<p>I'm planning on entering into a M.Ed program this fall. Does the government offer special financial aid packages for those interested in becoming teachers after graduation? From what I understand, they'll pay a portion of your federal loans. Do they offer grants to help offset the tuition while in the program?</p>
<p>The federal loan forgiveness programs specifically for teachers require them to teach in a high needs disctict in designated subject area. That info is on the web, and it varies by state (both in districts and in subjects). The federal public student loan forgiveness would apply to teachers and others who are working in non-profit/government entities. Some states have separate programs for teacher loan forgiveness, so you should look into those but be aware that they may change due to budget or other considerations…it’s often a supply vs demand thing.</p>
<p>My understanding of Pell for prospective teachers who already have a bachelor’s is that it requires at least 6 credits per terms and only applies to coursework leading to initial certification…not to a master’s degree. Some programs may be designated “certification programs” and qualify but there’s such a wide variety out there that it would really be best to ask each school about it. There are also TEACH grants available at certain schools (not all participate) and I believe they apply to grad students - basically it’s a grant with a service requirement and it turns into an unsub loan if the service is not performed. You can get more basic info on TEACH here:
<a href=“http://ifap.ed.gov/fsahandbook/attachments/0910FSAHbkVol3Ch5Sept30.pdf[/url]”>http://ifap.ed.gov/fsahandbook/attachments/0910FSAHbkVol3Ch5Sept30.pdf</a></p>