Weekly Social Media Giveaways

As part of our back to school giveaway, we will also be giving away prizes weekly on our social media channels! To show our thanks for all that you do, we will be giving away gift cards, teacher baskets, and more on our social media pages every week. Be sure to follow us @GCEFCU so you don’t miss out on any of the giveaways. Click any of the icons below to be directed to our pages.

Earn 5x points with your Texas Educators Rewards Credit Card²

0% APR* for the first 6 months and earn 5x points through the month of August

The Texas Educators Rewards Credit Card is now available! At Gulf Coast Educators FCU, we strive to help school employees every day, both in the classroom and at home. We surveyed thousands of educators across the state of Texas, and based on your feedback, we’ve created the perfect teacher credit card. See all the great benefits below.

• ✔ 0% Interest Rate for your first 6 months, with a fixed rate as low as 6.99% APR³ after that
• ✔ Earn Rewards for every dollar you spend
• ✔ No Fees on Cash Advances done at a GCEFCU branch or online
• ✔ No Balance Transfer Fees on any previous credit card debt you’d like to transfer to your new GCEFCU credit card
• ✔ No Annual Fee or application fee
• ✔ Apply Online and we’ll mail your card straight to you, or you can pick it up from any GCEFCU location

$250 Cash Back on Auto Loans

There has never been a better time to buy a car or refinance your existing one. Right now we are paying YOU $250 when you finance your vehicle loan with us, plus so much more. You can even give your wallet a break this back to school season & skip your first 3 payments. Check out all the exclusive savings you can combine to get the best deal possible.⁴

• ✔ $250 Cash Back. on any new, used, or outside refinanced auto loan over $15,000.⁴
• ✔ $1,000 Credit Card Approval. when you finance your vehicle or refinance an auto loan from another lender that is over $15,000. See available credit cards here.⁵
• ✔ Skip Your Loan Payments. for the first 3 months and skip your payments up to twice per calendar year.⁶
• ✔ Up to 1.00 % APR* Discount. off your auto loan rate. See teacher discounts available here.⁷

Get Pre-Approved for Peace of Mind

Start and finish your auto loan all online. Whether you are buying a new or used vehicle, or refinancing your current one, you can complete the entire process all from your computer or mobile device. If you haven’t found the right car yet, we can help you get pre-approved so you can shop with confidence and peace of mind. Our team is here to help.

Educator Mortgage – More Perks!

If you are a teacher or school employee looking to buy a home, you are in luck. With a Gulf Coast Educators FCU Educator Mortgage, you can finance your new home up to 103%, with no down payment or PMI required. To see if this conventional mortgage loan is the right fit for you, check out the qualifications below.

• ✔ Occupation:. At least one applicant must be a current teacher or school employee for at least 2 consecutive years in a Texas school district.
• ✔ Credit Score:. All applicants must have a credit score of 680 or higher.
• ✔ DTI Limit:. 45% debt-to-income (DTI) limit.
• ✔ Down Payment & Closing Costs:. No extra cash for a down payment or closing costs is required. You can finance your home up to 103%, using the extra 3% to cover your closing costs.

Educator Loans

As a credit union that’s dedicated to serving educators, we’ve learned a thing or two about their unique needs. These products are designed with our members who work in the education field in mind, starting with rates as low as 1.99% APR*.

First Year Teacher Loan – This is a loan to help brand new, first year teachers bridge the gap between accepting a job with a district and their first paycheck. Borrow up to $1,500 to help with whatever costs you need during this time. Must be a first year teacher with a new teacher contract and completed direct deposit form.

Classroom Supplies Loan – Keeping the classroom supply cabinet fully stocked can be expensive, especially with today’s extensive budget cutbacks. Because of this, teachers tend to spend their own money to purchase these supplies and teaching materials for their classroom. We pick up where the school district leaves off. We offer one-year educator loans up to $1,000 that we hope will help teachers afford the task of creating a teaching environment that meets their exceptional standards.

Professional Development Loan – This is a five-year loan up to $10,000. We understand that pursuing an advanced degree or professional certificate is an expensive endeavor for school employees striving to further their educational career, so we want to help. We want to assist in your efforts to reach your educational goals and offer this loan product to help pay for tuition, books and other expenses associated with continued education.

Teacher Discounts & Promo Codes

Teachers work hard all year long, and they should feel appreciated all year long, too! We’ve compiled a list of all the freebies and discounts different businesses offer teachers during Back to School Season and all year long. Check them out by clicking the button below.

Educator Resources

We are here to help educators & school employees in any way we can, both in the classroom and at home. Here are a few resources you may find helpful during back to school season.
<45>New to the District, but not to Teaching?

We can help you rollover your old 403(b). One concern probably on your mind as a new employee, is how to rollover your 403(b) account from your previous employer. We can make moving these funds to a GCEFCU Premium Market IRA feel like recess – easy peezy. Learn More.

Speaker Series

Nationally Known Education Speakers. As a credit union whose sole focus is serving educators and school employees, we want to be able to provide meaningful content to those who work in education. This series is our way of providing relevant professional content to our membership base. Learn More.

Best Teaching Apps for the Classroom

Teaching apps help bridge the gap between classroom and home – and between parents and teachers – and are a great way to extend the classroom and make learning fun. The apps can help with everything from expanding the classroom to organization and lesson enhancement if you know which ones to use. Learn More.

