Letter to the editor: TEACH grants not 'free money'

To letter-writer Jeanne Snyder (“TEACH grants should be paid back,” Jan. 1, TribLIVE): You state that “Upon graduating, he (your son) found a job and started making payments toward the loans.” Did he also pay back the grants he received?

TEACH grants are not free money to teachers. They come with stipulations: those who receive them agree to teach in underprivileged schools for a set number of years, which limits their earning power. Did your son’s grants come with stipulations, or were they “free money”?

I take issue with your implication that these “young adults” are not mature and don’t want to accept life’s challenges. Teaching is not an easy profession, and is critical to society as a whole. Good for your son that he found a job and started paying back his loans. Please don’t judge teachers until and unless you experience the challenges of their profession.

Joanne Hartzell

Youngwood