Due to school districts and hiring requirements, Teach For America requires that all applicants maintain an undergraduate cumulative GPA of at least 2.50 both at the time of application and at graduation. Admitted candidates whose final average falls below 2.50 will forego their positions in Teach For America. Graduate GPAs cannot be used or averaged in with undergraduate GPAs, nor can additional undergraduate courses completed after the date of graduation. If your cumulative undergraduate GPA was below a 2.50 but you have a completed graduate degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher, learn more about our GPA Prerequisite Waiver.

The 2.50 minimum GPA is mandated by the school districts and credentialing programs with which we work, and we have no way of working around this requirement. If this is prevents for you applying to Teach For America, we encourage you, on your own, to explore individual school districts to determine whether or not your GPA will prevent you from teaching in a school district in which you are interested.

Learn more about our application prerequisites.

You can apply for early admission to the 2026 corps if you meet the following criteria:

• Undergraduate graduation date between 07/01/2025 and 06/30/2026
• Undergraduate GPA of 2.5 or higher
• U.S. Citizen, National/Permanent Resident, or have an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from an eligible category

Juniors who have participated in Breakthrough, Ignite, or are Campus Ambassadors are eligible to apply for early admission to the 2026 Teach For America corps during the February and March deadline windows. You can learn more about early admission on our Application Process page.

If you are not yet eligible to apply to Teach For America, you can learn more about internships and opportunities to get involved with our mission now. on our Internships & Fellowships page.​

Summer training, which generally includes a week-long regional induction, five-week intensive training institute, and a week-long regional orientation, is mandatory. As a general rule of thumb, once you begin induction, you can expect to have weekday commitments from that day forward until the beginning of the school year. If you have a conflict that is earlier in the summer, you may want to preference regions with later training dates. If you know now that your conflict would require you to miss more than one day of each region’s training schedule, then you will not be able to join the corps. Please consider applying for a future corps instead.

You can apply to the teacher corps if you meet the following criteria:

• You must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university by the first day of your summer training. The start date for summer training varies by region but is typically in June.
• Undergraduate GPA of 2.5 or higher at the time of application & degree conferral.
  
• U.S. Citizen, National/Permanent Resident, or have an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from an eligible category.

Interested in applying to the teacher corps before your senior year? Learn more about early admission on our Application Process page.

If you are not yet eligible to apply to Teach For America, you can learn more about internships and opportunities to get involved with our mission now on our Internships & Fellowships page.

Teach For America requires that all applicants possess a bachelor's degree by the start of our summer training program (between early and mid-June), which varies depending on your assigned region. Having a bachelor’s degree by the first day of the summer training is a requirement because corps members teach summer school in a public school system during this time. Corps members are also placed in teaching positions in their assigned region throughout the spring and summer.

If you've completed all of your coursework for your undergraduate degree but are still waiting to have your degree conferred, normally we can work with you to get the necessary documentation from your school to verify that you are eligible.

If you still have coursework to complete after June, you should wait until the following application season to apply.

We welcome people of all backgrounds, ages, and experiences to apply to the corps. As long as you are a US citizen, national, lawful permanent resident, or have an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from an eligible category (note: not all EAD holders are eligible) and have a bachelor's degree with at least a 2.50 cumulative undergraduate GPA, you are eligible to apply to Teach For America. In the event that your cumulative undergraduate GPA falls below a 2.50, we do offer a waiver to the minimum undergraduate GPA requirement for those applicants who have a graduate degree with at least a 3.50 GPA. While some of our corps members join immediately after completing their undergraduate degrees, a significant percentage of corps members are not directly out of college and have often completed graduate degrees or had experiences in other careers.

Please keep in mind that there are additional qualities we are looking for in our applicants beyond these three base requirements. We seek goal-oriented individuals with the leadership skills necessary to excel as teachers during their two-year commitments and to influence long-term change beyond the two years. Ideal candidates also possess a desire and ability to work in diverse coalitions and continuously seek to improve and learn. They should also have a deep conviction to expand opportunities and change inequitable systems.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens, nationals, lawful permanent residents, or have an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) through one of the following categories which does not require employer sponsorship: A02, A03, A05, A10, A11, A12, A16, A19, A20, C08, C09, C10, C14, C18, C19, C21, C25, C31, C33.

You are not eligible to apply if you are in the United States with a student visa, exchange visa, work visa, or tourist visa.

Candidates may only apply to Teach For America once during an admissions year but are welcome to reapply during subsequent admissions years. For example, candidates who apply for the 2024 corps will not be eligible to reapply at a later deadline during the 2024-2025 school year. However, they may reapply for the 2025 corps, beginning August 2024.

