The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant is a federal grant that pays up to $4,000 per academic year to students who agree to teach a high-need subject at a low-income school for at least four years within eight years of finishing their program.
The TEACH Grant is unusual: it is officially a grant, but if you do not complete the service obligation, the full amount you received plus interest from the original disbursement date converts into a Direct Unsubsidized Loan that you must repay. Take it only if you're serious about teaching in a high-need field.
TEACH Grant amounts and limits
- Up to $4,000 per academic year for undergraduates and post-baccalaureate students.
- Lifetime maximum of $16,000 as an undergraduate or post-baccalaureate student.
- Up to $8,000 lifetime for graduate students enrolled in a master's degree program.
- Awards are pro-rated for less-than-full-time enrollment.
- Subject to federal sequestration: awards in 2026–27 may be reduced by a small percentage from the $4,000 statutory maximum. Check current amounts at studentaid.gov/teach.
Who is eligible
To receive a TEACH Grant, you must:
- Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
- Be enrolled in a TEACH Grant–eligible program at a participating college. Programs typically prepare you to teach in a high-need field.
- Maintain at least a 3.25 GPA (or score above the 75th percentile on a college admissions test).
- File a FAFSA each year — but the TEACH Grant is not need-based, unlike Pell or FSEOG.
- Sign the TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve and Promise to Pay (ATS) each year you receive funds.
- Complete TEACH Grant counseling before each disbursement.
The service obligation
This is the critical part. To keep your TEACH Grant as a grant (not a loan), you must:
- Teach full time as a highly qualified teacher (as defined in the Higher Education Act).
- Teach in a high-need field.
- Teach at a school or educational service agency that serves low-income students (listed in the federal Teacher Cancellation Low Income Directory).
- Complete four full school years of teaching within eight years of finishing or otherwise ceasing enrollment in the program for which you received the grant.
- Certify your teaching service annually with the TEACH Grant servicer.
High-need fields recognized for TEACH
The U.S. Department of Education's federally recognized high-need fields include:
- Bilingual education and English language acquisition
- Foreign language
- Mathematics
- Reading specialist
- Science
- Special education
- Other fields documented as high-need by the federal government, your state, or a local educational agency, and listed in the Teacher Shortage Areas nationwide listing.
Your state's listed shortage area applies the year you begin teaching in that subject. Check the current Teacher Shortage Areas list before signing the ATS.
What happens if you don't complete the service
If you do not finish four years of qualifying teaching within eight years, your TEACH Grant converts to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan, retroactively. You will owe:
- The full amount of every TEACH Grant disbursement you received.
- Interest charged from the date each disbursement was made (not from the date of conversion).
Conversion is final in nearly all cases. The Department of Education has authority to reinstate the grant only in narrow situations (such as documented medical hardship). The Government Accountability Office reported in 2015 that approximately one-third of TEACH Grants had converted to loans, often because of missed annual certification deadlines rather than failure to teach.
This is why annual certification matters. Even one missed deadline can trigger conversion.
How to apply
- File the FAFSA at studentaid.gov and list schools with TEACH-eligible programs.
- Confirm your program is TEACH-eligible with your school's financial aid office. Not every teaching program qualifies.
- Verify you meet the GPA or test-score requirement (3.25 GPA or 75th percentile on an admissions test).
- Complete TEACH Grant counseling at studentaid.gov.
- Sign the Agreement to Serve and Promise to Pay for each year you receive funds.
- After you graduate, begin qualifying teaching and certify your service every year with your loan servicer.
Common questions
Can I receive both a Pell Grant and a TEACH Grant? Yes. The TEACH Grant is awarded on top of any Pell, FSEOG, or other aid you qualify for.
Does student-teaching count toward the four years? No. Only paid, full-time teaching after you complete the program counts.
What if I want to teach but not in a high-need field? The TEACH Grant only converts to a grant (not a loan) if you teach in a federally recognized high-need field at a qualifying low-income school. If you teach somewhere else, your grant converts to a loan. Consider standard need-based aid such as the Pell Grant and FSEOG if you're unsure.
What counts as "low-income school"? Schools listed in the Teacher Cancellation Low Income (TCLI) Directory, published annually by the Department of Education. Check before signing each Agreement to Serve.
Can I teach part time? No. The service obligation specifically requires full-time teaching.
I missed a certification deadline. Is my grant ruined? Contact the TEACH Grant servicer immediately. In limited cases — such as documented illness or technical issues — you may be able to file a late certification, but the safest practice is to certify within the annual window.
Are there scams targeting TEACH Grant applicants? Yes. The TEACH Grant, like all federal aid, is free to apply for through the FAFSA. Any company that charges a fee to "process your TEACH Grant," "guarantee approval," or "help you avoid loan conversion" is running a scam. Federal Student Aid never charges fees. Report scams to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov and to the Department of Education Office of Inspector General.
The TEACH Grant can be a genuine cost-saver for committed future teachers in high-need fields, but the conversion-to-loan risk is real and well documented. Read the Agreement to Serve carefully before signing.