TEACH Grants Review of New Requirements

Presented by:Michael C. Roberts

Training Officer, Atlanta Regional Office

AASFAA Fall ConferenceOctober 15, 2008

TEACH Grants

Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TEACH GRANT PROGRAM

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published March 21, 2008

30 Day Comment Period ended April 21, 2008

Final Regulations published June 23, 2008

TEACH Grant Summary Effective for the 2008-2009 award year. Agree to serve 4 years as a FT Teacher High-need field – Public or Private school Serve students from low income families Repaid as Direct Unsubsidized Loan if student does

not teach – For at least four years within eight years of completing

program, as a -

Highly Qualified Teacher At a Title I school In a specified subject area

TEACH Grants Subject Areas –

MathematicsBilingual education and English

language acquisitionForeign languageScienceReading specialistSpecial educationOther ‘high-need’ fields

Student Fulfills Service

Agreement

Maintaining Award

DLSSDisbursement Notification

CODAward and

Disbursement

ATSAgreement

to Serve

Student Application

Student Awareness

School EligibilityAnd

ParticipationOversight

TEACHGrants

NSLDS

Institutional Eligibility

(See DCL-08-07)

TEACH Grant - Eligible Institution

GEN 08-07(June) Optional Participation Documentation of Institutional Eligibility Update the E-App (www.eligcert.ed.gov) Wait on Approval Letter Contact Regional Office -School Participation Team

TEACH Grant - Eligible Institution

Institution may establish eligibility in any of four ways –1. The institution offers a high-quality teacher

preparation program at the baccalaureate or masters level that is either –

• Accredited by a specialized accrediting agency recognized for the accreditation of professional teacher education programs, such as TEAC or NCATE, or;

• Is approved by a state and provides extensive pre-service clinical experience.

TEACH Grant - Eligible Institution

2. Offers a baccalaureate degree that, in combination with other training or experience, will prepare a student to teach in a high-need field and

• Has an agreement with another institution that offers a teacher preparation program or a post-baccalaureate program that prepares students to teach.

TEACH Grant - Eligible Institution

3. The institution offers one or more two-year programs of study that are acceptable for full credit to either –

• A baccalaureate teacher preparation degree program at an institution with which it has an agreement, or:

• A baccalaureate degree program in a high-need field at a TEACH Grant-eligible institution with which it has an agreement.

TEACH Grant - Eligible Institution

4. Offers a post-baccalaureate program that will prepare a student to teach, but does not offer a baccalaureate in education.

Note: An institution that cannot be eligible using this method will be eligible based on method #1.

TEACH Grant Counseling Requirements

Annual

• Initial prior to disbursement• Subsequent Counseling

Exit Counseling

Student Eligibility

Teach Grant - Eligible Program Prepares an individual to teach as a highly

qualified teacher in a high need field and • Leads to a baccalaureate or masters degree

or Post baccalaureate Program of Study

TEACH Grant - Student EligibilityUndergrad, Post-Bacc and grad students

Submit completed application Sign an Agreement to Serve Enroll in a Teach Grant eligible program

and institution Complete coursework necessary to begin a

career in teaching, or Plans to complete coursework necessary to

begin a career in teaching.

TEACH Grant - Student Eligibility Undergrad, Post-Bacc and grad students

Cumulative GPA of at least 3.25o From high school for first year student or first

semester of collegeo From college for other students

• Or above the 75th percentile on one of the batteries of an admissions test, such as:

o SATo ACTo GRE

TEACH Grant – Student Eligibility Current / Former Teachers and Retirees:

Must have expertise in a high-need field and be pursuing a master’s degree

• Former Teachers must be pursuing a certification through a high-quality alternative certification route

• Alternative certification must be offered by an eligible institution of higher education

TEACH Grant – Student Eligibility Transfer Students

Score above the 75th Percentile

School Incorporates transfer• Use grades assigned for 1st and subsequent periods

School Does Not Incorporate grades• Must calculate gpa for 1st payment period• Must, for all subsequent payment periods, use its academic policy