Teach For America reserves the right to use any and all information submitted in previous applications when making admissions decisions.

Due to school districts and hiring requirements, Teach For America requires that all applicants maintain an undergraduate cumulative GPA of at least 2.50 both at the time of application and at graduation. Admitted candidates whose final average falls below 2.50 will forego their positions in Teach For America. Graduate GPAs cannot be used or averaged in with undergraduate GPAs, nor can additional undergraduate courses completed after the date of graduation. If your cumulative undergraduate GPA was below a 2.50 but you have a graduate degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher, you can look into our GPA Prerequisite Waiver.

The 2.50 minimum GPA is mandated by the school districts and credentialing programs with which we work, and we have no way of working around this requirement. If this is prevents for you applying to Teach For America, we encourage you, on your own, to explore individual school districts to determine whether or not your GPA will prevent you from teaching in a school district in which you are interested.

Teach For America requires that all applicants possess a bachelor's degree by the start of our summer training program (between early and mid-June), which varies depending on your assigned region. Having a bachelor’s degree by the first day of the summer training is a requirement because corps members teach summer school in a public school system during this time. Corps members are also placed in teaching positions in their assigned region throughout the spring and summer.

If you've completed all of your coursework for your undergraduate degree but are still waiting to have your degree conferred, normally we can work with you to get the necessary documentation from your school to verify that you are eligible.

If you still have coursework to complete after June, you should wait until the following application season to apply.

For some applicants with an undergraduate GPA less than 2.50, a GPA prerequisite waiver is an option.

If you struggled in undergrad, you may be eligible for a waiver if you earned a graduate degree with a GPA of 3.50 or higher on a 4.00 scale. You do not need to apply for the waiver. As you fill out the application with an undergraduate GPA lower than 2.50, you will see a warning message that you are not eligible to apply.

Simply continue the application if your graduate school transcripts show a final cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher. You’ll receive the same level of review by the selection committee as other candidates. If you are invited to an interview, you’ll be required to submit an official transcript from every undergraduate and graduate university you have attended.

Please note that receiving this waiver will limit your potential placement regions. You must be willing to relocate to one of these areas if admitted to the corps.

You will only be eligible to teach in the following regions:

• Alabama
• Colorado
• D.C. Region
• Greater Delta: Mississippi & Arkansas
• Greater New Orleans
• Greater Tulsa
• Houston
• Idaho
• Indianapolis
• Jacksonville
• Las Vegas
• Massachusetts
• Milwaukee
• Nashville-Chattanooga
• New Jersey
• Oklahoma City
• San Antonio

Teach For America’s research shows that teachers who have helped their students achieve the most dramatic growth often possess certain qualities and characteristics. Find this and more on our eligibility page.

Teach For America requires that all applicants possess a bachelor's degree by the start of our summer training program (between early and mid-June), which varies depending on your assigned region. Having a bachelor’s degree by the first day of the summer training is a requirement because corps members teach summer school in a public school system during this time. Corps members are also placed in teaching positions in their assigned region throughout the spring and summer.

If you've completed all of your coursework for your undergraduate degree but are still waiting to have your degree conferred, normally we can work with you to get the necessary documentation from your school to verify that you are eligible.

If you still have coursework to complete after June, you should wait until the following application season to apply.

While Teach For America does not distinguish between accreditation types, it is possible our university and/or certification partners may have more specific requirements.

If you suspect your degree-granting institution may not meet certain accreditation requirements, you are encouraged to research the certification requirements for the school district where you are interested in teaching to learn more.

If you suspect your degree-granting institution may not meet certain accreditation requirements, you are encouraged to research the certification requirements for the school district where you are interested in teaching to learn more.

Many certification programs do not accept National accreditation. 

Our accreditation requirements impacting eligibility are exclusively decided by university and/or certification partners.

Yes! College juniors can apply early. As an early admissions applicant, you’ll be evaluated on the same criteria as any other applicant. We encourage you to apply when you believe your application will be the strongest, whether that is as a junior or as a senior.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens, nationals, lawful permanent residents, or have an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) through one of the following categories which does not require employer sponsorship: A02, A03, A05, A10, A11, A12, A16, A19, A20, C08, C09, C10, C14, C18, C19, C21, C25, C31, C33.

You are not eligible to apply if you are in the United States with a student visa, exchange visa, work visa, or tourist visa.

Candidates may only apply to Teach For America once during an admissions year but are welcome to reapply during subsequent admissions years. For example, candidates who apply for the 2026 corps will not be eligible to reapply at a later deadline during the 2025-26 school year. However, they may reapply during the 2027 admissions season, beginning August 2026.

