Transcript TEACH GRANT - USF College of Education

Federal Financial Aid
Welcome
Welcome to the online information session for the
TEACH grant. You will progress through the slides
and learn about the purpose of the grant, the
requirements for obtaining the grant, the limitations
of the grant, and how to apply. Upon completing the
orientation you will be given directions describing
what you must do to document your participation in
this online session.
We hope the presentation is helpful in informing
you and answering any questions you have.
What is the TEACH Grant?
 The Teacher Education Assistance for College and
Higher Education Grant Program, (or TEACH Grant
Program), is a federal financial aid program to assist
individuals who wish to pursue their degrees in a high
needs teacher education field, and to teach in that
field in a low income school.
 The program is non-needs based.
 It is a loan forgiveness program, provided you adhere
to the conditions and requirements of the loan.
What is the purpose of the
grant?
 The purpose of the grant is to enhance the availability
of highly qualified teachers to teach in critical
shortage subject areas in low income schools.
Will I be “highly qualified”
when I graduate from the
College of Education at USF?
 As a graduate of an educator preparation program in
the College of Education at the University of South
Florida, you will meet the requirements of a “Highly
Qualified Teacher” as defined in No Child Left Behind
(NCLB).
What is a critical shortage
subject area?
 These are subject areas that have been identified by
the U.S. Department of Education and the state
Departments of Education as having too few teachers
to meet the needs of the school districts.
 These subject areas are identified each year and are
published on the agency’s respective web sites. Later
in this session you will be given the URLs for those web
sites.
What is a low income school?
 A low income school is one that has been identified as
having students from low income families. These
families are those that have parents or guardians who
qualify for free or reduced lunch. The designation is
based on the household income.
 The U.S. Department of Education has a list of these
schools that is updated yearly. Later in this session
you will be given the URL for that web site.
What is the possibility of being
hired in high need, low income
schools?
 Historically the United States has had low income
schools. The definition could change, but
undoubtedly we will continue to have low income
schools.
 The need for teachers in teacher shortage subject areas
in low income schools fluctuates, but more than likely
positions will be available. There are no guarantees.
How much is the grant worth?
 The annual maximum TEACH Grant is worth $4,000
 Undergraduate students are eligible to receive a
maximum of $16,000 during their undergraduate
degree.
 Masters level students are eligible to receive a
maximum of $8,000 during their graduate degree.
 For part-time enrollment, the award will be prorated
based on the number of credit hours taken.
What are the federal academic
requirements of the grant?
 You must have a 3.25 overall grade point average to be
eligible for the loan.
What are USF requirements?
 You must have been admitted to the College of
Education in one of the critical shortage areas listed
later in this presentation.
 You must be making progress toward your degree to
become a teacher and/or complete an endorsement in
a subject area identified by the U.S. Department of
Education or the Florida Department of Education.
This means you must be taking courses to complete
your degree in your program of study in the College of
Education.
What must I do for loan
forgiveness on this grant?
 You must teach in a critical teacher shortage subject in
a low income school for a minimum of four years
within eight years of graduation.
What majors qualify for this grant?
 Currently, the following majors qualify for the grant.
(The disciplines are subject to change based on the
federal and state designations of critical needs
shortage areas.)
 Foreign Language Education
 B.S. Degree
 M.A.T. Degree
 Math Education
 B.S. Degree
 M.A.T. Degree
Continued on next slide
 Science Education
 B.S. Degree
 M.A.T. Degree
 Special Education
 B.S. Degree
 M.A.T. Degree
 Gifted Education
 M.A. Degree
 Reading Specialist
 M.A. Degree
How do I determine if a subject
area is a high need field?
 As stated earlier, high need fields are defined as
teacher shortage areas and are listed by the federal
government and/or the state in which you will be
teaching.
 The federal government website for teacher shortage
areas is:
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/pol/tsa.pdf
 The Florida government website for teacher shortage
areas is:
http://www.fldoe.org/evaluation/pdf/crit1200.pdf
What if I graduate from a high
need field and it later becomes a
field that is not high need?
 An amendment to the TEACH Grant states if a teacher
candidate is prepared in a state-listed shortage field
he/she is able to complete the service obligation in
that field regardless of whether the field remains on
the state shortage list.
How do I identify a low income
school?
 As stated earlier, the federal government publishes the
list of low income schools on its web site.
 Visit the web site and look up the name of the state or
the school district.
https://www.tcli.ed.gov/CBSWebApp/tcli/TCLIPubSc
hoolSearch.jsp
What happens if I do not fulfill
my service obligation?
 If you do not teach in a high need field in a low income
school for four years within eight years of graduation,
your loan will convert to an unsubsidized direct loan
with interest accruing from the date of the loan
disbursement.
How do I apply?
 Complete the Free Application for Federal Aid (FAFSA). Be
sure to include USF’s school code, 001537, in the section
that asks for which schools should receive your results.
 Attend a TEACH Grant Information Session, or view this
PowerPoint presentation if you are enrolled in an online
degree program.
 Complete the TEACH Grant Online Counseling session
each year you receive a TEACH Grant.
http://mappingyourfuture.org/oslc/counseling/index.cfm?
act=Intro&OslcTypeID=33
 Complete the Agreement to Serve (ATS) form each year you
receive a TEACH grant.
https://teach-ats.ed.gov
Need more information?
 Contact the USF Financial Aid Office or visit online
information at :
http://usfweb2.usf.edu/finaid/gift_aid/teach.html
You Are Almost Done!
 Congratulations! You have almost completed the
TEACH Grant Online Information Session.
 To complete the session, email Dr. Diane Briscoe at
[email protected] with the phrase ‘TEACH Grant
Online Orientation Session” in the subject line. In the
message portion, indicate you have completed the
Online Orientation Session and provide her with your
University Identification Number. Upon receipt of
your email, she will notify the Financial Aid Office
you have completed the session.