[carline]

So I'm going to college right now to become a Special Education teacher. I'm quite passionate about it, and am certain that this is what I want to do with my life. Thing is, male sped teachers are pretty rare, I'm going through a school with a renowned education program, and I'm maintaining a good GPA, so all indications are I will be able to get a job... anywhere I damn well please. This is undoubtedly a good thing, however, I was just browsing my financial aid options and I ran across this TEACH grant...

In exchange for receiving a TEACH Grant, you must agree to serve as a
full-time teacher in a high-need field in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves low-income students (see below for more information on high-need fields and schools serving low-income students). As a recipient of a TEACH Grant, you must teach for at least four academic years within eight calendar years of completing the program of study for which you received a TEACH Grant. IMPORTANT: If you fail to complete this service obligation, all amounts of TEACH Grants that you received will be converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan. You must then repay this loan to the U.S. Department of Education. You will be charged interest from the date the grant(s) was disbursed. Note: TEACH Grant recipients will be given a 6-month grace period prior to entering repayment if a TEACH Grant is converted to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan. So basically a free $4k a year if I agree to teach poor kids. I looked up schools that serve low-income kids in my area and literally every single one I know of qualifies. I think if I'm going into special education, I won't exactly be needed at discriminating prissy high-end schools anyways, and if I am, I can just turn the grant into a federal loan which has lower interest rates than private loans.

I don't have a lot of experience with grants and financial aid stuff though, and I guess I have a hard time believing in free money - any of you have any opinions? Should I try for it, or given my ability to work wherever I want, should I just suck up a bigger student loan and not even bother with this low-income school thing?
Do teachers even make more money at better schools?

[JeremyIV]

I don't have a lot of experience with grants and financial aid stuff though, and I guess I have a hard time believing in free money - any of you have any opinions? Should I try for it, or given my ability to work wherever I want, should I just suck up a bigger student loan and not even bother with this low-income school thing?
Do teachers even make more money at better schools?

Its not really free, its 'if you work for us, we will pay it for you, if not, then you have to pay us back'.

IMO it can't hurt to get the grant, since you might get a position at a school which qualifies, work there for 4 years, and never have to pay it back. At worst, you do have to pay it back later on, but you don't have an additional 16k of debt on your back immediately out of school.

[vioppyskype]

Its not really free, its 'if you work for us, we will pay it for you, if not, then you have to pay us back'.

IMO it can't hurt to get the grant, since you might get a position at a school which qualifies, work there for 4 years, and never have to pay it back. At worst, you do have to pay it back later on, but you don't have an additional 16k of debt on your back immediately out of school.

I agree with this. Worst case scenario it turns into a stafford loan which is pretty low. However what you may want to look at is the salary difference between a "prissy high-end" school and a low income school. The free money now could cost you a lot more later.

[Ygxejxox]

Special Education teacher as In for people with special needs/hard of learning ?

If so you have my Utmost respect and Admiration

[carline]

as In for people with special needs/hard of learning ?

If so you have my Utmost respect and Admiration

Some of my students might, but mostly I'm going to be working with individuals with developmental disabilities. Again, you won't see many of my students in selective schools...
And good points Susie and Pyro, thanks.

[carline]

Well I talked to a financial aid adviser about the grant, and apparently the qualifications are based on your highschool GPA (mine was abysmal) or your ACT/SAT scores (I never took either).
[cursing]

So now I'm looking into taking the ACT/SAT... is it even possible to take these if I'm already going to college?

[JeremyIV]

Yeah, its possible. Stupid, but possible. You sign up, you pay, and then you go to any high school where the test is being administered and take it. Probably a couple extra steps involved since you're not in high school, but its been so long since I took it (after my second year of undergrad) that I don't remember much.