Teach For America reserves the right to use any and all information submitted in previous applications when making admissions decisions.

Yes! In addition to the Ignite Fellowship, Teach For America offers paid internships and roles to undergraduates from all college majors and in all parts of the country. Several of our partners also have opportunities for you to get involved. Find out more on Internships and Experiences.

The admissions process includes an online application and interview. There are several steps that happen in between the time you submit the online application and the time you may be invited to the interview. The entire process takes about 4-6 weeks, from start to finish.

~1 Hour: Complete Your Online Application

The timing varies for each applicant, but you may be able to complete the application in as little as one hour. The application consists of a series of background questions, a resume upload, and two short answer responses.

1 Week: TFA Reviews Your Online Application

It takes about a week for us to review all applications after each application deadline. The information you provide in the online application will help us gain a more thorough understanding of who you are, your unique strengths, and motivations for joining the corps. Having this full picture will help us decide if you should move on to the final interview.

2 Weeks: Prepare for Interview & Submit Additional Materials

If you are invited to the interview, you will be notified about one week after the application deadline. The interview window begins a week after invitations are sent, and applicants can sign up for an interview that best matches their schedule within that interview window. Applicants will need to submit their recommenders' contact info if they are invited to an interview, and we encourage applicants to submit that information, as well as their transcript(s), prior to their interview. These materials provide us with additional examples of your leadership and accomplishments before you head into the interview. During your interview, you'll teach a five-minute lesson, participate in a case activity, and discuss your accomplishments and interest in joining the corps with an interviewer.

2 Weeks: Submit Your Regional Preferences / Admissions Decision

After you are invited to interview, you'll finalize your placement community selection(s) within your region(s) of interest or elsewhere. During this time, you'll be able to compare our communities and determine the factors that are most important to you. While one community selection is required, you may select up to two additional options that you're also excited about. Your location preferences have no impact on your chance of acceptance. We'll then evaluate your full application. Our admissions process is holistic, meaning we look at all the information you've provided when evaluating your candidacy. We'll take everything from your initial application through your interview into consideration.

~10 Days: Accept or Decline Your Offer

At this time, you'll be notified of your admissions decision and your region and subject placement. If you've received an offer to join the corps, you'll have around 10 days to make your decision about accepting your offer to become a corps member."

When thinking about when to apply, you should carefully consider the timeline associated with each deadline. You should ensure you’re available to attend the interviews and able to make the decision to commit to the corps by the confirmation deadline.

Though rare, deferrals are typically granted for admitted applicants who have serious emergencies or who have a unique opportunity that will significantly add to their value in the classroom or to ending educational inequity.

Admitted applicants may submit a request for a one-year deferral. We are unable to offer multiple-year deferrals, except in the event of serious family or medical emergencies. Each deferral request will be reviewed and evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the Admissions team and the staff members of the applicant’s assigned region. Candidates granted deferrals will have a place in the corps in their assigned region the following year.

If you have not received your verification/acceptance letter, contact us. Our admissions team can assist.

Our application process is designed to help you prepare for the rigor of our program, and to help us select the most qualified candidates.

We look for a number of specific traits that are common among our most successful corps members. In order to give you the best opportunity to demonstrate these traits, we ask all applicants to provide multiple examples of their skills, experiences, aspirations, and leadership, including transcripts, written responses, and letters of recommendation.

The interview also gives you an opportunity to expand on the examples you provided in your application, and fill in any gaps. Having multiple examples of your leadership experiences, and accomplishments from different sources gives us a holistic picture of who you are, and how your strengths might play out in the classroom.

Regions are filled on a first-come, first-served basis based on regional selections at each application deadline. Given this, some regions may be closed to new corps members by the time someone applies at a later deadline. Applying earlier may be advantageous if you have a particular region you would like to teach in.

There are additional advantages to applying to the first or second deadline. You'll have more time to take certification exams and complete your pre-work in advance of summer training. This additional time can also be very helpful as you plan for the transition into the corps and a potential move to a new community.

Corps members are required to attend Pre-Service training in full. Learn more about the Pre-Service training schedule.​

Corps members may be granted up to two days of leave from Pre-Service training under compelling circumstances, such as your graduation ceremony or a wedding ceremony. It is our policy to grant no more than two instructional days of leave due to the fast-paced training schedule. Applying for leave does not guarantee that your request will be granted.

If you have a conflict that is earlier in the summer, you may want to select placement community(ies) with later training dates. In the event that you have a multiple day conflict, you will need to resolve that conflict to teach in your assigned region. If you are concerned about this, you should discuss this with your regional contact.

