20 USC 1070 - Definitions

Collapse to view only § 1070g. Definitions

§ 1070g. Definitions
§ 1070g-1. Program established
§ 1070g-2. Applications; eligibility
§ 1070g-3. Program period and funding
§ 1070g-4. Program report

§ 1070g. Definitions

For the purposes of this subpart:

(1) Eligible institution

The term “eligible institution” means an institution of higher education, as defined in section 1002 of this title, that the Secretary determines—

(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.

(2) Post-baccalaureate

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.

(3) Teacher candidate

The term “teacher candidate” means a student or teacher described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of section 1070g–2(a)(2) of this title.

(Pub. L. 89–329, title IV, § 420L, as added Pub. L. 110–84, title I, § 104, Sept. 27, 2007, 121 Stat. 786; amended Pub. L. 110–153, § 3(1), Dec. 21, 2007, 121 Stat. 1824.)

§ 1070g–1. Program established

(a) Program authority

(1) Payments required

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 section 1070g–2 of this title, and who qualifies under paragraph (2) of section 1070g–2(a) of this title, a TEACH Grant in the amount of $4,000 for each year during which that teacher candidate is in attendance at the institution.

(2) References

Grants made under paragraph (1) shall be known as “Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grants” or “TEACH Grants”.

(b) Payment methodology

(1) Prepayment

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 s

(2) Direct 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).

(3) Distribution of grants to teacher candidates

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.

(1) Part-time students

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 section 1089 of this title.

(2) No exceeding cost

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 section 1087ll of this title) at the eligible institution at which that teacher candidate is in attendance.

(d) Period of eligibility for grants

(1) Undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students

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.

(2) Graduate students

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.

(3) Remedial course; study abroad

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.

(Pub. L. 89–329, title IV, § 420M, as added Pub. L. 110–84, title I, § 104, Sept. 27, 2007, 121 Stat. 787; amended Pub. L. 110–153, § 3(2), Dec. 21, 2007, 121 Stat. 1824.)

§ 1070g–2. Applications; eligibility

(a) Applications; demonstration of eligibility

(1) Filing required

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.

(2) Demonstration of TEACH Grant eligibilityEach 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 section 1091 of this title;

(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.

(b) Agreements to serveEach 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 (referred to in this section as the “service obligation window”);

(B) teach in a school described in section 1087ee(a)(2)(A) of this title;

(i) mathematics;

(ii) science;

(iii) a foreign language;

(iv) bilingual education;

(v) special education;

(vi) as a reading specialist; or

(vii) another field or geographic area documented as high-need by the Federal Government, State government, or local educational agency, and approved by the Secretary;

(D) submit a certification of employment by the chief administrative officer of the school in accordance with subsection (d)(5); and

(E) meet all State certification requirements for teaching (which may include meeting such requirements through a certification obtained through alternative routes to teaching);

(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.

(1) In general

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.

(2) Reconsideration of conversion decisions

(A) Request to reconsider

In any case where the Secretary has determined that a recipient of a grant under this subpart has failed or refused to comply with the service obligation in the agreement under subsection (b) and has converted the grant into a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan under part D in accordance with paragraph (1), (including a TEACH Grant converted to a loan prior to October 13, 2021, and including cases where such loans have been fully or partially paid), the recipient may request that the Secretary reconsider such initial determination and may submit additional information to demonstrate satisfaction of the service obligation. Upon receipt of such a request, the Secretary shall reconsider the determination in accordance with this paragraph not later than 90 days after the date that such request was received.

