Recipient FAQ Reimbursements � Books & Travel Classes Credits and

							Recipient FAQ
Reimbursements – Books & Travel
Classes, Credits and GPA
Eligibility
Release time
Graduation
Other

If you have additional questions not included in these FAQ’s, please refer to the T.E.A.C.H. Recipient
Information Manual (insert link here) or contact your Scholarship Counselor. (insert link to Counselor
contact info here.)

Reimbursements:

Can I charge my books to T.E.A.C.H.?
Scholarship recipients may not charge books to T.E.A.C.H. PACCA is not permitted to pay colleges
directly for books that have been charged to a student or bookstore account. If recipients charge
books to this type of account, the balance must be paid in full before submitting for reimbursement.
Also recipients with outstanding balances on a student account may not be able to register for courses
or access grade reports.

I don’t think I will have the money to purchase books for the upcoming semester. What can I do?
          Check to see if your center would be willing to purchase books for you. (T.E.A.C.H. can
          reimburse sponsoring centers directly for books.)
          Talk with your professor to see if he/she has any spare books you could borrow.
          Check with other students to see if you could borrow the books or purchase from them at a
          cheaper price.
          See if the text is available at a library.

Please note that PACCA cannot advance funds to T.E.A.C.H. students to pay for books.

What does my book claim reimbursement cover? Am I able to claim notebooks or other materials
needed for my classes?
Book reimbursements help to cover textbooks, study guides and other books required by your
professor. Notebooks, highlighters, calculators, computer software and other supplies are not covered
by the scholarship program. Also, T.E.A.C.H. cannot reimburse tax or shipping costs for books that you
have purchased.

If I misplaced my book receipt, can I still be reimbursed for my books?
Yes, you can still receive reimbursement for the books you purchased. Depending on how you paid for
your books, you must submit a completed Form b that itemizes the title(s) and cost of each book along
with the following:
          a copy of your cancelled check if you paid by check
          a copy of your credit card statement if you paid by credit card
          a carbon receipt or listing of the books/prices from your college bookstore if you paid by cash

When should I expect to receive my book and travel reimbursement?
PACCA cannot issue reimbursements to participants until we receive college invoices each semester.
PACCA does not receive these invoices until after the drop/add period ends and the billing office
compiles an invoice that is forwarded to our office. Participants should expect reimbursements
approximately 6-8 weeks after the start of the semester.

How can I get more reimbursement forms?
Forms are now available for download on PACCA’s website. To download forms visit
http://www.pacca.org/TEACH/recipient_page.htm#Reimbursement.
Or contact your Scholarship Counselor who can mail or e-mail the form(s) to you.
Classes, credits and GPA

Do I need to maintain a certain grade point average (GPA) in order to continue participating in
T.E.A.C.H.?
T.E.A.C.H. requires that students meet the GPA standards as required by their college or university.
Although the college or university may have minimum GPA requirements, we encourage all
participants to do their best. If participants do not successfully complete coursework each semester,
they may not be able to continue with the scholarship.

T.E.A.C.H. requires that I sent a copy of my grades after each semester but I don’t receive hard copies.
How should I handle this?
If you do not receive grade reports by mail from your college/university, here are some other
suggestions to get your grade reports:
         1. Ask you college advisor to print them for you.
         2. Request an unofficial transcript from the Registrar’s office.
         3. Print a copy of your grades from your college’s website or grading system. (If you choose
              this option, please make sure to write your full name on the printout before you mail or
              fax it to T.E.A.C.H.)

Can I take more than 15 credits during my scholarship contract and have T.E.A.C.H. pay for the
additional courses? Can I earn credits by exam?
Contact your scholarship counselor to see if this is an option. If you are planning on taking additional
courses above and beyond what your scholarship contract will cover, you must pay for those credits up
front. Save your receipts, grades and any other necessary paperwork in order to apply for
reimbursement later.

Toward the end of the fiscal year, we will notify scholarship recipients if any funds may be available to
cover these extra classes. We can provide no guarantee regarding reimbursement of additional
courses, but it may be an option, so be sure to save all of your paperwork.

I think I may have to withdraw from my course(s) this semester, what do I do?
Contact your T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship Counselor immediately. She will provide you with helpful advice
and information regarding your decision.

Additionally, you will need to officially drop the course(s) at your college. Please make sure that you
send a copy of your withdraw paperwork to T.E.A.C.H. PACCA must have a copy of your change in
registration on file.

I am not sure if summer classes will work with my schedule. Am I required by T.E.A.C.H. to take classes
in the Summer?
No, T.E.A.C.H. does not require recipients to take courses in the Summer term, but students must still
meet the credit requirements each year as stipulated in their contracts.

Eligibility

Can I transfer my scholarship to a new center and continue in the program?
T.E.A.C.H. recipients cannot transfer a scholarship from their current sponsoring center to another.
(T.E.A.C.H. recipients can continue in the scholarship program if they are transferred to a different site
within their agency or program.) Likewise, family providers must continue to operate their family child
care home one additional year for each scholarship year they complete.

The three primary goals of the scholarship program are to 1) increase the education of early childhood
teachers, 2) increase their compensation as a result and 3) reduce staff turnover in child care
programs. Fulfilling the commitment period is extremely important to the success of the scholarship
program and to providing the best care for children. Research has shown that well educated, well paid
teachers increase the quality of early care and education and that the consistency of care or the ability
for children to bond with their caregiver is just as important in providing quality care.

