Financial Aid

The Federal TEACH Grant Program

The federal government has implemented a new program to encourage more participation in specific teaching fields in low income schools.  For additional information visit Student Aid on the Web.

 Teaching Obligation

Recipients must teach full-time for at least four years within eight years of completing their program; teaching service must be in a high-need field in a low-income school.

 High-Need Subject Areas:

- Bilingual education and English language acquisition
- Foreign language
- Mathematics
- Reading Specialist
- Science
- Special Education

Identifying Low-Income Schools:
See the U.S. Department of Education’s Annual Directory of Designated Low-Income Schools for Teacher Cancellation Benefits.

Documentation to the US Department of Education
You will need to confirm within 120 days of completing or ceasing to enroll in your teacher preparation program that you are fulfilling (or plan to fulfill) the terms and conditions of your service agreement.  You must document your teaching service, and your documentation must be certified by the chief administrative officer at the school where you teach. If you are unable to meet these requirements, you may be able to suspend or defer your grant by contacting the US Department of Education.

Amount of Grant

The TEACH Grant Program provides up to $4,000 per year  (undergraduate total of $16,000 and graduate total of $8,000).   Students attending less than full time will have the grant reduced (three-quarter time students may receive up to $3000; half-time students may receive up to $2000, and less-than-half time students may receive up to $1000).

*Note that financial aid resources must not exceed the cost of attendance, so receiving a TEACH Grant may reduce the recipient’s eligibility for other sources of financial aid.

Eligibility

At Grand Valley State University you must be enrolled in an eligible major/program. Students who are declared as such are sent application information prior to each semester.

*If you do not have a 3.25 cumulative GPA or higher you can provide proof of a score higher than the 75th percentile on a subscore of a college entrance exam to the Financial Aid Office. 

GVSU Eligible Programs

Elementary Teaching Majors:

• Mathematics (elementary concentration)
• Integrated Science

Elementary certified teachers can teach all subjects, grades K-5 or Major subject areas, grades 6-8.  In order to fulfill the TEACH Grant service agreement, teachers would need to teach in the major subject at least 51% of the time.

Secondary Teaching Majors:
Secondary certification allows the candidate to teach in these major subject areas, grades 6-12.

• Classics
• French
• German
• Latin
• Spanish
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Earth Science
• Mathematics
• Physics
• Computer Science 

*All areas must have a secondary education emphasis.

• Psychology-Special Education emphasis

Master's Degrees:
M.Ed. in Instruction and Curriculum: Advanced Content Specialization; concentration in:

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Mathematics
• Physics

M.Ed. in Special Education, concentration in:

• Emotional Impairment
• Learning Disabilities
• Early Childhood Developmental Delay Program
• Cognitive Impairment

M.Ed in Literacy Studies, concentration in:

• Reading and Language Arts
• Teaching English to Seakers of Other Languages (TESOL) 
  

Counseling and Service Agreement

Students are required to complete counseling and an Agreement to Serve each year the grant is received. You will also be required to complete Exit Counseling when you graduate, leave school or are no longer in an eligible major/program.

Additional questions?  If you are unsure if you qualify for the TEACH Grant contact our office at  finaid@gvsu.edu or 616-331-3234/800-748-0246.