Applicants, have questions or need help? Contact us​

Yes, to complete the application you will need to write two short-answer responses (450 words maximum for each) about why you are motivated to join Teach For America and your greatest accomplishment in a professional, academic, or organizational setting. Your answers to these questions helps us learn more about your motivations and interest in joining the corps, as well as your achievements. If you are invited to the interview, we may ask you to expand on your responses to these questions.

*As a reminder, all aspects of your application must be your own individual work. Any response that is not completely your own work will automatically call your application into question per our falsification or misrepresentation policy and may result in immediate dismissal from the application process or corps.

Have other questions or need more help? Contact us.

Teach For America's application process includes an online application and interview. There are several steps that happen in between the time you submit the online application and the time you may be invited to the interview. The entire process takes about 4-6 weeks, from start to finish

Complete an Online Application (~1 Hour)

The timing varies for each applicant, but you may be able to complete the application in as little as one hour. The application consists of a series of background questions, a resume upload, short answer responses, and the chance to tell us which regions you would like to apply to.

TFA Reviews Your Online Application (1 Week)

It takes about a week for us to review all applications after each application deadline. The information you provide in the online application will help us gain a more thorough understanding of who you are, your unique strengths, and motivations for joining the corps. Having this full picture will help us decide if you should move on to the final interview.

Prepare for Interview & Submit Additional Materials (2 Weeks)

If you are invited to the interview, you will be notified about one week after the application deadline. You will then have about two weeks to prepare for the interview and submit required materials such as college transcripts and letters of recommendation. These materials provide us with additional examples of your leadership and accomplishments before you head into the interview. During your interview, you’ll teach a five-minute lesson, participate in a case activity, and discuss your accomplishments and interest in joining the corps with an interviewer.

Finalize your Regional Selections and Submit Your Preferred Subject Areas (~2 Weeks)

After your interview, you’ll be asked to finalize your regional selections from your initial application. As a reminder, your location preferences have no impact on your chance of acceptance. In addition to finalizing your regional selections, you will have the chance to tell us the subject areas that you are most excited to teach in your region if you are admitted.

Receive An Admissions Decision & Accept or Decline Your Offer (10 Days)

Teach For America will evaluate your full application after you finalize your regional selections and submit your subject area preferences. Our admissions process is holistic, meaning we look at all the information you’ve provided when evaluating your candidacy. We’ll take everything from your initial application, to your sample lesson, and to your interview into consideration. When you receive your admissions decision you will also be notified about your region and subject placement. If you’ve received an offer to join the corps, you’ll have roughly two weeks to make your decision about accepting your offer to become a corps member

If admitted to the corps, corps members are expected to submit to any and all background checks required by their school districts, charter schools, other employers, Teach For America, and other relevant agencies.

Read more on our Admissions Policies page.

We know choosing where you are placed is incredibly important. Whether you end up moving across the country or teaching in your hometown, we want to give all corps members as much time as possible to prepare for the transition. If admitted, you will receive your offer for location at the same time as your admissions decision.

For this reason, we ask you to indicate your placement community selection(s) before you are admitted to the corps so you can be notified of your placement at the same time you find out your admissions decision. You'll have this key piece of information when you enter the decision window to accept your offer.

Our application process is designed to help you prepare for the rigor of our program, and to help us select the most qualified candidates.

We look for a number of specific traits that are common among our most successful corps members. In order to give you the best opportunity to demonstrate these traits, we ask all applicants to provide multiple examples of their skills, experiences, aspirations, and leadership, including transcripts, written responses, and letters of recommendation.

The interview also gives you an opportunity to expand on the examples you provided in your application, and fill in any gaps. Having multiple examples of your leadership experiences, and accomplishments from different sources gives us a holistic picture of who you are, and how your strengths might play out in the classroom.

Teach For America's application process consists of a brief online application and an interview. Learn more about applying to the corps and application tips.

Regions are filled on a first-come, first-served basis based on placement community selections at each application deadline. Given this, some regional placement communities may be closed to new corps members by the time someone applies at a later deadline. Applying earlier may be advantageous if you have a particular placement community you would like to teach in.

There are additional advantages to applying to the first or second deadline. You'll have more time to take certification exams and complete your pre-work in advance of summer training. This additional time can also be very helpful as you plan for the transition into the corps and a potential move to a new community.

Teach For America may require additional information from applicants before determining whether to invite them to an interview.

Teach For America reserves the right to collect information from applicants at a later date and use this information in admissions decisions.

Failure to respond to requests for more information is grounds for non-admission or dismissal.

