TEACH Grant
The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program is intended for students who plan to teach in a high-need field of a public or private elementary school that serves students from low-income families.
About The Teach Grant
Amount of Grant
The TEACH Grant Program provides up to $3772 per year ($16,000 total for an undergraduate degree; $8,000 total for a graduate degree) in grant funds to full time students who plan to teach full time in high-need subject areas at schools serving students from low-income families. Students attending less than full time will have the grant reduced (three-quarter time students may receive up to $2829 per year; half-time students may receive up to $1886 per year, and less-than-half time students may receive up to $943 per year).
Please note: Receiving the TEACH Grant may reduce the recipient’s eligibility for other sources of financial aid if the TEACH Grant amount would exceed the student’s cost of attendance.
Eligibility Criteria for Kent State University Students
- Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
- Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
- Incoming freshmen*: Have a cumulative high school GPA of at least 3.25 (on a 4.0 scale) and maintain a 3.25 cumulative KSU GPA to receive the TEACH Grant for each subsequent term, or score above the 75th percentile on one battery of the ACT or SAT
- Incoming graduate students: Have a cumulative GPA from your undergraduate institution of at least 3.25 (on a 4.0 scale) and maintain a 3.25 cumulative KSU GPA to receive the TEACH Grant for each subsequent term, or score above the 75th percentile on one battery of the GRE
- Incoming transfer students: Have a cumulative GPA (that includes grades for courses accepted for transfer from all previous attended institutions) of at least 3.25 (on a 4.0 scale) and maintain a 3.25 cumulative KSU GPA to receive the TEACH Grant for each subsequent term, or score above the 75th percentile on one battery of the ACT or SAT. Kent State University must have an official copy of your test score
- Returning KSU students: Have a cumulative Kent State University GPA of at least 3.25 (on a 4.0 scale) and maintain a 3.25 cumulative KSU GPA to receive the TEACH Grant for each subsequent term, or score above the 75th percentile on one battery of the ACT or SAT
- Be accepted into an eligible degree program** and major at Kent State. A TEACH Grant-eligible program is a program that is designed to prepare an individual to teach as a highly-qualified teacher in a high-need field and leads to a baccalaureate or master's degree.
- Complete the TEACH Grant Counseling and sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to serve or repay (ATS) (see How to Apply section below)
*Due to the terms and conditions of the TEACH Grant and its potential of turning into a Direct Unsubsidized Loan, we do not offer the TEACH Grant to new freshman or sophomores who have not had the TEACH Grant previously. Please contact the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center if you are interested in having your eligibility evaluated for receiving the TEACH Grant.
Learn more about applying for the TEACH Grant at Kent State University
Important Note About the TEACH Grant Program:
Failure to complete a TEACH Grant eligible education degree program, complete the teaching obligation, respond to requests for information, or properly document your teaching service can cause the TEACH Grant to be permanently converted to an unsubsidized Federal Direct Student Loan with interest accruing from the date the TEACH Grant was first disbursed. It is estimated that only 20% of students who participate in the TEACH Grant Program will be able to use the funds as grants, while many students will see their funds converted to loans with accumulated interest. If you are a graduate of Kent State who had their grant turn into a loan due to missing a certification deadline, the U.S. Department of Education has finalized a process that provides an opportunity for certain TEACH Grant recipients whose TEACH Grants were converted to Direct Unsubsidized Loans to request a reconsideration of the conversion.
Learn more about this reconsideration process.
On August 14, 2020, the U.S. Department of Education released regulations regarding the TEACH Grant reconsideration process, and include:
- Expand the fields in which grant recipients can work to fulfill their service obligation
- Simplify employment certification requirements
- Require more information to be provided to recipients as part of entrance and exit counseling
- Create conversion counseling to educate borrowers when their grants convert to loans
- Provide processes to correct improper conversion of TEACH Grants to loans
For more information about the TEACH Grant program at Kent State, contact the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center.