Are TEACH Grant eligible professions defined by the Department of Education’s 11-category list?

1. What the Department defines as TEACH‑eligible: program + high‑need field

Federal guidance describes a TEACH‑Grant‑eligible program as one that (a) leads to a bachelor’s or master’s degree (or is a qualifying post‑baccalaureate program) and (b) is designed to prepare a student to teach in a high‑need field — not as a closed list of 11 named professions ^{[1] [5]}. The Federal Student Aid Handbook explains that eligibility depends on the program’s connection to state certification/licensure requirements for elementary or secondary teachers and whether the field was designated high‑need when the recipient began teaching ^{[5] [1]}.

2. Where the specific “high‑need” subjects are listed

Operationally, specific eligible subjects are set out in the Teacher Shortage Area/Nationwide Listing and related Teacher Shortage registries that schools and students must consult; institutions instruct applicants to review the eligible majors in those listings before applying ^{[3] [6]}. The Handbook also notes examples about satisfying service obligations when fields lose a high‑need designation after a recipient begins teaching, which underscores that the “list” is a dynamic shortage listing, not a fixed eleven‑category statutory roster ^{[2] [5]}.

3. Why some external pages list subject categories (and how to read them)

Many university and consumer pages summarize common eligible subject areas (math, science, special education, foreign languages, etc.) and may present condensed categorical lists for guidance; those are summaries for applicants, not the definitive Departmental standard ^{[7] [8]}. Institutional sites repeatedly direct students back to the official Teacher Shortage Area listings and the TEACH program guidance to confirm eligibility ^{[3] [4]}.

4. The role of postbaccalaureate programs and state certification rules

The Handbook and Congressional primer explain that a post‑baccalaureate program can be TEACH‑eligible only if it consists of courses required by a state for teacher certification/licensure — highlighting that state certification requirements interact with federal TEACH rules when defining eligible programs ^{[1] [9]}. This means eligibility can depend on program content relative to state licensure, not only on a national category name ^{[5] [9]}.

5. Practical implications for applicants — check dynamic, official lists

Financial‑aid offices and federal materials consistently instruct prospective recipients to verify majors and schools using the Department’s official shortage and low‑income directories before applying, because TEACH qualification hinges on listings and program design rather than a single static roster of professions ^{[3] [4]}. The Handbook’s examples about changes in designation further reinforce that the Nationwide List is the operative source for which fields count as “high‑need” for service‑obligation purposes ^{[2] [5]}.

6. Points of disagreement or ambiguity in public summaries

Some third‑party and campus pages present neat lists or sample “eligible majors,” which can create the impression of a simple, fixed list of eligible professions; the Department’s guidance shows instead that the determination is program‑ and listing‑based and subject to change ^{[7] [8] [1]}. Available sources do not mention a specific, Department‑published “11‑category list,” and the Federal Student Aid Handbook and related documents treat eligibility as tied to high‑need designations and program/content requirements ^{[1] [2]}.

7. Bottom line — use the Teacher Shortage Area/Nationwide listings as the authority

Do not rely on summary tables from colleges or consumer sites as definitive; the Department’s Handbook and operational instructions point applicants to the Teacher Shortage Area/Nationwide listings and the Teacher Cancellation Low‑Income Directory to determine which subjects and schools qualify for TEACH Grants ^{[1] [3] [4]}. If you need to confirm eligibility for a particular major or program, consult the Department’s official lists and your institution’s financial‑aid office, because eligibility depends on program design, state licensure requirements, and dynamic shortage listings ^{[5] [9]}.