Questions and answers about the T.E.A.C.H. scholarship--Child Care Resource and Referral Network

Questions and answers about the T.E.A.C.H. scholarship

Following are common questions asked by T.E.A.C.H. scholarship recipients. Do not hesitate to contact your T.E.A.C.H. program counselor if you have additional questions about the scholarship process. We are here to help you be successful in your educational pursuits.

How is my tuition bill paid?

First, you must send in a pre-authorization form two weeks prior to starting classes. After courses are approved by T.E.A.C.H. and you register with the school, you must send your T.E.A.C.H. program counselor a copy of your college course registration and a complete Form B. T.E.A.C.H. will not pay any tuition bills without this information.

T.E.A.C.H. has made billing arrangements with your school. All bills for tuition (up to the yearly credit limit) will be sent to and paid by T.E.A.C.H. All bills for tuition that exceed the limit will be sent directly to you from the school. If you receive a bill from the school before your yearly credit limit has been reached, call your T.E.A.C.H. counselor immediately. Be careful not to confuse bills with fee statements that many colleges send for your information only.

When do I receive my reimbursement or invoice from T.E.A.C.H.?

Once T.E.A.C.H. receives the tuition bill from your primary college, we will then apply your travel stipend, book reimbursements (if applicable) and release time (for family child care providers) to your account. We send you a check or an invoice, depending on the balance of your account. Please note that even if your financial aid covers all your tuition, you must still submit the same paperwork in order to receive your travel stipend, release time reimbursement (if applicable) and book reimbursement.

Can I take classes at different schools?

Yes. T.E.A.C.H. will set up the same third party billing arrangement with each school for which you have approved classes (up to your credit limit). T.E.A.C.H. will not pay for courses at secondary schools that are not transferable or courses not applicable to your degree.

What happens when I have reached my scholarship credit limit for tuition and books?

You are responsible for any tuition or book charges beyond your yearly scholarship credit limit. You can expect to receive a tuition invoice directly from the school. If you are unsure how many credits you have remaining, contact your T.E.A.C.H. program counselor.

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What if I am receiving financial aid via federal and state grants?

Financial aid in the form of grants must be applied to your school account before T.E.A.C.H. funds can be used. T.E.A.C.H. will then pay the remaining amount.

Am I required to apply for financial aid?

Yes. Applying for financial aid will stretch your own contribution as well as as those of the T.E.A.C.H. program. This will help ensure that we can continue to partner with you (and others) until you have reached your educational goals.

Can I take out student loans? What happens if I do?

Because one of the goals of T.E.A.C.H. is to help you reach your educational goals without incurring debt, we recommend that you plan to not take out loans but rather to earn your degree at a pace that works with your financial situation. However, you may still choose to take out student loans at your discretion. When you do, your tuition is paid first by federal and state grants and the rest is paid by T.E.A.C.H. Loans should not be applied to tuition unless you have already used your yearly scholarship credit limit.

Tuition bills at most colleges are automatically generated and sent to any student who has an outstanding balance on their account. Although T.E.A.C.H. is authorized to pay your tuition up to your scholarship credit limit, you may still receive tuition bills before and after the semester begins. It may take some time for T.E.A.C.H. to be applied to your student account and/or for the college to receive payment from T.E.A.C.H. for your tuition. Please call the financial aid office to see if this is in fact the reason for the bill you have received. If you have run out of scholarship funds, the college will issue you a bill directly that you must pay.

Can books be charged to T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA?

Unfortunately, books cannot be charged to T.E.A.C.H. because we do not have agreements with bookstores. However, T.E.A.C.H. will reimburse for required textbooks (not including taxes and shipping) for courses taken during the scholarship contract. You must submit copies of all book receipts to be reimbursed for T.E.A.C.H.’s share of the book costs.

What if I wish to drop a class?

Depending on when you drop the class (e.g. during the first week or during the eighth week), the school may keep all or a portion of the tuition that T.E.A.C.H. paid on your behalf and reimburse T.E.A.C.H. for the rest. You will be responsible for reimbursing T.E.A.C.H. for the full amount that T.E.A.C.H. does not receive from the school.

Check with your T.E.A.C.H. counselor and the registrars and financial aid offices at your school to learn of any financial repercussions before dropping a class.

What if I drop ALL of my classes?

Depending on when you drop the classes (e.g. during the first week or during the eighth week), the school may keep all or a portion of the tuition that T.E.A.C.H. paid on your behalf and reimburse T.E.A.C.H. for the rest. You will be responsible for reimbursing T.E.A.C.H. for the full amount that T.E.A.C.H. does not get back from the school. Additionally, you will become ineligible for any further reimbursements for that semester.

Check with your T.E.A.C.H. counselor and the registrars and financial aid offices at your school to learn of any financial repercussions before dropping all your classes.

What if I fail a class?

You will be responsible for the full amount paid by T.E.A.C.H. for the class. If you fail more than two classes in one contract year, you will be considered in violation of your contract and your scholarship may be rescinded.

What if I take an incomplete in a class?

You will have until the end of the following semester to complete the course. If we have not received a grade for the incomplete class by the time your grades for the following semester are due, we will assume that it has turned into an F and invoice you for the full amount paid for the class. You may update your file with your actual grade if this information is incorrect. If your actual grade is higher than an F, the invoice will then be canceled.