When thinking about when to apply, you should carefully consider the timeline associated with each deadline. You should ensure you're available to attend the interviews and able to make the decision to commit to the corps by the confirmation deadline.​

Note that regions are filled on a first-come, first-served basis based on regional selections at each application deadline. Given this, some regions may be closed to new corps members by the time someone applies at a later deadline.

Yes, we understand that applicants live across many locations and always have the option to conduct their final interview virtually. All of our interviews are conducted virtually via Zoom, an online video conferencing service. In order to participate in a virtual interview you must have secure internet access and a webcam. Video is required for the interview.

If admitted to the corps, you are expected to submit to any and all background checks required by school districts, charter schools, other employers, Teach For America, and other relevant agencies.

Teach For America reserves the right to deny admission to or dismiss any corps member who has been involved in a criminal proceeding other than minor traffic violations, regardless of the outcome.

Teach For America is not responsible for finding alternative placements for corps members who cannot be hired or who are fired by their assigned school districts because of their criminal records or involvement in criminal proceedings, or who are deemed ineligible by Teach For America due to criminal history. In addition, Teach For America reserves the right to inform the school district in which the corps member is teaching or planning to teach of the corps member’s conviction records or ongoing involvement in criminal proceedings.

If, through background checks conducted or commissioned by a state, district, or Teach For America, it is found that an applicant or a corps member did not disclose their involvement in a criminal proceeding in the application as required and described therein, this may be treated as falsification or misrepresentation, which are grounds for dismissal from the corps.

If a background check conducted or reviewed by Teach For America yields a criminal record that would preclude an applicant or corps member from service, the applicant or corps member will be notified of the finding and have the opportunity to review and challenge the factual accuracy of the record before action is taken to exclude the applicant or corps member from the position. In such cases, details on the process for obtaining and challenging the results of the background check will be included in the notification of findings.

Yes, you can certainly apply if you have a family. We recommend first verifying that the location where you need to remain is within a reasonable commute to one of our placement communities. Assuming you are eligible for placement in that region, we'll do our best to make sure you won't have to relocate. If you are invited to an interview, you'll complete the special circumstances form, where you can indicate the community you need to be placed in and any details about your circumstances that might make it difficult to relocate. Our Assignment Team will do everything in their power to make sure you and your family stay put. Granted, sometimes we are limited by the needs of your preferred region and what you are eligible to teach, but we'll work with you to try and meet you and your family's needs.

Given the volume of applications Teach For America receives, we are unable to provide individual feedback about admissions decisions to applicants who are not accepted at any stage of the application process.

Teach For America uses the following key factors in determining placement:

• Your placement community selections and preferences for teaching subject
• Availability of teaching positions across the nation for the upcoming school year
• Subject and grade-level needs of our school and district partners
• Hiring requirements, including undergraduate coursework credits required for each position and regional certification requirements

Most corps members receive their first paycheck between late August and late September depending on regional assignment. In an effort to ensure that qualified candidates from all economic situations are able to join the corps, we offer a few financial assistance options to help you make it to your first paycheck.

Teach For America offers financial support stipends for corps members as well as need-based transitional grants and no-interest loans to help corps members make it to their first paychecks. Need-based packages are based on an applicant's demonstrated need, the cost of living in the assigned region and their stipend amount.

Financial Support is awarded at the beginning of pre-service training and may be used to meet costs associated with transitioning into the corps, such as:

• Reimbursement for travel costs to pre-service commitments and regional practicums
• To pay for personal and moving expenses (e.g., deposits on apartments)
• To pay for necessary coursework, testing, and district-processing fees

Teach For America doesn’t specifically offer loan cancellation or forgiveness to corps members. As a nonprofit organization with limited funds, we simply don’t have the resources to forgive the student loans of all of our corps members. However, some school districts and programs offer loan cancellation to teachers who serve a number of years in a school district.

Teach For America is a proud member of AmeriCorps, the national service network. Through this relationship, corps members may be eligible to enroll in AmeriCorps and therefore may be eligible for forbearance on their qualified student loans during their term of service. AmeriCorps alumni are eligible to have the National Service Trust pay all or a portion of the interest that accumulated on qualified student loan(s) during their term of service. Additionally, those who have not previously received AmeriCorps awards may receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of up to $6,800 at the end of each year of service, which maybe used towards 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.

Given the nature of the AmeriCorps competitive grant process and the dependence on Congressional funding cycles, we cannot guarantee these benefits for corps members each year. Per regulations, the AmeriCorps education award and interest accrual payments are considered to be taxable income for the year in which they are used.

Learn more about AmeriCorps eligibility.

If you have specific questions about your AmeriCorps eligibility or benefits, please contact americorps@teachforamerica.org.

