2008 Woodie Awards
Grant entices teachers to schools in need
Adam Ziegler
Issue date: 2/14/08 Section: News
Education majors willing to go the extra mile after graduation will soon be eligible for more financial aid.
The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education, or TEACH, grant will provide $4,000 a year to education majors who agree to work in high-need areas after they graduate. The grant was passed by Congress as part of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act and will be available to students in the 2008-2009 school year.
The grant is available to any education major with a GPA of 3.25 or higher. Students must spend four years teaching full time at a high-need school.
After graduation, students will have the choice of working at a Title I low-income school or teaching in a high-need subject area, such as science or foreign languages, where few teachers are working.
Ritchie Morrow, financial aid coordinator for Nebraska's Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education, said the grant was approved to encourage students to enter the education field and help alleviate pressure on the limited number of teachers working in high need areas.
Tom Wandzilak, director of field experiences and certification in the College of Education and Human Sciences, said a similar program, the Attracting Excellence to Teaching program, has been active in Nebraska for several years and has been well-received by students. Wandzilak said the TEACH grant would probably see a similar amount of use.
"If you're going to be a teacher, it really is free money," he said.
While the TEACH grant has generally been supported by educators, Morrow said there are concerns about a stipulation that says students who don't fulfill their teaching obligation within eight years of graduating have to pay back the grant as an unsubsidized loan with interest added from the date the grant was awarded.
"Students really need to understand the downfall if they don't meet the requirements," Morrow said.
Students who receive a TEACH grant are not assisted in finding jobs with high-need schools, Morrow said, so even students looking for work would have to pay back the grant if they aren't hired.
"If students can't find a job they're just out of luck," Morrow said.
Wandzilak said students who accept the grant also need to be aware of what they're getting into by teaching in high-need areas because the lack of support and social settings can be difficult on first-year teachers.
"There are certain situations where it can be difficult to maintain their job and their sanity," Wandzilak said.
While Morrow said more federal teaching grants are a good idea, he stressed that students need to understand the stipulations of these grants because failing to meet them could hurt students financial futures.
"It could be a killer," he said.
adamziegler@dailynebraskan.com
The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education, or TEACH, grant will provide $4,000 a year to education majors who agree to work in high-need areas after they graduate. The grant was passed by Congress as part of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act and will be available to students in the 2008-2009 school year.
The grant is available to any education major with a GPA of 3.25 or higher. Students must spend four years teaching full time at a high-need school.
After graduation, students will have the choice of working at a Title I low-income school or teaching in a high-need subject area, such as science or foreign languages, where few teachers are working.
Ritchie Morrow, financial aid coordinator for Nebraska's Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education, said the grant was approved to encourage students to enter the education field and help alleviate pressure on the limited number of teachers working in high need areas.
Tom Wandzilak, director of field experiences and certification in the College of Education and Human Sciences, said a similar program, the Attracting Excellence to Teaching program, has been active in Nebraska for several years and has been well-received by students. Wandzilak said the TEACH grant would probably see a similar amount of use.
"If you're going to be a teacher, it really is free money," he said.
While the TEACH grant has generally been supported by educators, Morrow said there are concerns about a stipulation that says students who don't fulfill their teaching obligation within eight years of graduating have to pay back the grant as an unsubsidized loan with interest added from the date the grant was awarded.
"Students really need to understand the downfall if they don't meet the requirements," Morrow said.
Students who receive a TEACH grant are not assisted in finding jobs with high-need schools, Morrow said, so even students looking for work would have to pay back the grant if they aren't hired.
"If students can't find a job they're just out of luck," Morrow said.
Wandzilak said students who accept the grant also need to be aware of what they're getting into by teaching in high-need areas because the lack of support and social settings can be difficult on first-year teachers.
"There are certain situations where it can be difficult to maintain their job and their sanity," Wandzilak said.
While Morrow said more federal teaching grants are a good idea, he stressed that students need to understand the stipulations of these grants because failing to meet them could hurt students financial futures.
"It could be a killer," he said.
adamziegler@dailynebraskan.com
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