TEACH Program

Eligibility | Annual & Lifetime Limits | Eligible Majors & Degrees | Consequences | More Information

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 course work needed to begin a career in teaching.

As a condition for receiving a TEACH Grant, you must sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve 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 four (4) complete academic years within eight (8) years after completing (or ceasing enrollment in) the course of study for which you received the grant.

Who Can Receive a TEACH Grant?

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 in 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 (ATS). You must complete a new ATS each year that you receive a TEACH Grant.

How Much Can I Receive in TEACH Funds?

Below illustrates the maximum TEACH awards per year by enrollment status. Be advised that the amounts will be reduced for sequestation:

For grants first disbursed on or after October 1, 2016, and before Oct. 1, 2017, the award amount must be reduced by 6.9 percent from the award amount for which a recipient would otherwise have been eligible. For example, the maximum award of $4,000 is reduced by $276, resulting in a maximum award amount of $3,724.
For grants first disbursed on or after Oct. 1, 2017, and before Oct. 1, 2018, the award amount must be reduced by 6.6 percent from the award amount for which a recipient would otherwise have been eligible. For example, the maximum award of $4,000 is reduced by $264, resulting in a maximum award amount of $3,736.

ANNUAL TEACH GRANT LIMITS
	Without Sequestration
Enrollment Status	Per Semester	2 Semesters
Full-Time (12+ credits)	$2,000	$4,000
Three-Quarter Time (9-11 cr)	$1,500	$3,000
Half-Time (6-8 cr)	$1,000	$2,000
Less than half-time (1-5 cr)	$500	$1,000

Lifetime TEACH Limits
Student Level	Limit
Undergraduate (1st bachelor's)	$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.P.S.	Master of Professional Studies
MS.ED.	Master of Science in Education
MUS.B.	Music Bachelor

Major Code	Major Description
AED	Art Education K-12
BGS	Biology 7-12, Gen Sci 7-12
BGX	Biology 5-12, Gen Sci 7-12
BIO	Biology (concentration must be in AQB, BIT, or INB)
BIS	Biology 7-12
BXE	Teaching Bilingual Exceptional
CEI	Childhood Education Initial Teacher Certification (for TESOL)
CFR	Childhood Education and French
CGS	Chemistry 7-12, Gen Sci 7-12
CGX	Chemistry 5-12, Gen Sci 7-12
CHE	Chemistry (concentration must be in BIC or CHE)
CHS	Chemistry 7-12
CIT	Childhood Education and Italia
CMT	Childhood Education and Mathem
CSH	Childhood Education and Spanis
CTE	Career & Technical Education
EAS	Earth Science (concentration must be in ARS, EAS, EES, or GEO)
EGS	Earth Scien 7-12, Gen Sci 7-12
EGX	Earth Scien 5-12, Gen Sci 7-12
EMA	Elementary Educ PreK-6 and Math
ENS	English 7-12
ERS	Earth Science 7-12
ERX	Earth Science 5-12
EXA	Elementary Educ PreK-6 and Math
EXC	Special Education: Early Child
EXD	Exceptional Education
EXE	Teachers of Exceptional Educ
EXS	Students w/ Disabilities Generalist 7-12
FCS	Family and Consumer
FRS	French 7-12
GEO	Geology
LBT	Literacy Specialist, Birth-12
LTB	Literacy Specialist, Birth-6
LTS	Literacy Specialist, 5-12
MED	Mathematics
MTS	Mathematics 7-12
MTX	Mathematics 5-12
MUE	Music Education
PGS	Physics 7-12, Gen Sci 7-12
PGX	Physics 5-12, Gen Sci 7-12
PHA	Physics Education 7-12, Altern
PHS	Physics Education 7-12
PHY	Physics (BA or BS)
SBI	Science Education: Biology 7-12
SCH	Science Education: Chemisty 7-12
SEA	Science Education: Earth Science 7-12
SPH	Science Education: Physics 7-12
SPS	Spanish 7-12
TED	Technology Education
XBI	Students w/ Disabilities Generalist 7-12 and 7-12 Biology
XCE	Special Education: Childhood E
XCH	Students w/ Disabilities Generalist 7-12 and 7-12 Chemistry
XED	Exception Education
XEN	Students w/ Disabilities Generalist 7-12 and 7-12 English Language Arts
XES	Students w/ Disabilities Generalist 7-12 and 7-12 Earth Sci
XFR	Students w/ Disabilities Generalist 7-12 and 7-12 French
XGE	Students w/ Disabilities Generalist 7-12 and 7-12 German
XGR	Students w/ Disabilities Generalist 7-12 and 7-12 Greek
XHE	Students w/ Disabilities Generalist 7-12 and 7-12 Hebrew
XIT	Students w/ Disabilities Generalist 7-12 and 7-12 Italian
XJA	Students w/ Disabilities Generalist 7-12 and 7-12 Japanese
XLA	Students w/ Disabilities Generalist 7-12 and 7-12 Latin
XMA	Students w/ Disabilities Generalist 7-12 and 7-12 Mandarin
XMT	Students w/ Disabilities Generalist 7-12 and 7-12 Mathematics
XPH	Students w/ Disabilities Generalist 7-12 and 7-12 Physics
XSO	Students w/ Disabilities Generalist 7-12 and 7-12 Social Studies
XSP	Students w/ Disabilities Generalist 7-12 and 7-12 Spanish
XUR	Students w/ Disabilities Generalist 7-12 and 7-12 Urdu

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 (paid to you or on your behalf). 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.

More Information

Federal Student Aid
TEACH FAQs
TEACH Home Page - Entrance Counseling and Agreement To Serve (ATS)
TEACH Exit Counseling

Note: Effective June 17, 2018, TEACH Exit Counseling will move to the StudentLoans.gov website.