswego's code is 002848.