The U.S. Department of Education’s Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant program provides grants of up to $4,000 a year to students who are completing or plan to complete coursework needed to begin a career in teaching.

As a condition for receiving a TEACH Grant, you must sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve or Repay in which you agree to (among other requirements) teach:

  • in a high-need field
  • as a highly qualified teacher
  • at an elementary school, secondary school, or educational service agency that serves students from low-income families
  • for at least 4 complete academic years within 8 years after completing (or ceasing enrollment in) the course of study for which you received the grant.

Eligibility

To receive a TEACH Grant, students must meet all of the following requirements:

  • Meet the basic eligibility criteria for the federal student aid programs.
  • Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year the student plans to use TEACH funds.
  • Be enrolled as an undergraduate student pursuing their first bachelor's degree or as a graduate student at Buffalo State.
    - Students completing a second bachelor's degree or in a post-baccalaureate program are not eligible.
  • Be enrolled in a TEACH-Grant-eligible program.
  • Meet certain academic achievement requirements (generally, scoring above the 75th percentile on one or more portions of a college admissions test or maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25).
  • Complete TEACH Grant Counseling that explains the terms and conditions of the TEACH Grant service obligation. You must complete counseling each year that you receive a TEACH Grant.
  • Sign a TEACH Grant Agreement To Serve or Repay. You must complete a new ATS each year that you receive a TEACH Grant.

Annual and Lifetime Limits

Maximum TEACH awards depend on enrollment status enrollment status. Be advised that the amounts will be reduced for sequestration:

  • For grants first disbursed on or after October 1, 2020, and before Oct. 1, 2026, the award amount must be reduced by 5.7% from the award amount for which a recipient would otherwise have been eligible. For example, the maximum award of $4,000 is reduced by $228, resulting in a maximum award amount of $3,772.

Annual TEACH Grant Limits (Without Sequestration)

Enrollment Status 

1 Semester

2 Semesters

Full Time (12+ Credit hours)

$2,000

$4,000

Three-Quarter Time (9-11 cr.)

$1,500

$3,000

Halt Time (6-8 cr.)

$1,000

$2,000

Less than half-time (1-5 cr.)

$500

$1,000

 

Lifetime TEACH Grant Limits

Student Level

Limit

Undergraduate (1st bachelor's degree) $16,000
Graduate $8,000

Eligible Degrees and Majors

The following degree/major combinations are TEACH-eligible.

Degree

Degree Description

B.A. Bachelor of Arts
B.F.A. Bachelor of Fine Arts
B.S. Bachelor of Science
BS.ED. Bachelor of Science in Education
M.M. Master of Music
M.P.S. Master of Professional Studies
M.S. Master of Science
MS.ED. Master of Science in Education
MUS.B. Music Bachelor

 

