ded to undergraduate students, there is also a limit on how long you can receive funds under the Federal Pell Grant program, which is currently set at 12 semesters.
The Student Financial Aid website can provide more information about the level of payment you may be entitled to, as well as the special circumstances behind the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant.
- 5. Federal Stafford Loan Program
If you choose to go down the route of a Stafford Loan, you will have two options available to you; subsidized and unsubsidized loans. Neither of these are credit-based, and you can currently borrow up to $12,000 per year via an unsubsidized loan, depending on your eligibility.
The interest rate is fixed and no payments need to be made while you are studying at least half-time. By opting for a subsidized loan, the federal government pays the interest, while the interest is left to accrue while you’re in school by choosing the unsubsidized option.
In much the same way as on the Student Financial Aid website and for the Federal Pell Grant, you will need to file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
For more information on the application process, eligibility, and current loan interest rates, you can visit the Stafford Loan website.
- 6. State Teaching Requirements
TEACH is a partnership led by Microsoft, State Farm and the U.S. Department of Education. The TEACH website is a great resource for finding out which licensing and certification requirements apply to which US states.
While most certificates require a Bachelor’s Degree as standard, you can also find out how long each certificate is renewable for, as well as whether or not there are specific GPA requirements.
Although Teach.org does provide you with an option to search for teaching jobs in the field of Physical Education, we found many listings to be out of date, so it’s probably best to use a dedicated job search engine, such as our option listed above (number 2 on this list).
TEACH – Teacher Licensing and Certification Requirements
- 7. Praxis II test
As part of the licensing and certification process required for many states, prospective teachers will need to take what’s known as the ‘Praxis II Tests’.
Subject assessments are available for over 120 different areas of study, so it’s important to check with your local state education system to confirm that this particular test is something they require.
In terms of what to expect from the test content, questions can include multiple choice, essays, and constructed responses. These questions are created by educators and disciplinary specialists with a goal to assess your subject-specific teaching skills at various grade level ranges from K to 12.
For more information on the various testing requirements imposed by specific states, your best option is to visit the Praxis website directly, then search for specific state requirements using the dropdown box in the sidebar.
Specific tests vary greatly, and include the Georgia Assessments for Certification of Educators (GACE) if you want to teach in Georgia, and the Praxis Core tests if you want to teach in Oklahoma.
- 8. National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
The NBPTS was created in 1987 as a response to the 1983 report entitled ‘A Nation at Risk’, which outlined concerns about a rising level of mediocrity in America’s education system.
As well as defining the expectations required to maintain and improve upon the current level of teaching and learning, the NBPTS is also in place to recognise accomplishments in the profession.
The standards themselves have actually been created by teachers, with a voluntary process in place to certify teachers against these standards, called the National Board Certification.
If you’re considering getting Board-certified yourself, the National Board website contains an invaluable resource detailing the process involved. The site also contains research showing that students of Board-certified teachers learn more than students in other classrooms, and details of state-offered incentives for teachers to attain Board certifica