Corps members are full-time, salaried employee of their school district, charter school, or pre-K center. Their salary and benefits are the same as those of other beginning teachers working for the same employers. These vary by school and region, based on cost of living, regional education budgets, and many other factors.

You can compare our regions to learn more about how salaries and cost of living differ.

Because corps members are paid directly by the schools and districts for whom they work their benefits are determined by the school and can vary. In general, corps members can expect to receive medical, dental, and vision benefits, as well as life insurance options and retirement benefits.

No. Corps members are employed directly by the schools and districts in which they are hired.

You will get to tell us where you would like to teach as a part of your initial application. After you've completed your interview, you will have the opportunity to revisit your original regional selections.

As you consider where you would like to teach, you should consider the factors most important to you in a region, compare cost of living, most likely subject placements in a region, master's degree options, etc. to determine which region(s) may be a good fit for you.

The ability to select a region in your application and/or after your interview depends on several factors, such as meeting the regional requirements for eligibility in the region as set by the state or licensing partner (GPA, coursework, etc.), being available when the region has their summer training, and the number of placements still available.

We know being landing in a region that matches your priorities is incredibly important. Whether you end up moving across the country or teaching in your hometown, we want to give all corps members as much time as possible to prepare for the transition.

For this reason, we ask you to indicate your regional selections before you are admitted to the corps so you can be notified of your placement at the same time you find out your admissions decision. You’ll have this key piece of information before you make your final decision.

Teach For America uses the following key factors in determining placement:

• Availability of teaching positions across the nation for the upcoming school year
• Subject and grade-level needs of our school and district partners
• Hiring requirements, including undergraduate coursework credits required for each position and regional certification requirements
• Your regional selections and preferences for teaching subject

Learn more about regional placement with this guide to the most common misconceptions about where you will teachas a Teach For America corps member.

Your regional selections have no bearing on your admissions decision.

Regions are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so applicants who apply early will have a better chance of securing a slot in their region of choice as long as they qualify to teach there.

You will have the opportunity to research and submit your regional selections in your initial application, and you will have an opportunity to revisit these selections after you've completed your interview.

At this time, you will also indicate your preferences for what you want to teach.

Depending on your application timeline, you'll receive your regional and subject assignment about two weeks after finalizing your regional selections.

Then, you'll have about 2 weeks to consider and accept your offer.

If you already have a bachelor's degree, you are not eligible through early admissions process. The early admissions process is specifically for college juniors who have completed a semester of the Ignite Fellowship or the Breakthrough Collaborative, or have served at least one semester as a Campus Ambassador.

 

The only exception is for applicants in a dual-degree program who will receive both their bachelor's and master's degrees at the same time (often known as co-terming).

 

If you are not eligible to apply early to the corps, we encourage you to apply through the standard process.

You will receive your community and subject assignment at the same time you learn of your acceptance into TFA. Sometimes your subject assignment will include your grade-level or grade-level range, but not always. Our regions work with school districts to determine the grade level and subject assignment of our corps members, and do not always have projections on their school districts' needs for future school years.

No. We evaluate candidates based on competitiveness, not the timing of their application. Those who apply early to the corps will be evaluated on the same criteria as any other applicant. Corps members are selected based on leadership potential and other criteria.

We encourage you to apply when you believe your application will be the strongest.

 

Yes! College juniors who have completed one semester of the Ignite Fellowship or the Breakthrough Collaborative, or have served at least one semester as a Campus Ambassador, are eligible to apply early to Teach For America. As an early admissions applicant, you'll be evaluated on the same criteria as any other applicant. Read more about early admissions.

Many campuses have policies that dictate when students can formally accept job offers, so applicants admitted early accept their offers in the fall of their senior year, typically in late October or early November.

You can apply for early admissions to the 2027 corps if you meet the following criteria:

• Undergraduate graduation date between 07/01/2026 and 06/30/2027
• Undergraduate GPA of 2.5 or higher
• U.S. Citizen, National/Permanent Resident, or have an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from an eligible category
• Completed a semester of the Ignite Fellowship or Breakthrough Collaborative, OR served at least one semester as a Campus Ambassador
  

You can learn more about early admission on our Application Process page.

If you are not yet eligible to apply to Teach For America, you can learn more about internships and opportunities to get involved with our mission now on our Internships & Fellowships page: Internships & Fellowships

If you are admitted, you will be notified of your admissions decision according to your application deadline and will then be able to accept our offer in the fall of your senior year. During the summer, you will have opportunities to connect to our network and learn more about our program, your placement community, and what you can be doing to prepare for the corps. You will also receive an offer to our Ignite Fellowship, which offers an excellent opportunity to further prepare for your time in the corps.

