TEACH Grant

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

Queens College is one of several CUNY campuses participating in the Federal TEACH Grant Program. At all of these campuses, only those students matriculated in specific master’s degree programs in the School of Education will be eligible to apply for the TEACH Grant. The TEACH Grant Program provides grants of up to $4,000 a year to students who are completing or plan to complete course work needed to begin a career in teaching.

For more information on the TEACH grant and its eligibility guidelines, please review the Federal Student Aid site: https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/grants/teach

Federal & NYS Grants
TEACH Grant Eligibility

To be eligible for a TEACH Grant, you must do the following:

  • Meet the basic eligibility criteria for the federal student aid programs
  • Complete the FAFSA form
  • Enrolled as a graduate student in a TEACH-Grant-eligible program
  • Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 (on a 4.0 scale) on undergraduate coursework; OR Score above the 75th percentile on a college admissions test (e.g. SAT, ACT, or GRE). You will be required to provide documentation of your test scores in accordance with Graduate Admissions Office procedures.
  • Receive TEACH Grant counseling that explains the terms and conditions of the TEACH Grant service obligation. You must complete counseling each year that you receive a TEACH Grant.
  • As a condition for receiving a TEACH Grant, you must sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve in which you agree to (among other requirements) teach:
      • In a high-need field;
      • At an elementary school, secondary school, or educational service agency that serves students from low-income families; and
      • For at least four complete academic years within eight years after completing (or ceasing enrollment in) the course of study for which you received the grant.
  • As a continuing graduate student, you must have met the academic criteria for undergraduate coursework or test scores mentioned above. Continuing graduate students must have and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 on graduate degree coursework to receive an initial award. TEACH funds will not be disbursed if your GPA falls below a 3.25 during any subsequent semesters.

To be considered, potential candidates must apply specifically for the TEACH Grant, for the purpose of this grant, eligible master’s degree programs at Queens College fall into seven categories–defined by the federal government as “high-need fields”:

  • Mathematics education
  • Science education
  • Foreign language education
  • Bilingual education
  • Reading specialist/literacy teacher
  • TESOL
  • Special education

Schools that participate in the TEACH Grant Program determine which of the programs they offer are TEACH-Grant-eligible. A program that is TEACH-Grant-eligible at one school might not be TEACH-Grant-eligible at another school. Additionally, even if a program meets the eligibility requirements to be a TEACH-Grant-eligible program, it may not be designated as TEACH-Grant-eligible by the school. Contact the financial aid office at the school you are attending (or that you plan to attend) to find out which programs at that school are eligible.

List of High Need Subject Area Master’s Degree Programs at Queens College

  • Adolescent Languages (Spanish, French, Italian, Mandarin) MAT and MSED
  • Adolescent Math MAT and MSED
  • Adolescent Math & Bilingual Education MSED
  • Adolescent Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Earth, Physics) MAT and MSED
  • Adolescent Sciences & Bilingual Education MSED
  • Integrated Bilingual Early Childhood Education MSED
  • Literacy All Grades MSED
  • Special Education (Early Childhood, Childhood, Adolescent, All Grades) MSED
  • Special Education & Childhood Education MAT
  • Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) MSED

Click here for a list of eligible programs

Advanced certificate programs do not qualify for the TEACH Grant.

Note: If you do not meet the requirements of your service obligation, all TEACH Grants you received will be converted to Direct Unsubsidized Loans. You must repay these loans in full, with interest charged from the date of each TEACH Grant disbursement.

The TEACH grant application is now available for the 25-26 academic year. Please refer to the steps below on how to apply:

  1. Be sure to first review the above requirements in addition to confirming you are in an eligible TEACH grant program at Queens College.
  2. Complete the 25-26 FAFSA application
  3. Complete both the TEACH Grant counseling AND sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve
  4. Submit a TEACH Grant application: TEACH Grant Application 2025-2026 

TEACH Grant Application Deadlines

For students graduating at the end of the Fall 2025 semester, the application must be submitted by December 1st, 2025. 

If students are attending both Fall 2025 and Spring 2026, the application must be submitted by April 17th, 2026.

For questions about the TEACH Grant, email Nandy Sukhai: Nandy.Sukhai@qc.cuny.edu.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY