UMass Boston

Federal TEACH Grant (Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education)

• federally-funded program
• provides up to a maximum of $3,772 per year to students who are completing or who plan to complete coursework that is required to begin a career in teaching and agree to serve as a full-time, highly-qualified teacher in a high-need subject area in a designated low-income school for at least 4 years within 8 years of graduating 

Qualifications

• You must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
• You must be enrolled as an undergraduate, post-baccalaureate or graduate student.
• Your curriculum must be in preparation for teaching a high-need subject.
• You must agree to teach at a US Department of Education designated low income school.
• You must maintain a 3.25 grade point average.*
• You must score in the 75th percentile (or better) during your college admissions test.*

* These two qualifications do not apply to former full-time teachers returning for an additional teaching degree, current full-time teachers who are also grad students or retirees coming from a “high-need occupation”. Paraprofessionals, substitute teachers, school counselors, school adjustment counselors, school psychologists, etc. do not meet the full-time teacher requirement to apply for a TEACH Grant.

What are considered “high-need subjects”?

• US Dept. of Education determined teacher shortage area
• Bilingual Education and English Language Acquisition
• Foreign Language
• Mathematics
• Science
• Special Education

How to apply for a TEACH grant

To apply a TEACH grant, the first step is to file a FAFSA. Students will need to complete the UMass Boston TEACH Grant forms. Look for the appropriate ones labeled TEACH Grant Program for the appropriate academic year. TEACH Grant recipients must complete TEACH Grant entrance counseling and an agreement to serve online at studentaid.gov for each academic year they have been awarded a TEACH Grant.

Important Warning

If you do not maintain your financial requirements as listed above, and teach for 4 of the first 8 years after you graduate, your grant will be converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan. This means it must be repaid and you’ll be charged interest from the date you were awarded the original TEACH grant.