Applying early for the corps is almost exactly the same as our regular admissions process; the application and notification timing is just different. College juniors who have completed at least one semester of the Ignite Fellowship or the Breakthrough Collaborative, or have served at least one semester as a Campus Ambassador, are eligible to apply early to Teach For America.

Read more about application steps and requirements for early admission.

 

If you are not admitted, you are eligible to re-apply to the corps through our standard application process. Should you choose to reapply, you would need to complete a new online application as well as any additional required activities and interviews to which you are invited.

Keep in mind that applicants who choose to reapply are not guaranteed to be invited to any specific portion of the process.

You should apply when you think your application will be the strongest. As one of our selection criteria is strong achievement in academic, professional, extracurricular, and/or volunteer settings, if you're not able to speak to the impact you have had yet, it may be best to wait until fall of your senior year and apply through the standard admissions process.

If you are invited to a interview and cannot attend for any reason, you can reapply through our next application season. Should you choose to reapply, you would need to complete a new online application as well as any additional required activities and interviews to which you are invited.

Keep in mind that applicants who choose to reapply are not guaranteed to be invited to any specific portion of the process.

Yes. If you are not admitted early, you are welcome to apply to the corps through the standard application process the following season. 

If you do not see your question answered here, you can reach us through the Contact Us tool or the Help tool on the Applicant Center once you start an application. Due to our high inbox volume, we typically do not respond to questions that are answered in our FAQ, so check here thoroughly before reaching out.​

Teach For America is committed to a policy of equal treatment and opportunity in our interactions with our applicants, corps members, and staff members without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, parenthood, or any other identity protected by applicable law.

If you have issues or concerns related to this policy, please contact us.

It is the responsibility of applicants to report any material change in the information provided in their applications as soon as a material change occurs, even if such material change occurs after admission into the corps. Candidates are required to notify Teach For America within 14 days of the change occurring, including but not limited to criminal records/proceedings, employment status, or academic standing.

Teach For America reserves the right to rescind admissions decisions or dismiss corps members based off such material changes. Failure to inform Teach For America of such material change is grounds for non-admission, rescission of the admission offer, or dismissal from the corps.

In order to ensure a fair admissions process for all, Teach For America requires all applicants to treat each phase of the application process as confidential. We require that applicants refrain from disclosing or sharing with others information or materials provided by Teach For America that are not otherwise publicly available. Disclosing confidential information regarding the application process is grounds for non-admission or dismissal.

Please note that we do not endorse and are not responsible for the accuracy of information that has been developed and provided by third-party non-Teach For America sources.

Teach For America values people with disabilities and believes in their ability to address issues of educational inequity. Teach For America is committed to providing equal access and opportunities to candidates with disabilities, and prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in the application process, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and similar state laws.

Teach For America provides reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities at every stage of the application process. Disclosing a disability or requesting a need for accommodations is a separate and distinct process from admissions and will have absolutely no bearing on a candidate’s application status. Teach For America will make every effort to meet your request, but specific requests are not guaranteed. All disclosed information will be kept confidential within Teach For America.

If you need to request an accommodation or have any questions regarding our Disability Accommodations Policy, please contact our disabilities accommodations office at DAO@teachforamerica.org.

Teach For America reserves the right to rescind admissions decisions or dismiss corps members for any reason. Such reasons may include, but are not limited to:

• Non-responsiveness Breaches in integrity such as falsification or misrepresentation or sharing confidential information about Teach For America, other applicants, corps members, etc.
• Significant material change (e.g., being terminated from employment due to performance, significant change in academic standing, etc.)
• Any evidence that raises reasonable concerns

Though rare, deferrals are typically granted for admitted applicants who have serious emergencies or who have a unique opportunity that will significantly add to their value in the classroom or to ending educational inequity.

Admitted applicants may submit a request for a one-year deferral. We are unable to offer multiple-year deferrals, except in the event of serious family or medical emergencies. Each deferral request will be reviewed and evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the Admissions team and the staff members of the applicant’s assigned region. Candidates granted deferrals will have a place in the corps in their assigned region the following year.

In order to respect the integrity of the application process, Teach For America will generally not consider information about applicants that comes outside of the application process. However, we do reserve the right to investigate further any information brought to our attention that raises a reasonable concern.

If you are invited to attend an interview, you will submit your Classroom & Regional Preferences, where you can list any personal circumstances you would like us to consider when determining your assignment, such as a spouse or significant other. We encourage you and your partner to submit identical Classroom & Regional Preferences and indicate your desire to be placed together. We will do our best to place you in the same region, but cannot guarantee that you will work in the same district or school.

