What is the TEACH Grant?
The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant is a federal program that provides funding to students who are completing degrees that can lead to a career teaching in high need fields at the elementary or secondary level. The TEACH grant program is different from many grant programs as it has a service obligation attached.
Students who receive the TEACH grant agree to do all of the below as part of their service obligation:
- To teach full-time for at least 4 years, within 8 years after completion of your degree program
- To teach in a high-needs field as specified below:
- Mathematics
- Science
- Foreign Language
- Bilingual Education and/or English Language Acquisition
- Special Education
- Reading Specialist
- Or any field listed on the Teacher Shortage Area Nationwide Listing at the time of service
- To teach in a low-income school or education service agency, as designated by the US Department of Education
Students who received the grant are also required to complete annual counseling and sign an Agreement to Serve or Repay, which outline conditions of the TEACH Grant, as well as exit counseling when they complete their degree (or stop receiving the TEACH grant for any other reason) . More information can be found on this in the application section below.
If the service obligation is not fulfilled within 8 years of completion of the degree, the entire TEACH Grant amount that the student received converts to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan. Interest on Direct Unsubsidized Loan is assessed from the day the TEACH Grant was first received. Students are able to request this conversion at any point if they determine they will not be completing their service requirement.
How Much Funding Does the TEACH Grant Provide?
The amount of TEACH grant funding is based on a student’s enrollment status each semester. Students can receive up to a maximum of $4,000 per academic year, with an aggregate maximum of $16,000 for undergraduate degrees, or $8,000 for graduate degrees. The chart below shows the amount of funding received based on enrollment:
| Full Time
Undergraduate: 12 or more credits Graduate: 9 or more credits |
3/4 Time
Undergraduate: 9-11 credits Graduate: 7-8 credits |
Half Time
Undergraduate: 6-8 credits Graduate: 6 credits |
Less than Half Time
Undergraduate: less than 6 credits Graduate: less than 6 credits |
| $2,000* per semester | $1,500* per semester | $1,000* per semester | $500* per semester |
*TEACH is subject to the Budget Control Act of 2011. The final amount of the TEACH Grant will be reduced slightly. Federal Student Aid publishes the amount of the reduction each year. The current reduction (25/26) is 5.70% of the award amount, which results in a maximum annual award of $3,772 ($1,886 per semester).
If a student is to have different enrollment statuses each semester, then the amount of the grant will be adjusted accordingly. For example: if an undergraduate was to enroll full time in the fall, but was half time in the spring, their total award for the year would be $3,000.
Who is Eligible for the TEACH Grant?
To be eligible to receive the TEACH grant, a student must meet all of the following requirements:
- Eligible to complete the FAFSA and receive federal financial aid
- Have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher or have scored in the 75th percentile or higher on a college entrance exam (SAT, ACT, GRE, etc.)
- For incoming freshman: this will be based on final high school GPA
- For incoming transfers: this will be based on your GPA at your previous institution
- For current or continuing UMBC students: this will be based on your cumulative GPA at UMBC at the time you apply for the TEACH grant.
- Note: the 75th percentile only applies to initial eligibility, the student must then maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher in all subsequent semesters to continue receiving the award
- Be pursuing a degree program that will lead to teacher certification
- At UMBC this includes the following programs:
- Undergraduate Pre-Education Certificate
- Bachelor of Science: Middle Grades STEM
- Master of Arts in Teaching
- Master of Arts in Education
- Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
- At UMBC this includes the following programs:
- Be pursuing a content area that is on the high-needs fields list.
Once a student receives the TEACH Grant, they must continue to maintain minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 to be eligible to have the grant renewed each semester. They must also meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Students who drop below 3.25 and/or fail to meet SAP will have their grant cancelled, but can reapply once they raise their GPA and/or meet SAP.
How Can I Apply for the TEACH Grant?
If you meet the eligibility requirements and are comfortable with the service requirement, complete the TEACH Grant Application using the link below and submit it to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. Students must submit an application each year to receive the grant. Applications are typically reviewed within two weeks of submission. Students will be notified when their application is reviewed.
2025-2026 TEACH Grant Application
Applications for the 26/27 academic year will open in May 2026.
I Was Approved. What Do I Do Next?
Once a student is approved for the TEACH grant, they will receive a notification to complete TEACH Grant Counseling. Once this has been completed, UMBC will be notified and the TEACH grant coordinator will create the student’s award in the federal system. The student can then complete the TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve or Repay. Students should then notify the TEACH grant coordinator that they have completed the agreement. The TEACH grant coordinator will then add the TEACH grant to the student’s award package in myUMBC.
As the TEACH grant is based on enrollment, it may not apply to a balance immediately after a semester starts. Final award amounts will be verified and disbursed after the add/drop period ends each semester.
I’m Graduating. How Do I Fulfill My Service Obligation?
Congratulations! To fulfill your service obligation, you will need to secure a full time teaching position that meets all of the requirements that you agreed to in your Agreement to Serve. Once you have served the required time, you can report your service to Federal Student Aid. Information on how to report your qualifying teacher service can be found on the FSA website.
Have More Questions?
Questions about the program can be directed to the office’s TEACH Grant coordinator, Amanda Copper at acopper1@umbc.edu.