Can I test out of courses or get credit for what I know? Will T.E.A.C.H. pay for them?

Yes, this may be an option for you. If you are interested in learning more about this, please contact your T.E.A.C.H. counselor.

What is considered a successfully completed contract?

Minimum of nine credits earned
Grades on file
Information Update Form completed, submitted along with updated income (i.e. copy of recent pay stub, family income worksheet and/or copy of Schedule C tax form) and a copy of current child care license
All invoices paid

What if I am concerned that I will not successfully complete my contract?

Contact your program counselor immediately. Many setbacks to completing a contract are easy to resolve! We are always willing to help you find a solution and are usually able to be flexible when you need extra time. However, we need you to communicate with us as soon as possible about your concerns.

T.E.A.C.H. understands that there may be times when you cannot complete the minimum number of credit hours needed to complete your contract. If this happens, you will not be eligible to receive the bonus compensation outlined in your contract. However, you will not be penalized. You will not be required to pay back any scholarship funds used during the contract year and will be allowed to renew your scholarship contract.

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If I quit my job before the end of the contract and/or commitment period, do I have to pay back the scholarship (even if I move to another child care center)?

Yes. An invoice for the full amount paid on your scholarship will be sent to you including tuition, books, travel stipends and release time payments made to you or your center.

What is a travel stipend? How do I get my travel stipend?

A travel stipend is an automatic amount credited to a scholarship recipient’s account for each semester she is enrolled in classes. Scholarship recipients do not have to provide any documentation of mileage or parking fees.

The travel stipend is automatically credited to your account each semester that you are registered for classes. You will see it reflected on your statements.

What is a bonus?

Each T.E.A.C.H. recipient who successfully completes a contract is eligible to receive a monetary bonus. In the case of child care center employees, the bonus is awarded in two installments: one from T.E.A.C.H. following contract year completion and one from the employer six months later. Family child care providers receive one bonus payment from T.E.A.C.H. upon completion of their contract. Before a bonus is issued by T.E.A.C.H., all required paperwork and documentation must be complete and on file in the T.E.A.C.H. office.

What is release time?

Release time, although required, is often the most confusing part of the T.E.A.C.H. scholarship process. Please review the information below that applies to you.

For child care center employees

As a scholarship recipient, center employees are required to have an agreed upon number of work hours set aside for preparation for school. This time may be used studying, reading, doing research or getting errands done so nothing stands in the way of attending and completing classes. The child care center must agree to provide this when you apply. Both the center and you must work together in scheduling the time, with the employer making the final decision. Please be as flexible as possible in using your release time in order to cause the least amount of disruption for your employer and the children in your classroom. To make this cost more bearable for child care centers, T.E.A.C.H. provides some monetary reimbursement for the recipient’s release time.

For family child care providers

Family child care providers will automatically be reimbursed by T.E.A.C.H. for a set number of hours of release time per semester, regardless of whether you pay for substitute care. If you are a family child care provider, you must be familiar with your county child care regulations to structure your time away from children so that you are in full compliance with the terms of your license.

How do I reapply for a T.E.A.C.H. scholarship?

As long as you remain eligible and up-to-date with your paperwork (e.g. submitting course registration and grades on time), you may reapply for additional T.E.A.C.H. scholarships as long as you are pursuing an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in early childhood or child development. Near the end of a contract year, you will receive an information packet from T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA in the mail. This packet includes an information update and details about how to reapply for a scholarship. Family child care providers will also receive a Family Income Worksheet. All forms and documents required should be completed and returned to the T.E.A.C.H. office by the deadline listed for the semester in which you wish to renew your scholarship (e.g. for fall semester, the reapplication deadline is July 1). Most current scholarship recipients are approved for subsequent contracts, but this is not guaranteed.

What if I have a balance due or a Payment Plan Agreement in progress when I apply for a new contract?

You are responsible for paying the full amount due before a new contract will be awarded. If you are unable to make payments, contact your counselor immediately.

Do you pay for student teaching? May I take time off work to do my student teaching?

If you are registered for student teaching at the end of your bachelor’s degree program, you may be eligible for a student teaching stipend. If you receive a stipend, you are required to work at least 10 hours per week in your center while student teaching. These 10 hours do not need to be in direct care, but do need to be spent at the center (e.g. filing, doing parent/teacher conferences, preparing lessons). Let your T.E.A.C.H. program counselor know if you are planning to do student teaching, so you can determine whether this stipend will be available to you.

The Minnesota Child Care Resource and Referral Network is a member of the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies and is funded in part by the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

Contact us:

Mary Wynne T.E.A.C.H. Program Director Phone: 651-290-9704 x104 maryw@mnchildcare.org	Christina Schwartz T.E.A.C.H. Program Coordinator Phone: 651-290-9704 x109 christinas@mnchildcare.org
Minnesota Child Care Resource & Referral Network 380 Lafayette Road, Suite 103, Saint Paul, MN 55107 T: 651-290-9704 F: 651-290-9785 Twin Cities area : 651-665-0150.	Shelly Hendricks T.E.A.C.H. Program Counselor Phone: 651-290-9704 x106 shellyh@mnchildcare.org