Federal TEACH Grant

The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant is for students studying to be educators in a high-needs field. As long as certain criteria are met after graduation, this money does not need to be paid back, unlike a student loan.

A student who, after reviewing the initial eligibility criteria below, believes they meet criteria may submit an application to the Office of Student Financial Aid, at which point their eligibility will be confirmed or refuted by the grant administrator. Find out more about the Federal TEACH Grant.

Award amounts
Enrollment Status Annual Grant Amount (Per Semester)
Full-Time $3,772 $1,886
Three-Quarter Time $2,829 $1,415 / $1,414
Half-Time $1,886 $943
Less Than Half-Time $943 $472 / $471

Lifetime eligibility cannot exceed $16,000 as an undergraduate and $8,000 as a graduate student.

Eligibility

To qualify for the TEACH Grant, students must:

  1. Complete a 2023-2024 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at StudentAid.gov.

  2. Complete TEACH Grant entrance counseling at StudentAid.gov.

  3. Be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements.

  4. Be pursuing an eligible degree (generally a BSEd, MSEd, MAT, MATL, or SETL). Graduate certificates are not eligible degrees unless the student is also pursuing a master’s degree.

  5. Be pursuing a degree in a high-needs field. A complete list of high-needs fields can be found on the 2023-2024 Teacher Shortage Area registry. If enrolled in the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program, the student must also be enrolled in coursework necessary to complete a teacher certification in a high-need field, not administration.

  6. Be admitted to the Teacher Education program, Pathways for Paras program, Master of Arts in Teaching program, or hold a valid, unexpired Teacher Certification.

  7. If applying as an undergraduate, must not have a prior bachelor’s degree.

  8. Meet one of the following academic criteria:
  • Have scored above the 75th percentile on any battery from a nationally-normed undergraduate, postbaccalaureate, or graduate school admissions test (ACT, SAT, etc.). “Superscore” and placement tests are not considered;
    or

  • Have a cumulative (MSU) GPA of a 3.25 on a 4.0 scale from the student’s current program; or

  • (Undergraduate transfer students) Have a GPA of 3.25 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all classes accepted for transfer by Missouri State University Admissions preceding the student’s first semester of attendance (for first semester of attendance only); or

  • (Undergraduate students with no prior college experience) Have a final high school GPA of 3.25 or higher on a 4.0 scale (for first semester of attendance only); or

  • (Graduate students) Have a final GPA of 3.25 or higher on the student’s most recently completed undergraduate 4-year degree (for first semester of attendance only); or

  • (Graduate students) Be a current, former, or retired teacher from a currently listed high-needs field (for first semester of attendance only).

Application

Steps for receiving the TEACH Grant:

  1. Review the grant application and eligibility criteria above.

  2. Complete a 2023-2024 FAFSA

  3. Complete Entrance Counseling online. This must be done every year a student wishes to receive the grant.

  4. Submit the MSU TEACH Grant application, complete with your academic advisor’s signature, to the Office of Student Financial Aid. Applications must be submitted annually.
    Students may submit an application as early as July 1st for the upcoming academic year. The last day to submit an application is two weeks prior to your final day of enrollment for the academic year.

  5. If eligibility is confirmed, accept your grant offer through your MyMissouriState account. Students will receive email instructions if approved.

  6. Once you have accepted your offer and completed entrance counseling you must sign your Agreement To Serve or Repay (ATS) online. You will receive email when it is available.

  7. Shortly after your ATS is signed, your grant will be disbursed to your university account. You will be notified of the amount disbursed and your right to cancel the grant.

2023-2024 High-needs fields

Your major must prepare you to teach in a high-needs field, and the subject you teach must be on the nationwide list for the state you're teaching in during your first year of service. Because the nationwide list changes annually, please verify that your subject is listed that year before you begin teaching.

U.S Department of Education: Teacher Shortage Areas