(B) ReconsiderationIf, in reconsidering an initial determination under subparagraph (A) (including reconsideration related to a TEACH Grant that was converted to a loan prior to October 13, 2021, and including cases where such loans were fully or partially paid), the Secretary determines that the reason for such determination was the recipient’s failure to timely submit a certification required under subsection (b)(1)(D) (as in effect on the day before October 13, 2021), an error or processing delay by the Secretary, a change to the fields considered eligible for fulfillment of the service obligation (as described in subsection (b)(1)(C)), a recipient having previously requested to have the TEACH Grant converted to a loan, or another valid reason determined by the Secretary, and that the recipient has, as of the date of the reconsideration, demonstrated that the recipient did meet, or is meeting the service obligation in the agreement under subsection (b), the Secretary shall—

(i) discharge the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan under part D, and reinstate the recipient’s grant under this subpart;

(ii) discharge any interest or fees that may have accumulated during the period that the grant was converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan under part D;

(iii) if the recipient has other loans under part D, apply any payments made for the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan under part D during such period to those other loans under part D;

(iv) if the recipient does not have other loans under part D, reimburse the recipient for any amounts paid on the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan under part D during such period;

(v) request that consumer reporting agencies remove any negative credit reporting due to the conversion of the TEACH Grant to a loan; and

(vi) use the additional information provided under subparagraph (A) to determine the progress the recipient has made in meeting the service obligation.

(C) Extension of time to complete service obligationIn the case of a recipient whose TEACH Grant was reinstated in accordance with subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall, upon such reinstatement—

(i) extend the time remaining for the recipient to fulfill the service obligation described in subsection (b)(1) to a period of time equal to—(I) 8 years; minus(II) the number of full academic years of teaching that the recipient completed prior to the reconversion of the loan to a TEACH Grant under subparagraph (B), including any years of qualifying teaching completed during the period when the TEACH Grant was in loan status; and

(ii) treat any full academic years of teaching described in clause (i)(II) as years that count toward the individual’s service obligation (regardless of whether the TEACH Grant funds were in grant or loan status) if that time otherwise meets the requirements of this section.

(d) Additional administrative provisions

(1) Change of high-need designation

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.

(2) Extenuating circumstances

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.

(3) Communication with recipients

The Secretary shall notify TEACH grant recipients not less than once per calendar year regarding how to submit the employment certification under subsection (b)(1)(D) and the recommendations and requirements for submitting that certification under subsection (d)(5).

(4) Qualifying schools and high-need fields

The Secretary shall maintain and annually update a list of qualifying schools as described in subsection (b)(1)(B), and a list of high-need fields as described in subsection (b)(1)(C) and shall make such lists publicly available on the Department’s website in a sortable and searchable format.

(5) Submission of employment certification

(A) Recommended submissions

The Secretary shall notify TEACH Grant recipients that the Department recommends that TEACH Grant recipients submit the employment certification described in subsection (b)(1)(D) as soon as practicable after the completion of each year of service.

(B) Required submission

A TEACH Grant recipient shall be required to submit to the Department employment certification within the timeframe that would allow that individual to complete their service obligation before the end of the service obligation window.

The Secretary shall notify TEACH Grant recipients of the required submission deadlines described in this paragraph.

(D) Adjustment of deadline

The Secretary shall adjust the submission deadline described in subparagraph (B) to account for a service obligation window extension.

(E) Alternative to certification

The Secretary shall provide an alternative to the certification of employment described in subsection (b)(1)(D) for recipients who cannot obtain such required certification of employment from the chief administrative officer of the school because the recipient can demonstrate the school is no longer in existence or the school refuses to cooperate.

(Pub. L. 89–329, title IV, § 420N, as added Pub. L. 110–84, title I, § 104, Sept. 27, 2007, 121 Stat. 788; amended Pub. L. 110–315, title IV, § 412(a)(1), Aug. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 3226; Pub. L. 117–49, §§ 2, 3, Oct. 13, 2021, 135 Stat. 402, 404.)

§ 1070g–3. Program period and funding

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.

(Pub. L. 89–329, title IV, § 420O, as added Pub. L. 110–84, title I, § 104, Sept. 27, 2007, 121 Stat. 790.)

§ 1070g–4. Program report

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 section 1070g–2(b) of this title and the subject taught;

(4) the duration of such service; and

(5) any other data necessary to conduct such evaluation.

(Pub. L. 89–329, title IV, § 420P, as added Pub. L. 110–315, title IV, § 412(a)(2), Aug. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 3227.)