Major Code

Major Description

AED Art Education K-12
BIE Bilingual Inclusive Education
BIO Biology
CED* Childhood Education *with Spanish Concentration Only
CEI Childhood Education Initial Teacher Certification (for TESOL Only)
CEN Childhood Education and English
CFR Childhood Education and French
CIT Childhood Education and Italian
CMT Childhood Education and Mathematics
CSH Childhood Education and Spanish
CTE Career & Technical Education
CUR Curriculum & Instruction
ENS English 7-12
EXC Special Education: Early Childhood
EXI SWD (All Grades) Initial Certification
EXM SWD (All Grades)
EXS Students with Disabilities (SWD) Generalist 7-12
FCS Family and Consumer Science Education
IBI SWD IC w/ BIO 5-9, 7-12 EXT
ICH SWD IC w/ CHE 5-9, 7-12 EXT
IEN SWD IC w/ ENG 5-9, 7-12 EXT
IES SWD IC w/ ESC 5-9, 7-12 EXT
IFE SWD IC w/ FRE 5-9, 7-12 EXT
IGE SWD IC w/ GER 5-9, 7-12 EXT
IGR SWD IC w/ GRK 5-9, 7-12 EXT
IHB SWD IC w/ HBW 5-9, 7-12 EXT
IIT SWD IC w/ ITA 5-9, 7-12 EXT
IJA SWD IC w/ JAP 5-9, 7-12 EXT
ILA SWD IC w/ LAT 5-9, 7-12 EXT
IMA SWD IC w/ MAT 5-9, 7-12 EXT
IMN SWD IC w/ MAN 5-9, 7-12 EXT
IPH SWD IC w/ PHY 5-9, 7-12 EXT
ISP SWD IC w/ SPA 5-9, 7-12 EXT
ISS SWD IC w/ SST 5-9, 7-12 EXT
IUR SWD IC w/ URD 5-9, 7-12 EXT
LBT Literacy Specialist, Birth-Grade 12
MBI SWD with BIO 7-12 EXT
MCH SWD with CHE 7-12 EXT
MED Music Education
MEN SWD with ENG 7-12 EXT
MES SWD with ESC 7-12 EXT
MFE SWD with FRE 7-12 EXT
MGE SWD with GER 7-12 EXT
MGR SWD with GRK 7-12 EXT
MHB SWD with HBW 7-12 EXT
MIT SWD with ITA 7-12 EXT
MJA SWD with JAP 7-12 EXT
MLT SWD with LAT 7-12 EXT
MMA SWD with MAT 7-12 EXT
MMN SWD with MAN 7-12 EXT
MPH SWD with PHY 7-12 EXT
MSP SWD with SPA 7-12 EXT
MSS SWD with SST 7-12 EXT
MTS Mathematics 7-12
MTX Mathematics 5-12
MUE Music Education
MUR SWD with URD 7-12 EXT
MUS Music
PHS Physics Education 7-12
SBI Science Education: Biology 7-12
SCE Special Education & Childhood Education
SCH Science Education: Chemistry 7-12
SEA Science Education: Earth Science 7-12
SPH Science Education: Physics 7-12
SPN Spanish
SSS Social Studies 7-12
SSX Social Studies Education 5-12
TED Technology Education 
XBI SWD Gen 7-12 & 7-12 Biology
XCE Special Education: Childhood Education
XCH SWD Gen 7-12 & 7-12 Chemistry
XEN SWD Gen 7-12 & 7-12 English Language Arts
XES SWD Gen 7-12 & 7-12 Earth Science
XFR SWD Gen 7-12 & 7-12 French
XGR SWD Gen 7-12 & 7-12 Greek
XHE SWD Gen 7-12 & 7-12 Hebrew
XIT SWD Gen 7-12 & 7-12 Italian
XJA SWD Gen 7-12 & 7-12 Japanese
XLA SWD Gen 7-12 & 7-12 Latin
XMA SWD Gen 7-12 & 7-12 Mandarin
XMT SWD Gen 7-12 & 7-12 Mathematics
XPH SWD Gen 7-12 & 7-12 Physics
XSO SWD Gen 7-12 & 7-12 Social Studies
XSP SWD Gen 7-12 & 7-12 Spanish
XUR SWD Gen 7-12 & 7-12 Urdu

TEACH Exit Counseling

Students that received funds through the U.S. Department of Education’s Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program are required to complete the TEACH exit counseling. 

Since TEACH Grants convert to loans if the service requirement is not completed, all TEACH recipients must complete the TEACH Grant exit counseling. Select SUNY Buffalo State University (00284200) from the schools list when completing.

The TEACH Grant Exit Counseling is required when any of the following conditions are met:

  • The TEACH Grant recipient graduates.
  • The TEACH Grant recipient ceases attendance at Buffalo State, even if the student transfers to another school.
  • The TEACH Grant recipient changes majors into an ineligible TEACH program.

Students will be notified in writing when the TEACH Grant Exit Counseling is required.

The TEACH Grant Exit Counseling will walk the student through the following:

  • TEACH Grant Service Obligation
  • The student's specific TEACH Grant amounts
  • Key Definitions
  • Documenting Your TEACH Grant Service Obligation
  • Service Obligation and Multiple Programs of Study
  • Service Obligation Examples
  • Annual Notice About Your Service Obligation
  • Temporary Suspension
  • Discharge of Your Service Obligation
  • Conversion to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan
  • Consequences of Grant Conversion
  • Reconversion of Loan to Grant
  • How Interest Accrues on Grants Converted to Loans

Consequences of Not Fulfilling the Service Obligation

If you do not complete your service obligation, all TEACH Grant funds you received will be converted into a Direct Unsubsidized Loan. You must then repay this loan to the U.S. Department of Education, with interest charged from the date the TEACH Grant was disbursed (issues to Buffalo State). If you receive a TEACH Grant for an undergraduate program and later return to school and receive another TEACH Grant for a graduate program, you will have a separate 4-year service obligation for each program.