For the purposes of this subpart:
The term "eligible institution" means an institution of higher education, as defined in
(A) provides high quality teacher preparation and professional development services, including extensive clinical experience as a part of pre-service preparation;
(B) is financially responsible;
(C) provides pedagogical course work, or assistance in the provision of such coursework, including the monitoring of student performance, and formal instruction related to the theory and practices of teaching; and
(D) provides supervision and support services to teachers, or assistance in the provision of such services, including mentoring focused on developing effective teaching skills and strategies.
The term "post-baccalaureate" means a program of instruction for individuals who have completed a baccalaureate degree, that does not lead to a graduate degree, and that consists of courses required by a State in order for a teacher candidate to receive a professional certification or licensing credential that is required for employment as a teacher in an elementary school or secondary school in that State, except that such term shall not include any program of instruction offered by an eligible institution that offers a baccalaureate degree in education.
The term "teacher candidate" means a student or teacher described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of
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2007—Par. (1)(B).
Subpart effective Oct. 1, 2007, see section 1(c) of
The Secretary shall pay to each eligible institution such sums as may be necessary to pay to each teacher candidate who files an application and agreement in accordance with
Grants made under paragraph (1) shall be known as "Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grants" or "TEACH Grants".
Not less than 85 percent of any funds provided to an eligible institution under subsection (a) shall be advanced to the eligible institution prior to the start of each payment period and shall be based upon an amount requested by the institution as needed to pay teacher candidates until such time as the Secretary determines and publishes in the Federal Register with an opportunity for comment, an alternative payment system that provides payments to institutions in an accurate and timely manner, except that this sentence shall not be construed to limit the authority of the Secretary to place an institution on a reimbursement system of payment.
Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to prohibit the Secretary from paying directly to teacher candidates, in advance of the beginning of the academic term, an amount for which teacher candidates are eligible, in cases where the eligible institution elects not to participate in the disbursement system required by paragraph (1).
Payments under this subpart shall be made, in accordance with regulations promulgated by the Secretary for such purpose, in such manner as will best accomplish the purposes of this subpart. Any disbursement allowed to be made by crediting the teacher candidate's account shall be limited to tuition and fees and, in the case of institutionally-owned housing, room and board. The teacher candidate may elect to have the institution provide other such goods and services by crediting the teacher candidate's account.
In any case where a teacher candidate attends an eligible institution on less than a full-time basis (including a teacher candidate who attends an eligible institution on less than a half-time basis) during any year, the amount of a grant under this subpart for which that teacher candidate is eligible shall be reduced in proportion to the degree to which that teacher candidate is not attending on a full-time basis, in accordance with a schedule of reductions established by the Secretary for the purposes of this subpart, computed in accordance with this subpart. Such schedule of reductions shall be established by regulation and published in the Federal Register in accordance with
The amount of a grant awarded under this subpart, in combination with Federal assistance and other assistance the student may receive, shall not exceed the cost of attendance (as defined in
The period during which an undergraduate or post-baccalaureate student may receive grants under this subpart shall be the period required for the completion of the first undergraduate baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate course of study being pursued by the teacher candidate at the eligible institution at which the teacher candidate is in attendance, except that—
(A) any period during which the teacher candidate is enrolled in a noncredit or remedial course of study as described in paragraph (3) shall not be counted for the purpose of this paragraph; and
(B) the total amount that a teacher candidate may receive under this subpart for undergraduate or post-baccalaureate study shall not exceed $16,000.
The period during which a graduate student may receive grants under this subpart shall be the period required for the completion of a master's degree course of study pursued by the teacher candidate at the eligible institution at which the teacher candidate is in attendance, except that the total amount that a teacher candidate may receive under this subpart for graduate study shall not exceed $8,000.
Nothing in this section shall be construed to exclude from eligibility courses of study which are noncredit or remedial in nature (including courses in English language acquisition) which are determined by the eligible institution to be necessary to help the teacher candidate be prepared for the pursuit of a first undergraduate baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate degree or certificate or, in the case of courses in English language instruction, to be necessary to enable the teacher candidate to utilize already existing knowledge, training, or skills. Nothing in this section shall be construed to exclude from eligibility programs of study abroad that are approved for credit by the home institution at which the teacher candidate is enrolled.
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2007—Subsecs. (a)(1), (c)(1).
Subsec. (c)(2).
