TEACH Grant

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.

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.