686.12—Agreement to serve.
(a) General.
A student who meets the eligibility requirements in § 686.11 may receive a TEACH Grant only after he or she signs an agreement to serve provided by the Secretary and receives counseling in accordance with § 686.32.
(b) Contents of the agreement to serve.
The agreement provides that, for each TEACH Grant-eligible program for which the student received TEACH Grant funds, the grant recipient must fulfill a service obligation by performing creditable teaching service by—
(1)
Serving as a full-time teacher for a total of not less than four elementary or secondary academic years within eight calendar years after completing the program or otherwise ceasing to be enrolled in the program for which the recipient received the TEACH Grant—
(iii)
In a high-need field in the majority of classes taught during each elementary and secondary academic year.
(2)
Submitting, upon completion of each year of service, documentation of the service in the form of a certification by a chief administrative officer of the school; and
(3)
Complying with the terms, conditions, and other requirements consistent with §§ 686.40-686.43 that the Secretary determines to be necessary.
(c) Completion of more than one service obligation.
(1)
A grant recipient must complete a service obligation for each program of study for which he or she received TEACH Grants. Each service obligation begins following the completion or other cessation of enrollment by the student in the TEACH Grant-eligible program for which the student received TEACH Grant funds. However, creditable teaching service, a suspension approved under § 686.41(a)(2), or a military discharge granted under § 686.42(c)(2) may apply to more than one service obligation.
(2)
A grant recipient may request a suspension, in accordance with § 686.41, of the eight-year time period in paragraph (b)(1) of this section.
(d) Majoring and serving in a high-need field.
A grant recipient who completes a TEACH Grant-eligible program in a field that is listed in the Nationwide List cannot satisfy his or her service obligation to teach in that high-need field unless the high-need field in which he or she has prepared to teach is listed in the Nationwide List for the State in which the grant recipient begins teaching at the time the recipient begins teaching in that field.
(e) Repayment for failure to complete service obligation.
If a grant recipient fails or refuses to carry out the required service obligation described in paragraph (b) of this section, the TEACH Grants received by the recipient must be repaid and will be treated as a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, with interest accruing from the date of each TEACH Grant disbursement, in accordance with applicable sections of subpart B of 34 CFR part 685.