TEACH Grant

The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program is intended for students who plan to teach in a high-need field of a public or private elementary school that serves students from low-income families.

*Students whose TEACH grant disburses between October 1, 2023 and September 30, 2024 are eligible for $3772 based on the sequester reduction of 5.70%. For more information visit the Federal Student Aid website.

Important Note About the TEACH Grant Program:

Failure to complete a TEACH Grant eligible education degree program, complete the teaching obligation, respond to requests for information, or properly document your teaching service can cause the TEACH Grant to be permanently converted to an unsubsidized Federal Direct Student Loan with interest accruing from the date the TEACH Grant was first disbursed. It is estimated that only 20% of students who participate in the TEACH Grant Program will be able to use the funds as grants, while many students will see their funds converted to loans with accumulated interest. If you are a graduate of Kent State who had their grant turn into a loan due to missing a certification deadline, the U.S. Department of Education has finalized a process that provides an opportunity for certain TEACH Grant recipients whose TEACH Grants were converted to Direct Unsubsidized Loans to request a reconsideration of the conversion. Learn more about this reconsideration process.

On August 14, 2020, the U.S. Department of Education released regulations regarding the TEACH Grant reconsideration process, and include:

  • Expand the fields in which grant recipients can work to fulfill their service obligation
  • Simplify employment certification requirements
  • Require more information to be provided to recipients as part of entrance and exit counseling
  • Create conversion counseling to educate borrowers when their grants convert to loans
  • Provide processes to correct improper conversion of TEACH Grants to loans

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Amount of Grant

The TEACH Grant Program provides up to $3772 per year ($16,000 total for an undergraduate degree; $8,000 total for a graduate degree) in grant funds to full time students who plan to teach full time in high-need subject areas at schools serving students from low-income families. Students attending less than full time will have the grant reduced (three-quarter time students may receive up to $2829 per year; half-time students may receive up to $1886 per year, and less-than-half time students may receive up to $943 per year).

Please note: Receiving the TEACH Grant may reduce the recipient’s eligibility for other sources of financial aid if the TEACH Grant amount would exceed the student’s cost of attendance.

Teaching Obligation

TEACH Grant recipients must agree to teach for at least four full years within eight years of finishing their teacher preparation program, and to teach high-need subjects in designated schools that serve low-income students. If you do not complete the teaching obligation, your grants will convert to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan, which you must repay with interest from the time of disbursement.

High-Need Field

A TEACH Grant recipient is required to teach in a high-need field.  

  • Bilingual education and English language acquisition;
  • Foreign language;
  • Mathematics;
  • Reading specialist;
  • Science, and
  • Special education

Any other field that has been identified as high-need by the federal government, a state government, or a local education agency, and that is included in the national Teacher Shortage Area Nationwide Listing (Nationwide List).

If you plan to teach in a high-need field that is not included in the Nationwide List, that field must be listed for the state where you teach either at the time you begin your qualifying teaching service or at the time you received a TEACH Grant. 

Highly Qualified Teacher Requirement

You must perform the teaching service as a highly qualified teacher, which is defined by the U.S. Department of Education. 

Kent State University provides teacher preparation programs at the baccalaureate and master’s degree level that are approved by the State of Ohio, include a minimum of 10 weeks of full-time pre-service clinical experience, or its equivalent, and provides either pedagogical coursework or assistance in the provision of such coursework. In the State of Ohio, a minimum 12-week student teaching internship is required for initial license.

Full-Time Teacher

You must meet the state's definition of a full-time teacher and spend the majority (at least 51 percent) of your time teaching one of the high-need subject areas. Elementary teachers who teach many subjects may not be able to fulfill their service agreement.

Schools Serving Low-Income Students

Schools serving low-income students include any elementary or secondary school that is listed in the Department of Education’s Teacher Cancellation Low Income (TCLI) Directory. All elementary and secondary schools and educational service agencies operated by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) in the Department of the Interior or operated on Indian reservations by Indian Tribal groups under contract or grant with the BIE qualify as schools or education service agencies serving low-income students.

