Federal Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) program

The TEACH Grant is a federal program that encourages students in selected education areas to teach in low-income schools. This is a significant program for students eligible and willing to commit to the service requirement attached to it. The program allows awards of $4,000 per academic year for full-time study for up to four years of undergraduate and two years of graduate-level education. Proportionate awards are available to part-time students. Students may receive up to $16,000 for undergraduate study and up to $8,000 for graduate study and post-baccalaureate teacher certification coursework. Eligibility for TEACH is not based on family income or financial need.

Eligibility requirements

• Must be enrolled in a teaching program designated as a high-need field at SUNY Oswego. In addition to these fields, there is a state-by-state list. If you want to be considered eligible based on a field from the state-by-state list, you will need to document your career goal and how your current program will help you attain that goal to the Financial Aid Office.

• As an entering freshman, have scored above the 75th percentile on a college admissions test (SAT, ACT or GRE) 
  or 
  Graduated from high school with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 on a 4.0 scale or an 88 on a 100 scale. In this case you will need to maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 (on a 4.0 scale) on college coursework to receive a grant for each subsequent semester.

• Current students who did not meet the criteria listed above at the time of entering college must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 to qualify. You must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 each subsequent semester.

AGREEMENT TO SERVE AND PROMISE TO PAY

Each year a TEACH Grant is received, a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve and Promise to Pay must be signed. Within eight years of graduation from a degree program (or any other separation from the college) you must teach for four academic years in a low-income school in one of the above-listed high-need fields as a highly qualified full-time teacher. If you are unwilling or unable to meet the service commitment after graduation, or if you withdraw from the college without completing the education degree, the TEACH grant will revert to an unsubsidized Federal Direct Stafford Loan (student loan) with retroactive interest. This can result in a substantial loan obligation when years of accrued interest are added to the original loan amount.

FULL-TIME TEACHER

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

DOCUMENTATION

You must respond promptly to any requests for information or documentation from the U.S. Department of Education, even if they seem repetitive. These requests will be sent while in school as well as once you are out of school. You will be asked regularly to confirm that you either still intend to teach or that you are teaching as required. You must provide documentation to the U.S. Department of Education at the end of each year of teaching.

If you temporarily cease enrollment in their program of study or if you encounter situations that affect your ability to begin or continue teaching, you will need to stay in touch with the U.S. Department of Education to avoid grants being converted to loans before you are able to complete their teaching obligation.

To apply

• Completea FAFSA each year.
• Complete a TEACH Grant application 
• Complete TEACH Grant Counseling Requirements
• Sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve

New York State Math and Science Teaching Incentive Scholarships (STEM)

New York State Math and Science Teaching Incentive Scholarships are offered to students pursuing careers as secondary math and science teachers. This program provides awards to students attending school at the undergraduate and/or graduate degree level in exchange for five years of full-time employment as secondary education math or science teachers.

Recipients receive an annual award for full-time study equal to the annual tuition charged to NYS resident students attending a SUNY undergraduate program, or actual tuition charged, whichever is less. The maximum annual award for the 2014-15 academic year is $6,195.00. New applicants will be ranked by GPA and total credits earned. If there are more applicants than available funding, awards will be paid according to rank.

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible, students must

• be U.S. citizens, or eligible non-citizens attending a college in New York State
• be matriculated into an approved undergraduate or graduate program leading to a career as a secondary education math or science teacher.
• have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher, and do the following:
  • execute a Service Contract in which you agree to work for five years as a secondary school math or science teacher. View the terms and conditions of the Service Contract.
  • not have a service obligation under another program. You may not hold the Federal TEACH Grant and a NYS Math and Science Teacher Incentive Program award at the same time.
  • Not be in default on a federally guaranteed student loan.

DURATION

You will be entitled to an annual award for not more than four academic years of full-time undergraduate study and one academic year of full-time graduate study while matriculating in an approved program leading to permanent certification as a secondary education teacher in mathematics or science.

APPLY

Applications for the next series will be available in January 2016.

• Current NYS residents must complete the FAFSA and apply for the NYS Tuition Assistance Program (TAP).
• Applicants who are not residents of NYS may contact the HESC Scholarship Unit at 1-888-697-4372 to request a Scholarship and Grant Payment Application.
• You are not required to submit another NYS Math and Science Teaching Incentive Scholarship Program Supplement once you have been awarded this scholarship, but you must apply for payment each year.

DISBURSEMENT

Awards will be paid directly to the schools on behalf of students upon the successful completion of each academic year. Successful completion of an academic year means the applicant must:

• Have been in full-time attendance (with a minimum of 12 credits per semester, which applies to both undergraduate and graduate students).
• Have earned at least 27 credit hours or the equivalent during the academic year in a course of study leading to a secondary education degree in the fields of math or science.
• Have a minimum GPA of 2.5 for the academic year.
• Have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher for all academic years of undergraduate and graduate study.

Applicants may attend less than full time during their last undergraduate term if less than a full-time course load is necessary to complete their degree.