Grants are funds that do not have to be repaid. Student eligibility varies with each grant program and continued eligibility can be based on meeting certain criteria. All grant programs require the student to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Federal Pell Grants
Pell Grants are awarded to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor’s or professional degree. The amount a student will receive will depend on financial need, the costs to attend school, status as a full-time or part-time student and plans to attend school for a full academic year or less.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG) are for undergraduates with exceptional financial needs. Pell Grant recipients with the lowest EFCs will be the first to get FSEOGs. Just like Pell Grants, FSEOGs don’t have to be paid back. You can receive between $100 and $4,000 a year, depending on when you apply, your financial need, and the funding at Athens State University.
Alabama Student Assistance Program
Alabama Student Assistance Program is a need-based state/federal grant ranging to $2,500 per academic year. Awards are limited to undergraduate work for students who are Alabama residents. Awards amounts are dependent upon when you apply, your financial need, and the funding at Athens State University.
Police Officer’s and Firefighter’s Survivors Educational Assistance Program (POFSEAP)
This is a grant covering tuition, fees, books and supplies for dependents and eligible spouses of Alabama police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty. There is no limit on the amount awarded to recipients. Awards are available for only undergraduate study at public institutions in Alabama. Other special eligibility criteria apply. Application forms may be obtained from the Alabama Commission on Higher Education.
Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant
The TEACH Grant Program provides grants of up to $4,000 a year to students who are completing or plan to complete course work needed to begin a career in teaching.
As a condition for receiving a TEACH Grant, you must sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve in which you agree to (among other requirements) teach
- in a high-need field;
- at an elementary school, secondary school, or educational service agency that serves students from low-income families;
- a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25; and
- for at least four complete academic years within eight years after completing (or ceasing enrollment in) the course of study for which you received the grant.
High-need fields are
- bilingual education and English language acquisition,
- foreign language,
- mathematics,
- reading specialist,
- science, and
- special education, as well as
- any other field that has been identified as high-need by the federal government, a state government, or a local education agency, and that is included in the annual Teacher Shortage Area Nationwide Listing (Nationwide List).
If you plan to teach in a high-need field that is included in the Nationwide List, that field must be listed for the state where you teach either at the time you begin your qualifying teaching service or at the time you received a TEACH Grant.
The current TEACH Grant Eligible Programs at Athens State University for undergraduate students are:
- Bachelor of Science in Special Education – Collaborative Teacher (K-6)
- Bachelor of Science in Special Education – Collaborative Teacher (6-12)
- Bachelor of Science in Biology with minor in Education (6-12)
- Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with minor in Education (6-12)
- Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with minor in Education (6-12)
Majoring in Alabama’s High Need Areas of:
- Bachelor of Science in Education in Elementary Education K-6
*This list is subject to change; contact the Office of Student Financial Aid for questions
**Students pursuing an additional bachelor’s degree or a post baccalaureate certification will not be eligible for the TEACH grant program.
Eligible undergraduate students may not receive more than $8,000 in total TEACH Grants at Athens State University.
IMPORTANT REMINDER: If you receive a TEACH Grant but do not complete the required teaching service, as explained above, you will be required to repay the grants as a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, with interest charged from the date of each TEACH Grant disbursement.
Interested in the Teach Grant Program? Complete the TEACH Grant Initial and Subsequent Counseling, the TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve (ATS), and the Federal Direct Student Loan Entrance Counseling online at www.studentloans.gov.