Falsification or misrepresentation of any sort, including plagiarism, on the application or supporting materials is grounds for non-admission or dismissal.

Teach For America does not require a transcript be submitted until and unless an applicant is invited to an interview. You will be asked to submit an official or unofficial transcript when invited to an interview. At that time, you will receive upload instructions.

While a background in education isn’t a prerequisite for you to apply to Teach For America, all of our partner regions will require you to complete steps to become highly qualified in the subject(s) you’ll teach in the fall. Most regions also require corps members to work toward full teaching certification during their two-year commitment.

Teacher certification costs widely varies across regions, so we recommend that you compare regions to get a better understanding of what expenses to expect.

Costs can include fees for required subject tests and licensing, as well as tuition for required coursework. Some regions may offer discounted tuition rates through their university partner and other financial benefits. You may also qualify to receive an AmeriCorps award by serving as a corp member. TFA also offers need-based financial aid on a case-by-case basis those with demonstrated financial need help you make it to your first paycheck.

You should expect to pay for some, if not all of your teacher certification expenses.

Several of our regions have established partnerships with universities to facilitate your work toward a master’s degree during your two-year commitment. These programs vary from site to site and year to year. Some may be offered at reduced cost.

Please keep in mind that because of these programs change frequently, we encourage you to avoid preferencing regions solely based on these partnerships. We ask that you remain flexible as to where you are willing to teach so that we can best meet the needs of students.

​Learn more about our regions to find information about master's degree options.

Teach For America does not pay for your certification or master's degree, however, there are different benefits available to corps members to help pay for the coursework that you must take in order to teach in your region.

Many regions have relationships with local universities that offer reduced tuition for corps members. In some regions, you can qualify for tuition exemption based on the fact that you’re a teacher. In some regions, you must pay for classes up front.

Teach For America is currently a member of AmeriCorps, the national service network. Through this relationship, our corps members are AmeriCorps members and are eligible to receive forbearance and interest payment on qualified student loans during their two years of service. Additionally, those who have not previously received AmeriCorps awards may receive an education award of around $6,195 at the end of each year of service. This may be used towards future educational expenses, such as certification or master’s degree courses, or to repay qualified student loans. Please note this award is not guaranteed.

​Learn more about our regions to find information about certification costs.

The application and training process for certified teachers is the same for non-certified applicants. If you’re admitted to the corps and are already certified to teach the subject in the state where you’re assigned, you won’t need to retake any certification exams that you’ve already passed. However, you’ll most likely need to submit a copy of your score reports.

If you're admitted to the corps in one state but are currently certified in another, you also may be exempt from taking additional coursework during your two-year commitment, depending on certification reciprocity between states. Information about certification reciprocity can usually be found on a state’s department of education website. If you’re assigned to a state where you’re not certified to teach, you can take the certification tests and participate in the coursework, or apply to transfer your license on your own.

If you’re already certified in other states, our regional offices will work with you to determine which coursework may still be required. Once admitted, you will want to speak to your regional staff for more information.

Teach For America helps corps members become strong classroom and community leaders, through a rigorous Pre-Service training program and extensive coaching, professional development, and other resources throughout the corps experience. Learn more about corps member training.​

Teach For America is committed to providing ongoing support for corps members throughout their two-year commitment. All corps members begin their commitment by completing our Pre-Service training, which extends into the first 90 days of teaching.

Once in their classrooms, corps members continue to receive ongoing support and development through coaching and certification coursework. Additionally, corps members are able to connect virtually with one another across the country sharing unit plans, lesson plans, worksheets, and other resources.

That being said, changing the educational trajectory of your students will be incredibly challenging, and like all new teachers, you’ll have a lot to learn before, during, and following your initial training. We have developed a network of resources and support systems that are designed to help you climb the learning curve as quickly as possible.

Our program, however, will not provide you with every single tool you need to be successful. Each community, school, and classroom is unique, and we rely on your leadership skills and drive for constant improvement to seek out any additional tools you may need to develop for your students.

To learn more about our international partners, visit Teach For All.

You can use your expired email address to log into TFA.org. However, you won't be able to reset your password if you've forgotten it. Contact us if this is the case.

Once you are signed in, we recommend that you edit your TFA.org profile and update your sign-in ID, so you can reset your password in the future.

You can update your personal information by following these instructions.

Applicants, Corps Members, and Alumni:

Your sign-in ID is the email address we have on record for you; likely the same email address you used in your corps application. If you do not remember your sign-in ID, contact us and our support team can assist. Once you have your ID, you can reset your password.

Staff:

Your sign-in ID is your Teach For America email address. If you are an alum on staff, see note above.