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J. Robert Hendricks is serving on a committee to help the U.S. Department of Education and colleges across the nation figure out how to handle a new federal grant program.

By La Monica Everett-Haynes, University Communications
January 11, 2008

A University of Arizona college administrator is helping draft regulations the U.S. Department of Education and colleges across the nation need in order to handle a new federal grant program for future educators.

J. Robert Hendricks, an associate dean in the UA’s College of Education, is serving on the 22-member rule-making committee that began meeting Jan. 8 in Washington, D.C., to scour the language of the law.

“There is a tremendous amount of work ahead for us,” said Hendricks, the only member from Arizona and one of only a few members from the West. “It’s really a very labor intensive process, but I think highly productive.”

Federal lawmakers passed the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant Program, or TEACH grant, to provide money to students studying to become teachers.

Without changing the program's statutory language, the rule-making committee's job is to translate the program’s intent into clear direction for the Department of Education, which will administer the program, and colleges and universities that will distribute the funds to students.

The committee’s work could save higher education administrators plenty of stress and, for students, potentially thousands of dollars of debt and high default rates.

This is how the new program works: Undergraduates can earn up to $16,000 toward their complete education and graduate students can earn up to $8,000.The grant is not need-based, requiring that students committ to those terms. Graduate students must maintain a certain grade point average.

Students must sign a committment to work four years in a Title I school or teach a high-demand subject, like math or special education, within eight years of graduation. If a student does not fulfill the commitment, that student’s grant would become an unsubsidized loan – the kind that must be repaid, with interest.

“It’s a very important policy input for us to be involved in,” said Ronald Marx, dean of the College of Education. “Hendricks is accomplished and savvy. The kind of wisdom he has about K-12 and higher education issues will be very useful for the rule-making committee.”

The U.S. Congress approved the TEACH grant in September in an expansive upgrade to the student aid system.

“There have been other loan forgiveness programs, but nothing on this grand scale,” Hendricks said. “This is probably, I would say, the largest financial endeavor to entice individuals into the teaching profession. Part of our goal is to help others to understand the exact intent of the legislation.”

The program holds great promise for luring more educators into the field – especially in high-demand areas like math, science, English language learning and special education. When the program goes into effect July 1, it is expected to help finance the education of tens of thousands of the nation’s would-be teachers.

The committee’s membership consists of individuals who work for school districts, universities and prominent organizations like the National Education Association and the American Council on Education.

“It is important that we work out the many technical and practical aspects of this important piece of legislation to be certain that is attracting outstanding individuals with committment,” Hendricks said.

The group – appointed by Education Secretary Margaret Spellings – will continue to meet until early February, and then turn its recommendations over to the U.S. Department of Education.

“We want to be cautious that we're truly attracting people who want to become teachers and understand the complexities of this profession,” said Hendricks, also an associate professor of educational administration.

“We want to make sure students know exactly what they are, quote, buying," he said. "We want them to understand that there are conditions and to be very, very clear up front about what those conditions are.”

The committee has spent quite a bit of time discussing what information needs to get to students, and how. Such work also requires strong connections between education colleges and financial aid officers and clear marketing plans, he said.

It will ensure that students “understand this is not just a matter of signing up for a credit card on the Mall,” Hendricks said. “If you sign up for the money, you need to understand the obligations incurred."