Hollins Joins Federal TEACH Grant Program

Beginning with the 2014-15 academic year, Hollins University students who aspire to a teaching career will be eligible for up to $4,000 in grant funding each year. Hollins is participating in the Federal Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant program, established in 2007 by the College Cost Reduction and Access Act to provide financial assistance to those interested in working as educators in schools with students from low-income households. The TEACH Grant is non-need based and available to Hollins students who are enrolled full-time or part-time in the university’s Master of Arts in teaching (M.A.T.) program. In exchange for receiving a TEACH Grant, M.A.T. students must agree to teach full-time in a high-need field such as mathematics, science, bilingual education, special education, foreign languages, or reading. They must spend at least four years at an elementary school, secondary school, or educational service agency that serves underprivileged students, and must do so within eight years of completing their program of study. If the service obligation is not met, TEACH Grant funds convert to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Student Loan that must be repaid. “Hollins University already offers an institutional grant for those in our M.A.T. program during their student teaching semester worth the equivalent of 12 credit hours,” explained Mary Jean Sullivan, director of the office of scholarships and financial assistance at Hollins. “ By adding the Federal TEACH Grant program, Hollins can offer additional assistance to our future teachers.” Students accepted into the M.A.T. program should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)  and notify the office of scholarships and financial assistance of their interest in the award. Grant recipients must maintain a 3.25 grade point average as well as complete online entrance counseling and an Agreement to Serve form each year before grant funds are allocated. For more information about the Federal TEACH Grant at Hollins, visit this webpage.