Government Grants for Education Majors

Many times, when we are thinking about the professions we would like to take on, very few of us would think of education. This has, therefore, left the government with very few teachers and very many students. The ratio between teachers and students is not balanced, which also affects the quality of education today. This is because; if students are more than teachers, they are not able to get personalized attention from teachers, thus affecting learning. Personalized attention from teachers is important, because students each have different learning capabilities; such that some learn faster than others. Therefore, different teaching skills are required for different students, which is not possible with the shortage of teachers today.

The government has tried to encourage students to join the teaching profession, by awarding free government grants to education majors. These grants are awarded to education students who will, therefore, qualify as teachers upon graduation. The government awards these grants both directly and indirectly. Indirectly, they are awarded through the Department of Education and the different colleges. Education majors are, therefore, able to get free college grants to help them cover their education expenses.

These kinds of grants were created by Congress in 2007, as a means of ensuring that the shortage of teachers is overcome. At the time of creation of the TEACH grants, Congress also enacted the College Cost Reduction and Access Act.

However, it is relevant to note that, unlike other government grants, the TEACH grants are supposed to be repaid back to the government indirectly. The government will not ask for the refund of the money from the student, however, the student will be required to work as a teacher for some time after graduation. This is to ensure that, the whole purpose of the grants is realized. In addition, if this condition is not met within a period of eight years after graduation, the student will be required to pay back the grant money with interest. Therefore, the non fulfillment of the teaching condition automatically turns the grant into a loan.

The government, therefore, awards the grants as a means of supporting students while at school. The grant covers their tuition, accommodation, food, teaching practice expenses and book fees among others. These education grants are mostly geared towards ensuring that the education students do not branch out into other fields along the way, and also to attract other students to join education, with the intent of getting government grants.