RENO -- Low-income students who graduate with a degree in education are no longer eligible for Pell grants to complete the last hurdle needed to become a certified teacher — a semester of student teaching.

Chris Cheney, College of Education dean at the University of Nevada, Reno, said that a change in federal policy means about 30 of UNR's education students could be affected each semester.

"The sad part is just last year, the Pell grant did cover student teaching after our students graduated," Cheney said. "But they reinterpreted the rule and are tightening up on Pell grants."

Teaching for 12 to 13 weeks in one of Nevada's school districts is required for an education school graduate to be licensed by the state.

"They don't want to pay for anything that goes beyond the baccalaureate degree," Cheney said of Pell grant administrators. "The problem is our students do their student teaching after they graduate."

Cheney said the rule will be a hardship for students who are expected to give up working at any other job to devote three months to full-time student teaching.

"We highly recommended they don't try to work at another job because of all the time they spend planning and preparing for classes," Cheney said. "Student teaching is so extensive."

"We have about 250 to 300 education students who use the Pell grants, but the ones at jeopardy are the ones in their senior year who will be completing their degrees," Cheney said.

Some scholarship money is being used to help recent graduate students who have been affected cover the loss of Pell grant funds while they student teach.

"But we need to fix this," Cheney said. "We might have to increase the total number of credits required for a degree so that student teaching is part of the baccalaureate program and is covered by the Pell grant."

Sonia Mercado, who isn't covered by the Pell grant, said she will have to take out a $7,500 loan to pay her bills and for the cost of the course when she starts her student teaching in August.

"Right now I'm taking five classes and working two jobs," said Mercado, a UNR senior.

Holding down even one job while student teaching would be extremely difficult, but the Reed High School graduate is determined to become a teacher someday in an at-risk school.

"Those kids need somebody who is interested in them and who can show them they don't have to be that way their whole lives," Mercado said.