The Secretary shall periodically set dates by which teacher candidates shall file applications for grants under this subpart. Each teacher candidate desiring a grant under this subpart for any year shall file an application containing such information and assurances as the Secretary may determine necessary to enable the Secretary to carry out the functions and responsibilities of this subpart.
Each application submitted under paragraph (1) shall contain such information as is necessary to demonstrate that—
(A) if the applicant is an enrolled student—
(i) the student is an eligible student for purposes of
(ii) the student—
(I) has a grade point average that is determined, under standards prescribed by the Secretary, to be comparable to a 3.25 average on a zero to 4.0 scale, except that, if the student is in the first year of a program of undergraduate education, such grade point average shall be determined on the basis of the student's cumulative secondary school grade point average; or
(II) displayed high academic aptitude by receiving a score above the 75th percentile on at least one of the batteries in an undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, or graduate school admissions test; and
(iii) the student is completing coursework and other requirements necessary to begin a career in teaching, or plans to complete such coursework and requirements prior to graduating; or
(B) if the applicant is a current or prospective teacher applying for a grant to obtain a graduate degree—
(i) the applicant is a teacher or a retiree from another occupation with expertise in a field in which there is a shortage of teachers, such as mathematics, science, special education, English language acquisition, or another high-need subject; or
(ii) the applicant is or was a teacher who is using high-quality alternative certification routes, such as Teach for America, to get certified.
Each application under subsection (a) shall contain or be accompanied by an agreement by the applicant that—
(1) the applicant will—
(A) serve as a full-time teacher for a total of not less than 4 academic years within 8 years after completing the course of study for which the applicant received a TEACH Grant under this subpart;
(B) teach in a school described in
(C) teach in any of the following fields—
(i) mathematics;
(ii) science;
(iii) a foreign language;
(iv) bilingual education;
(v) special education;
(vi) as a reading specialist; or
(vii) another field documented as high-need by the Federal Government, State government, or local educational agency, and approved by the Secretary;
(D) submit evidence of such employment in the form of a certification by the chief administrative officer of the school upon completion of each year of such service; and
(E) comply with the requirements for being a highly qualified teacher as defined in section 9101 1 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 [
(2) in the event that the applicant is determined to have failed or refused to carry out such service obligation, the sum of the amounts of any TEACH Grants received by such applicant will be treated as a loan and collected from the applicant in accordance with subsection (c) and the regulations thereunder; and
(3) contains, or is accompanied by, a plain-language disclosure form developed by the Secretary that clearly describes the nature of the TEACH Grant award, the service obligation, and the loan repayment requirements that are the consequence of the failure to complete the service obligation.
In the event that any recipient of a grant under this subpart fails or refuses to comply with the service obligation in the agreement under subsection (b), the sum of the amounts of any TEACH Grants received by such recipient shall, upon a determination of such a failure or refusal in such service obligation, be treated as a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan under part D, and shall be subject to repayment, together with interest thereon accruing from the date of the grant award, in accordance with terms and conditions specified by the Secretary in regulations under this subpart.
If a recipient of an initial grant under this subpart has acquired an academic degree, or expertise, in a field that was, at the time of the recipient's application for that grant, designated as high need in accordance with subsection (b)(1)(C)(vii), but is no longer so designated, the grant recipient may fulfill the service obligation described in subsection (b)(1) by teaching in that field.
The Secretary shall establish, by regulation, categories of extenuating circumstances under which a recipient of a grant under this subpart who is unable to fulfill all or part of the recipient's service obligation may be excused from fulfilling that portion of the service obligation.
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Section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, referred to in subsec. (b)(1)(E), was amended by
2008—Subsec. (b)(3).
Subsec. (d).
"(1) any reference in sections 420N, 428J, 428K, and 460 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (
"(2) any reference in section 6112 of the America COMPETES Act ([former] 20 U.S.C. 9812), section 553 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (
1 See References in Text note below.
Beginning on July 1, 2008, there shall be available to the Secretary to carry out this subpart, from funds not otherwise appropriated, such sums as may be necessary to provide TEACH Grants in accordance with this subpart to each eligible applicant.
(
Not later than two years after August 14, 2008, and every two years thereafter, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to the authorizing committees a report on TEACH grants with respect to the schools and students served by recipients of such grants. Such report shall take into consideration information related to—
(1) the number of TEACH grant recipients;
(2) the degrees obtained by such recipients;
(3) the location, including the school, local educational agency, and State, where the recipients completed the service agreed to under
(4) the duration of such service; and
(5) any other data necessary to conduct such evaluation.
(