T.E.A.C.H. scholarship recipients should read their contract very carefully to ensure they can meet all
of the contract requirements. Scholarship counselors are available to discuss the contract obligations
with participants and answer questions.

What happens if I leave my sponsoring child care program? Can I remain in T.E.A.C.H.?
By signing a T.E.A.C.H. contract with PACCA and a sponsoring child care program, T.E.A.C.H. recipients
agree to do a number of things:
          1. successfully complete 9-15 credits during their scholarship year,
          2. pay a portion of tuition and books each semester, submit grade reports to PACCA, and
          3. continue to work at their sponsoring program at least one additional year for each
               scholarship year
If you leave your sponsoring center before you meet all of the contract obligations, you are no longer
eligible for the scholarship program or possibly other programs offered by PACCA.

Release time

How does summer release time work?

Recipients are eligible to receive the same amount of release time hours during summer sessions
and/or shortened semesters as they do in the fall and spring semesters. Recipients can take up to 15
hours of paid release time for every credit hour in which they are enrolled. For example, if a student is
enrolled in three credits, he/she can claim up to 45 hours of paid release time. For 6 credits, a
student can claim up to 90 hours.

It can be challenging to schedule or utilize the full amount of release time in a shortened semester,
which makes it extremely important to be flexible and to schedule release time as early as possible.
Remember – if you need help with release time for your summer or shortened semester, please
contact your Counselor.

Do I have less release time hours available during the summer term?
During the Summer term, students are eligible for the same amount of release time as other terms.
3 credits – 45 hours
4 credits – 60 hours
6 credits – 90 hours

What if I cannot use all my release time?
Summer terms are shorter than the normal 15 week Fall and Spring semesters. We encourage
recipients and directors to use as much release time as possible in these shortened semesters, but
understand if you’re not able to utilize all of the allotted release time. PACCA recommends that
recipients and directors work together to find an agreeable schedule and make the most of summer
release time


Graduation

What paperwork do I need to submit if I’m graduating? All graduates must submit a grade report for
their final semester along with a copy of their college diploma or final transcripts.

Do I get my T.E.A.C.H. compensation as soon as I graduate?
To be eligible for T.E.A.C.H. compensation, graduates must successfully fulfill all of the T.E.A.C.H.
contract obligations, including the minimum credit hour requirement. For those graduates who
successfully complete their T.E.A.C.H. contract, PACCA will notify the sponsoring employer to issue the
T.E.A.C.H. compensation once the contract period has ended (not when the recipient graduates.) At
that time graduates will need to complete a final T.E.A.C.H. Information Update Form (IUF) to ensure
we have updated information on wages, contact information, etc. Graduates must also then fulfill the
commitment period stipulated within that final contract.

For graduates who are unable to complete the minimum credit requirement or any other contract
obligations, they will be withdrawn from that contract and will not receive T.E.A.C.H. compensation.
Additionally there will be no required commitment period for the final contract. If you have questions
regarding your final contract with T.E.A.C.H., please contact your Scholarship Counselor.

I graduated with my Associate’s degree, can I continue for my bachelor’s degree?
PACCA encourages all Associate degree graduates to apply for our bachelor’s program. For more
information on where T.E.A.C.H. bachelor’s degree scholarships are available, visit our website at
http://www.pacca.org/TEACH/index.htm#download. All recipients who graduate with an Associate’s
degree must complete a bachelor’s degree scholarship application to be considered for that program.

Other

Have you recently moved or changed your last name?
Please contact your Scholarship Counselor if you have recently moved or if any of your contact
information (last name, phone number, email address) has changed. This helps to ensure that your
reimbursements and important paperwork get to you in a timely manner.

Can I apply for other sources of financial aide even though I receive a T.E.A.C.H. scholarship?
Yes, PACCA recommends that recipients apply for other types of financial aide to help pay for
expenses not covered by the scholarship program. Recipients may be eligible for grant money that
does not have to be repaid. Recipients can find out more on PHEAA’s website at www.pheaa.org or
from the Financial Aid office at their college/university.

What is the role of my Scholarship Counselor?
Many times directors and recipients are unsure of what role the Scholarship Counselor plays in the
T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Scholarship Program. T.E.A.C.H. Counselors are available to answer any
questions regarding scholarship contracts, policies/procedures and to provide suggestions regarding
scholarship management.

Scholarship Counselors not only work with individual scholarship recipients, but also the sponsoring
employers and participating colleges and universities. Counselors have a variety of responsibilities in
managing their caseloads. They collect and input data, process college invoices, claims and issue
reimbursements, recruit applicants for the program, do presentations, answer emails, just to name a
few tasks. Most importantly, they provide counseling for recipients and sponsoring centers.

Many other types of financial aid programs do not offer a Counselor to answer questions, offer
encouragement and help you navigate the system. This is one feature that makes the T.E.A.C.H. Early
Childhood® Scholarship Program unique. T.E.A.C.H. Counselors have an early childhood education
background and experience in the child care field at many levels, making them an ideal support
system for scholarship recipients and sponsoring centers. T.E.A.C.H. counselors are here to make
T.E.A.C.H. a success for everyone.