Financial Aid
 
Federal TEACH Grant / Loan Information

Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant

This will become a Direct Unsubsidized Loan unless all forgiveness requirements are met.

The Department of Education’s TEACH Grant Program provides grant funds to postsecondary students who are completing or plan to complete coursework that is needed to begin a career in teaching, and who agree to serve for at least four years as a full-time, highly qualified teacher in a high-need field, in a school serving low-income students. Eligible full-time students may receive $4,000 per year in TEACH Grant funds, up to a maximum of $16,000 for undergraduate and post baccalaureate study, and $8,000 for graduate study.

If you receive a TEACH Grant but do not complete the required four years of teaching service within eight years after completing the coursework for which you received the grant, or if you otherwise do not meet the requirements of the TEACH Grant Program, all TEACH Grant funds that you received will be converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford/Ford Loan (Direct Unsubsidized Loan) that you must repay in full, with interest, to the Department. Once a TEACH Grant is converted to a loan, it cannot be converted back to a grant.

For more in depth information please access the Teach Fact Sheet 

High-Need Field
High-need fields are the specific areas identified below –
  • Bilingual Education and English Language Acquisition.
  • Foreign Language.
  • Mathematics.
  • Reading Specialist.
  • Science.
  • Special Education.

Other identified teacher shortage areas as of the time you begin teaching in that field. These are teacher subject shortage areas (not geographic areas) that are listed in the Department of Education’s Annual Teacher Shortage Area Nationwide Listing.

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 Annual Directory of Designated Low-Income Schools for Teacher Cancellation Benefits. To access the Directory, please go to the Teacher Cancellation Low Income Directory.

Application Check List

  • Be a U.S. Citizen or eligible non-citizen
     
  • Meet one of the following:
    • Score above the 75th percentile on a college Admissions test (ACT, SAT)
    • Graduate from high school or undergraduate studies with a cumulative GPA of 3.25 (on a 4.0 scale)
    • Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 (on a 4.0 scale) through the most recent payment period on your college coursework to continue to receive the grant for following semesters.
       
  • Complete the FAFSA ( Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
  • Declare a major associated with the teacher education program as defined in the Lee University catalog
Complete the Following Steps:

1. Complete an on-line Entrance Counseling which can be accessed at https://teach-ats.ed.gov/ats/studentHome.action
2. You will be notified by e-mail once your eligibility (See above: Meet one of the following) has been confirmed to proceed to Step 3
3. Sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve which can be accessed at https://teach-ats.ed.gov/ats/studentHome.action

Call if you have questions.

Laurie Hunt
Financial Aid Office
(423) 614-8321
 
Office:
(423) 614-8300
Fax:
(423) 614-8308
Toll Free:
1-800-533-9930
finaid@
leeuniversity.edu