Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL), Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (D-CT) and U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), reintroduced the Diversifying by Investing in Educators and Students to Improve Outcomes for Youth (DIVERSIFY) Act, legislation that would complement the important administrative fixes to the TEACH Grant proposed in the College Affordability Act by ensuring the grant amount closely matches college costs. The lawmakers were successful in including provisions from the DIVERSIFY Act in the American Families Plan.

“Students deserve to see their own diversity reflected in those who teach them. In Chicago, however, less than 50 percent of teachers come from diverse backgrounds while students of color make up nearly 90 percent of the student population. The DIVERSIFY Act will address the shortage in educator diversity by strengthening scholarship programs intended to recruit a diverse education workforce,” said Congressman García. The DIVERSIFY Act will help create a well-prepared and diverse educator workforce by:

• Increasing the maximum TEACH Grant award to $8,000 per year to align with the full cost of college today –which exceeds $20,000 a year.

• Protecting the TEACH Grant award from being cut by the Budget Control Act which this year alone resulted in a decrease to the maximum award of nearly $250.

• Eliminating the loan conversion penalty

• Allowing the TEACH Grant program to cover the full cost of attendance, rather than just tuition, fees, and on campus housing

• Requiring the Secretary of Education to send TEACH Grant recipients who have completed their service an electronic certification

“Preparing, growing and empowering a new generation of talented and diverse teachers in our schools is among the most urgent priorities of our time. The DIVERSIFY Act makes that pathway into the profession more affordable and attainable, and it will help give our students the excellent and equitable education they deserve,” said Teach Plus CEO and President Roberto J. Rodríguez.