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Applying for and Receiving a TEACH Grant
A TEACH Grant can help cover the cost of your graduate education, and you won't have to pay it back — as long as you meet the program's teaching requirement after you graduate. Here's what you need to know about qualifying and applying for the TEACH Grant, what's expected of you after graduation, and what happens if you stop meeting the service requirement.
Table of Contents
What Is a TEACH Grant?
The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program provides grant funds to help eligible students finance their graduate education.
In exchange, you agree to teach full-time for at least four years in a high-need field at a low-income elementary school, secondary school, or educational service agency (Defined here) after you leave Relay.
How Do I Apply for a TEACH Grant?
To apply, you'll need to complete four required forms:
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The Relay GSE TEACH Grant application, submitted through your student portal
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The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), completed every year — Relay's school code is 042086
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The TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve or Repay, submitted through studentaid.gov
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TEACH Grant Initial and Subsequent Counseling, also completed through studentaid.gov
For step-by-step instructions on each form, see Start Your TEACH Grant Application
How Much Is a TEACH Grant For?
The TEACH Grant is worth $2,000 annually for part-time students. Because of a federal sequester fee — currently 5.7% for TEACH Grants — the amount disbursed to you is estimated at $1,886 for the year. This fee is deducted by the federal government for operational costs; it doesn't go to Relay.
When you receive your funds depends on when you apply:
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Apply during the summer term: your grant is disbursed in three portions
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$628 in Summer
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$628 in Fall
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$629 in Spring.
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Apply during the fall term: your grant is disbursed in two equal portions
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$943 in Fall
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$943 in Spring
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Apply during the spring term: your grant is disbursed as one payment
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$1,886 in Spring
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Who Is Qualified to Apply for a TEACH Grant?
Program Requirements
To apply for a TEACH Grant, you must be:
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Enrolled in a Relay M.A.T. program
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Enrolled at least half-time (4 or more credits)
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A matriculated student
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Actively participating in and attending your courses
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In good standing with federal aid requirements — for example, you haven't defaulted on a prior student loan, and you don't exceed your subsidized/unsubsidized loan limits, your lifetime loan limits, or your cost of attendance per term
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Submitting all required documents for your request to be reviewed and approved
Field of Study Requirements
You must also be enrolled in a high-need teaching field, as identified by the U.S. Department of Education:
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Bilingual education and English language acquisition
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Foreign language
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Mathematics
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Reading specialist
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Science
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Special education
Additional high-need fields vary by state. See the high-need teaching fields for your state.
After Graduation
When you applied for your TEACH Grant, you signed the TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve or Repay, which explains the terms and conditions of receiving the grant. By signing, you agreed to those terms — including that if you don't fulfill the service obligation described in the Agreement, your TEACH Grant funds will be converted into a direct loan you must repay.
Once you leave Relay, you'll need to report your teaching service to confirm you're meeting that obligation:
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Submit your first report within 120 days of when you stop being enrolled at Relay.
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Submit additional reports annually after that.
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Include documentation of your service with each report, certified by the chief administrative officer of the school or educational service agency where you taught. FedLoan will provide you with the form you need. The certification must confirm that, during the school year:
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You were a highly qualified teacher
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You taught in a low-income school
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More than half of the classes you taught were in a high-need field
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You'll submit these reports to FedLoan, your TEACH Grant servicer. FedLoan will also provide you with the forms you need. Find contact info for your loan servicer here.
If You're Still Enrolled and Become Ineligible
If you become ineligible for the TEACH Grant in the middle of an academic year, you're still responsible for completing the service obligation tied to the funds you've already received. You will not receive any future disbursements.
If You Graduate and Don't Meet the Service Requirement
If you don't complete the required four years of full-time teaching in a high-need field at a low-income school after leaving Relay, your TEACH Grant will be converted into a direct loan — and that conversion can't be reversed. You'll be responsible for repaying the federal government the full grant amount, plus all interest that would have accrued since the funds were disbursed.
Students who applied for a TEACH Grant were required to read and sign the TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve or Repay which explains the terms and conditions for receiving a TEACH Grant.
By signing the Agreement, you agreed to these terms and conditions and acknowledged that if you did not fulfill the service obligation described in the Agreement
If you believe your grant was converted to a loan in error, you can dispute it by contacting FedLoan. Find contact info for your loan servicer here.
If the issue isn't resolved, you can also contact the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman, a neutral, confidential resource for resolving federal student aid disputes.