TEACH Grant - Student Eligibility All Title IV student eligibility requirements

– Regular Student Citizen or Eligible Non-Citizen Not in Default Satisfactory Progress

FAFSA required Does not affect cohort default rate

FAFSA andAgreement To Serve (ATS)

Student Awareness

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TEACH Grant ProgramWeb site has been developed and is available at ww.teachgrant.ed.gov

Student Application 2008-2009

FAFSA is the TEACH Grant application

January 1, 2008 – Added TEACH Grant question to 2008-09 FAFSA on the Web

Response from student is “yes/no” answer

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Agreement to Serve

• Only submitted electronically via the Agreement To Serve Web site.

• Must be signed by the student before first disbursement for each award year.

• An ATS must be accepted on the COD System in order to allow actual disbursements to be accepted by COD.

• Same ATS may be used by multiple schools within the same award year.

Agreement To Serve

Schools will be able to search and view all ATS information via COD Web site

ATS will be required each year a student is scheduled to receive a new TEACH Grant• No Master ATS

ATS will be linked to Award ID for TEACH Grant

COD will acknowledge completion of ATS and notify school

TEACH Grant Processing

Full-time Annual Aggregate

First Undergraduate or Post-baccalaureate Degree

$4,000 $16,000

Graduate $4,000 $8,000

Three Quarters Half-timeLess than Half-time

$3,000 $2,000$1,000

If converted to loan –Does not count against annual or aggregate maximums. Interest accrued from date of grant disbursement.

TEACH GRANT – Scheduled Award

May not exceed Cost of Attendance

Teach Grants – Eligibility Determined each payment period

If the student becomes eligible within the payment period• May pay entire Teach Grant for that payment

period

If the student was paid but eligibility was later changed• May not pay for that period or adjust aid in

subsequent periods

Teach Grant – Eligibility

Make one Disbursement without• Final High school GPA• Cumulative GPA not available

School Assumes liability for overpayment

Teach Grant – Notification Notify student before disbursing

Student right to cancel

Return and/or cancel requests from students• 1st day of payment period or

14 days after notification

Teach Grant - Cancellation Requests after 14 days but within 120 days of

disbursement, school may cancel and or return the grant

If school does not cancel and/or return, student may notify Secretary - to request conversion of the direct Unsub Loan

Teach GrantsFrequency of Payments

Within Payment Periods• Installments that best meets the

student’s need

Prior Payment Periods• Lump sum for all prior periods of

eligibilityo Signed ATS must be on file

Reporting the Award

NSLDS will –

• Maintain history and reporting on TEACH Grants.

• Pass information to CPS for ISIR.

• Add TEACH Grant to Enrollment Reporting Rosters.

• Display TEACH Grants converted as Direct Unsubsidized Loan (TEACH).

Resources COD Technical Reference

2008-2009 Updates (Available Now)

2009-2010 Draft (Available July 2008)

Resources Electronic Announcements posted on IFAP

Web Site• 12/21/2007 - New TEACH Grant Program

Question Will Be Added to 2008-2009 FAFSA on the Web

• 02/05/2008 - New 2008-2009 SAR Comments for TEACH Grant Program

• 02/11/2008 - 2008-2009 ISIR Reprocessing on February 15, 2008 to Add TEACH Grant Comment Code 281

Resources Electronic Announcements posted on IFAP

Web Site• 03/07/2008 - Upcoming SAIG Message Class

File Update• 03/11/2008 - COD Common Record XML

Version 3.0a• 04/09/2008 - TEACH Grant Operational

Implementation Overview• 06/03/08 – DCL on Institutional Eligibility.

Contact me with any questions or assistance:

Region IV - Atlanta

Michael C. Robertsmichael.roberts@ed.gov

404-562-6261

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Supervisor of Training Officers Requests Feedback from FAAs Jo Ann Borel Supervisor of Training Officers United States Department of

Education/Federal Student Aid 202-377-3930 joann.borel@ed.gov

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Question and Answers