Service Agreement

Each year that you receive a TEACH Grant, you must sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to serve or repay (ATS) which is available electronically beginning 2021 on the U.S. Department of Education web site upon Kent State University’s confirmation of your enrollment in an eligible major. When you sign the service agreement, you are agreeing to repay the grant as a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Student Loan, with interest accrued from the date that the grant funds were disbursed, if you do not complete the teaching obligation. Once the grant has been converted to a loan, it cannot be converted back to a grant unless you qualify for the reconsideration process as outlined by the U.S. Department of Education.

Eligibility Criteria for Kent State University Students:

At Kent State University you must:

  • Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
  • Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
  • Incoming freshmen*: Have a cumulative high school GPA of at least 3.25 (on a 4.0 scale) and maintain a 3.25 cumulative KSU GPA to receive the TEACH Grant for each subsequent term, or score above the 75th percentile on one battery of the ACT or SAT
  • Incoming graduate students: Have a cumulative GPA from your undergraduate institution of at least 3.25 (on a 4.0 scale) and maintain a 3.25 cumulative KSU GPA to receive the TEACH Grant for each subsequent term, or score above the 75th percentile on one battery of the GRE
  • Incoming transfer students: Have a cumulative GPA (that includes grades for courses accepted for transfer from all previous attended institutions) of at least 3.25 (on a 4.0 scale) and maintain a 3.25 cumulative KSU GPA to receive the TEACH Grant for each subsequent term, or score above the 75th percentile on one battery of the ACT or SAT. Kent State University must have an official copy of your test score
  • Returning KSU students: Have a cumulative Kent State University GPA of at least 3.25 (on a 4.0 scale) and maintain a 3.25 cumulative KSU GPA to receive the TEACH Grant for each subsequent term, or score above the 75th percentile on one battery of the ACT or SAT
  • Be accepted into an eligible degree program** and major at Kent State. A TEACH Grant-eligible program is a program that is designed to prepare an individual to teach as a highly-qualified teacher in a high-need field and leads to a baccalaureate or master's degree.
  • Complete the TEACH Grant Counseling and sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to serve or repay (ATS) (see How to Apply section below)

*Due to the terms and conditions of the TEACH Grant and its potential of turning into a Direct Unsubsidized Loan, we do not offer the TEACH Grant to new freshman or sophomores who have not had the TEACH Grant previously.  Please contact the One Stop for Student Services if you are interested in having your eligibility evaluated for receiving the TEACH Grant.

Documentation

You must document your teaching service, and your documentation must be certified by the chief administrative officer at the school where you teach.

How to Apply

  • Complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
  • Be enrolled and taking coursework in an eligible major at Kent State University. A TEACH Grant-eligible program is a program that is designed to prepare an individual to teach as a highly-qualified teacher in a high-need field and leads to a baccalaureate or master's degree.
  • Students who aren't automatically awarded the TEACH Grant will be notified via their Kent State email address if potentially eligible. These students will be required to first complete the TEACH Entrance Counseling requirement online. Then students will receive an email with a DocuSign link where the request can be submitted. The Student Financial Aid Office will then review the requests and determine the student’s eligibility. It is up to the student to verify that their current or future teaching position falls in the high-need field.
    • Students who are not interested in the TEACH Grant may decline the TEACH Grant on FlashLine.
    • Students whose major is not listed above but wish to be reviewed for TEACH Grant eligibility must contact the One Stop for Student Services to self-identify.
  • Complete the TEACH Grant Initial and Subsequent Counseling and sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to serve or repay (ATS) at the Federal Student Aid website each year. It is recommended that students wait to complete the ATS until they have completed the Initial or Subsequent Counseling, and accepted the TEACH Grant award on FlashLine.
  • Please note: The ATS for the upcoming academic year will not be available for students to complete until early May. Please return to the Federal Student Aid website to complete your ATS in early May.

For more information about the TEACH Grant program at Kent State, contact the One Stop for Student Services through the Contact Us Form.