In 2007, Congress created the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program. First issued for the 2008-2009 school year, TEACH grants awarded up to $4,000 a year to students who plan to teach in schools that serve low-income families in high-need fields such as bilingual education, foreign language, mathematics, science, and special education. Recipients of the grants are required to teach for four years within eight calendar years after completing their degrees. To apply for TEACH grants, students should contact the financial aid office of the university or college they attend or plan on attending.
The American Federation for Teachers outlines two loan-forgiveness programs offered by the federal government. The first is the Stafford Loan Forgiveness Program for Teachers. Students seeking this type of loan forgiveness must have taken out a Stafford Loan and must be employed for at least five consecutive full years at an elementary or secondary school that has been designated as serving a low-income community. Once they begin teaching, students are eligible for loan forgiveness in the amount of $17,500 if, as full-time secondary math or science teachers or as full-time special education teachers, they meet the "highly qualified" designation established by the No Child Left Behind Act. The second type of loan forgiveness is for students who took out Perkins Loans. To be eligible, teachers must be employed by a public or non-profit school full time. Teachers must work for a school serving low-income families and either teach foreign languages, bilingual education, math, science, or special education.
National scholarships are another resource for future teachers. The Applegate/Jackson/Parks Future Teacher Scholarship, awarded through The National Institute for Labor Relations Research, is worth $1,000. Undergraduate and graduate students majoring in education are eligible. Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarships are available through grants issued by the U.S. Department of Education to the education departments of each state. The grants are intended for outstanding high school students who are interested in pursuing a teaching career.
Scholarships may also be specific to a state or a region. For example, The Boeing Co. provides scholarships to students pursuing education degrees who are enrolled in one of 11 different colleges or universities in Southern California. In Illinois, the Edward B. Rust Jr. Scholarship Fund seeks to help students in master's degree programs who are working toward certification. Most public school districts and colleges will have information about state and local scholarships available for aspiring teachers.
Often scholarships are available for students wishing to teach in high-need areas, such as science. The American Association for Physics Teachers annually awards the Barbara Lotze Scholarship. The scholarship for undergraduate students enrolled or planning to enroll in classes for physics education is worth $2,000 and is renewable over four years. GlaxoSmithKline offers scholarships, through a $1 million endowment, for those wishing to pursue a career in teaching science.