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Financial arrangements

Salaries and health benefits

Corps members are paid directly by the school districts where they work and receive the same salaries and health benefits as other beginning teachers.

Salaries
While beginning teacher salaries vary by district, corps members generally find that they can live comfortably regardless of their placement site. Corps members teaching in urban sites typically have higher salaries, starting at $28,000 and reaching a high of $44,000. Corps members in rural sites, who make between $25,000 and $33,000, tend to have more discretionary income because the cost of living is disproportionately lower in these sites. Beginning teachers with advanced degrees often earn higher salaries, so applicants with a Master's and/or a PhD can expect salaries that, in some cases, exceed these ranges.

How does a teacher's salary compare to salaries in other entry-level positions? Here is a comparison of the national average salary that beginning teachers made during the 2005-06 school year in our regions, and those of other entry-level positions.

Sources: National Association of Colleges and Employers Summer Salary Survey 2006; Teach For America

*In order to provide a more direct comparison, this chart displays the salary for starting Teach For America corps members in our urban regions, since the other positions in the chart are typically only available in urban regions.

To find average salaries for beginning teachers in a specific region, visit our placement regions, and go to the Cost of living section within the region of interest. Since cost of living varies from region to region, you can also use the cost of living calculator to see how far a beginning teacher's salary goes.

Health benefits
Corps members generally receive the same health benefits as other beginning teachers. As with most health plans, this means that the district pays for medical and dental insurance premiums, and corps members make contributions directly from their paychecks.

Transitional grants and loans

In an effort to ensure that qualified candidates of all economic situations are able to join our corps, we offer need-based transitional grants and no-interest loans to help corps members make it to their first paychecks. Packages range from $1,000 to $6,000 based on an applicant's demonstrated need and the cost of living in the assigned region.

Applications for transitional grants and loans are made available online to applicants who are invited to the in-person interview day, and applying for transitional funding has absolutely no bearing on admissions decisions. Grants and loans are awarded at the beginning of the summer institute and may be used to reimburse travel costs to the summer institute and regional inductions. Applicants can also use transitional awards to pay for personal and moving expenses (e.g., deposits on apartments) and necessary coursework, testing, and district processing fees.

Teach For America covers most major expenses during the summer institute, including room and board. Room and board is also covered for one to two weeks during regional inductions.

AmeriCorps member benefits

Teach For America is currently a member of AmeriCorps, the national service network. Through this relationship, our corps members who have not served previously as AmeriCorps members are eligible to receive loan forbearance and interest payment on qualified student loans during their two years of service (to learn more, click here to go to AmeriCorps' benefits page). Additionally, those who have not previously received AmeriCorps awards receive an education award of $4,725 at the end of each year of service (a total of $9,450 over the two years), which may be used toward future educational expenses or to repay qualified student loans. As AmeriCorps members, corps members also join a national network of other service programs and have opportunities to meet others in the network and to participate in AmeriCorps events in their regions.

Corps members teaching during the 2007-08 school year are currently receiving these benefits as part of a three-year grant. Next year, Teach For America must apply for a new AmeriCorps grant. Therefore, while we are hopeful that 2008 corps members will receive AmeriCorps benefits during their two-year commitments, Teach For America cannot guarantee these benefits given the nature of the AmeriCorps competitive grant process and the dependence on Congressional funding cycles. Additionally, depending on the federal and state grant processes, some corps members might receive lesser AmeriCorps benefits based on availability of awards. Teach For America anticipates receiving final confirmation on education awards for next year in spring 2008. For further details on AmeriCorps benefits, visit the AmeriCorps website at www.americorps.org.