U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) recently proposed bipartisan legislation that would expand financial aid for students who agree to teach in high-demand subject areas while requiring colleges and universities to meet new accountability standards for administering the grants.
“Teaching is a selfless calling, and we should make it easier for those who want to educate our next generation to earn their degree,” Rep. Hinson said. “Our bipartisan bill makes it easier to afford a teaching degree and puts stronger guardrails in place for grant dollars.”
The congresswoman on July 9 sponsored the TEACH Improvement Act of 2026, H.R. 9628, alongside cosponsor U.S. Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC) to modernize the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program. The legislation was developed with input from the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), where its teacher preparation program has become a national model for success.
“Modeled after UNI’s success, this bill will help more teachers enter the workforce and strengthen classrooms across Iowa and the country,” said Rep. Hinson.
The bill would increase the lifetime cap of TEACH Grants by $2,000 to better support aspiring educators, and would protect students by allowing partial loan conversions when part of the teaching commitment is completed instead of converting the entire grant into a loan.
Additionally, the measure would hold colleges accountable when too many TEACH Grants are converted into loans by requiring improvement plans or removing eligibility from consistently poor-performing institutions, and create a formal process for students to appeal wrongful or erroneous loan conversions.
H.R. 9628 also would maintain the program’s four-year teaching commitment while expanding eligible high-need teaching fields, including STEM, special education, and bilingual education, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Hinson’s staff.
“North Carolina, like many states, is facing a teacher shortage,” Rep. Adams said. “We need to ease the financial roadblocks educators face when entering the workforce.”
The bill is supported by the National Center for Teacher Residencies, Deans for Impact, and the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.