Teach for Texas Loan Repayment Assistance

Teach for Texas loan repayment assistance aims to recruit and retain certified classroom teachers in fields and communities in Texas that have a shortage of teachers.

How to Apply

The deadline to apply is July 31, 2026. Employer verification is required within 60 days of the application submission date. 

Apply Here

What you’ll need to apply:

  • A student loan billing statement showing eligible debt, including account holder’s name, account number, and loan servicer’s name
  • The name and email address of your campus chief administrative officer (CAO), such as a principal, assistant principal, superintendent, or a human resources representative authorized to certify your employment

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for assistance, you must:

  • Submit a complete application by the deadline.
  • Be a certified educator who met one of the following requirements in the last academic year:
    • Are certified in a critical shortage teaching field, are teaching full-time1 in that field at the time of application, and have taught in that field full-time in a Texas public school for at least one service period.2
    • Are teaching full-time at a public school in a critical shortage community (campus) at the time of application and have taught full-time in that community (campus) for at least one service period.

 NOTE: Title I designation is not a criterion for determining shortage campuses.

1 Full-time employment is defined as teaching students for at least four hours each day.

2 A service period is a minimum of nine months of eligible employment in a 12-month academic year.

 Designated Critical Shortage Fields for 2025-2026:

  • Bilingual/English as a Second Language (Grades PK-12)
  • Career and Technical Education (Grades 7-12)
  • Computer Science and Technology Applications (Grades PK-12)
  • Special Education (Grades PK-12)

Assistance Amount

Each year, your repayment assistance is based on whichever is lower: the maximum annual amount (see below) or one-fifth of your eligible loan balance at the time you first receive repayment assistance through the program.

Due to strong participation in prior application cycles, funding levels for 2025-2026 have been adjusted. The updated annual maximum helps ensure continued support for a broad number of teachers and sustain long-term investment in the state’s educator workforce.

Maximum Annual Assistance Amount for 2025-2026: $7,000

  • You may be eligible for loan repayment assistance for a maximum of five years.
  • If the loan repayment assistance you receive does not cover the full amount owed, you are responsible for the remaining loan balance.
  • Loan repayment assistance is reported to the Internal Revenue Service by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (Coordinating Board).

Eligible Loans

To be eligible for repayment, your loans must:

  • Be evidenced by a promissory note that required you to use the loan proceeds to pay for the cost of attendance for your undergraduate, graduate, or professional education.
  • Not cover costs incurred after you completed your graduate or professional education.
  • Not be in default at the time you apply.
  • Not have an existing obligation to provide service for loan forgiveness through another program.
  • Not be subject to repayment through another student loan repayment assistance or loan forgiveness program, or through repayment assistance provided by your employer while receiving Teach for Texas loan repayment assistance.

What to Expect After Applying

Your application will remain in pending status until the Coordinating Board receives verification of your service from your CAO. Applications are processed in the order in which service verifications are received; however, priority is given to prior recipients over new applicants.

If additional information is needed, you will be contacted by email using the address provided on your application. If approved, the Coordinating Board will mail a paper check directly to your lender and notify you by mail. If your application is not approved, you will be notified by email and may reapply in future years.

Note: The Coordinating Board cannot send payments electronically or by Automated Clearing House (ACH).

Frequently Asked Questions

Please contact our office for further instructions.

Ask your CAO to check their spam/junk email folders. Please contact us for further instructions if an employment verification email is not received after 48 hours.

Please contact our office to determine if we have received their submission.

If your CAO is unable to complete the employment verification form, the following authorized officials can complete the form:

  • Assistant Principal
  • Human Resources official authorized to verify employment
  • Superintendent or their designee

No, funds are not guaranteed. However, if you still meet eligibility requirements and do not have a break in service or application periods, your application will receive priority consideration.

No.

No.

Yes. However, loans whose governing promissory notes include a provision for loan forgiveness based on the completion of a specified service obligation are not eligible for Teach for Texas loan repayment assistance (for example, the Federal TEACH Grant Program).

Yes. The PSLF program requires you to make 120 payments before your loan is potentially forgiven, and the verification process doesn’t occur until all 120 payments have been completed. However, you still may receive Teach for Texas loan repayment assistance before completing all 120 payments on your federal loans.

No.

You must apply using your current legal name. If the name on your teaching certificate is different, there is a field on the application where all applicants must enter the name on their teaching certificate.

No. To qualify, you must complete one full academic year of teaching. If you started after the year began, you will need to wait until the next academic year to become eligible.

No. Applicants teaching with an intern certificate, a probationary certificate, temporary certificate, or emergency permit are not eligible. 

No. You must apply online.

Additional Information

Program Statute: Texas Education Code, Title 3, Subchapter O
Clarifying Rules: Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 23, Subchapter B

Contact Us

To speak to a customer service representative regarding loan repayment assistance, call 833-597-0454, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT.

Online Inquiries: LoanRepaymentAssistance@highered.texas.gov