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With rising student debt and a lack of qualified teachers, Teach for America is open to anyone with a bachelor’s degree interested in giving back to underserved communities. While there isn’t a forgiveness program attached, there are several benefits to dedicating two years of service to this nonprofit.
While Teach for America doesn’t directly offer student loan forgiveness, its partner AmeriCorps does. Through the AmeriCorps Award, you could receive up to $6,195 per year — or the equivalent to the maximum value of the Federal Pell Grant — to put toward your student loan repayments. You can only receive the award twice, and the amount changes each year depending on the Pell Grant.
AmeriCorps is a network of community service programs with a mission to improve lives and promote civic engagement in neighborhoods across the country. AmeriCorps partners focus on everything from fighting homelessness to mentoring students to preparing for natural disasters.
As an AmeriCorps partner, Teach for America members get access to AmeriCorps’s student loan forbearance program, on top of its own transitional funding packages.
You could qualify for grants and scholarships designed to help fund classroom materials and other expenses. Teach for America provides a list of scholarships and grants to help you get started as a teacher.
Teach for America accepts individuals with a variety of backgrounds — you don’t necessarily need to be a teacher to qualify. However, you need to meet these three basic requirements:
Applying for a position with Teach for America is relatively straightforward — follow these steps to get started:
The turnaround to hear back is relatively quick. You’ll know if you’ve been accepted for an interview within one week of submitting your application, and you’ll know if you’ve been admitted within three weeks after your interview.
Working with Teach for America can help you qualify for other federal and state forgiveness programs, including:
If you’re interested in teaching children in underserved communities, Teach for America might be for you. While it doesn’t offer student loan forgiveness itself, it can help you qualify for other forgiveness programs.
Didn’t get all of your debt forgiven? Consider refinancing your student loans to see if you can qualify for a lower rate.
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