Teaching Financial Literacy for all Grade Levels

Financial literacy is important, and it should be integrated into modern education for all children. Students of today shoulder a lot of burden. Sending them out into the world without a financial education is an injustice that results in a lifetime of hardship. While it can be difficult to teach children and young adults about money, there are some creative lessons available that can make the job easier and help ensure that they are prepared for their future. Learn More.

Disclosures

¹Back to School Giveaway Disclosure: To enter to win the Back to School Giveaway, you must fill out the online form shown above between July 21 – August 25, 2022. You must be an employee at a school district, accredited private school, college, or university in the state of Texas to win. You may only enter The Back to School Giveaway drawing once. All duplicate email addresses and phone numbers will be disqualified. Four winners will be drawn at random on August 5, 12, 19, and 26, 2022. Winners will have the option of choosing a $500 cash prize or timed teaching supply shopping spree at Lakeshore Learning, capped at $1,000. Winners will be contacted via email or phone number provided and will have exactly one week to claim their prize, or it will be forfeited and a new winner will be drawn. By entering the drawing, you agree that GCEFCU can display your name in publications or online on our website and social media channels if you win. By entering The Back to School Giveaway, you may receive marketing emails from GCEFCU.

²Earn 5x Points During Back to School Season Disclosure: 5x the points will be applied to any GCEFCU VISA Rewards Credit Card or TX Educators Rewards Credit Card that is used to make a purchase from July 11, 2022 at 12:01 am CST through August 31, 2022 at 11:59 pm CST. This promotion is not valid for balance transfers or cash advances.

³0% Introductory Rate Disclosure:*APR=Annual Percentage Rate. 0% APR* on all new purchases and balance transfers to a new GCEFCU credit card for six months, beginning from the date of opening your card. After six months, your rate will convert to a standard APR* of 6.99% – 18.00% APR* based on your credit score. This offer does not automatically approve you for a GCEFCU credit card. GCEFCU reserves the right to cancel this promotion at any time, for any reason. This offer is valid for first time GCEFCU credit card holders only. Members who close and open a new card or switch credit card types do not qualify for the introductory rate.

⁴$250 Cash Back Disclosure: Auto loans financed with Gulf Coast Educators FCU between March 1, 2022 – September 30, 2022 and meet the following qualifications will receive $250 cash back. Loan must be a new or used auto, or outside refinance. Credit Union InDirect Lending (CUDL and CUAC) loans, and any other 3rd party loans, not eligible for rebate. Purchase of a new or used car must be from a franchise dealership. This promotion is effective 03/01/2022. Refinancing of existing GCEFCU Auto Loans not eligible. Minimum loan amount must be $15,000 or greater. Loans funded before or after the promotional dates of March 1, 2022 through September 30, 2022 do not qualify. The $250 cash back bonus will be deposited into the primary borrower’s primary savings account once the loan is funded. Co-borrowers and joint applicants do not qualify for the $250 cash back. GCEFCU reserves the right to cancel this promotion at any time for any reason. Offer expires September 30, 2022.

⁵$1,000 Credit Card Approval Disclosure: Members who finance an auto loan with Gulf Coast Educators FCU between March 1, 2022 – September 30, 2022 and meet the following qualifications will receive a guaranteed $1,000 credit card approval with the funding of the collateralized loan. Loan must be a new or used auto, or outside refinance. Credit Union InDirect Lending (CUDL and CUAC) loans, and any other 3rd party loans, not eligible for rebate. Purchase of a new or used car must be from a franchise dealership. This promotion is effective 03/01/2022. Refinancing of existing GCEFCU Auto Loans not eligible. Minimum loan amount must be $15,000 or greater. Loans funded before or after the promotional dates of March 1, 2022 through September 30, 2022 do not qualify. Guaranteed credit card approval is for the primary borrower only and not applicable to co-borrowers or joint applicants. Proof of credit and/or income will not be required as long as the auto loan is funded prior. Member must not already have a current GCEFCU credit card account. GCEFCU reserves the right to cancel this promotion at any time for any reason. Offer expires September 30, 2022.

⁶Skip-A-Pay Disclosure: There must have been 3 monthly, 6 semi-monthly or 6 bi-weekly payments made on a loan to qualify. To skip a payment on your auto loan, you must have current insurance on your vehicle. You cannot have received an extension the month prior to the skip a pay request. If you take advantage of the skip a pay, you will not be eligible for an extension the following month, or for the next available Skip-A-Pay promotion. The credit union allows a maximum of 2 extensions/skip a pays per year per loan if the loan qualifies. Request must be submitted a minimum of 1 week in advance of loan due date. Loans secured by Real Estate, Term Loans, Credit Card, 12-12-12 Loans, or Delinquent Loans are not eligible. If your loan is paid weekly, bi-weekly or semi-monthly, the agreement will allow you the “Skip-a-Pay” for two payments during the selected month that you choose. New loans do not qualify for “Skip-a-Pay’s” unless three month’s worth of payments have been made.

No Payments for 90 Days Disclosure: Deferment is NOT available on loans already financed with Gulf Coast Educators FCU. Your rate will be based on the term of your loan and creditworthiness. Interest will continue to accrue during the deferral period and by electing to defer your car payments, the total interest charge will increase and extend the time required to pay your loan in full based on your required monthly payment. GAP insurance may not cover skipped payments.

⁷Loan Discount Disclosure: Maximum discount is 1.00% for Auto, Boat, Motorcycle, and RV/Travel Trailer loans, and 0.75% for personal loans.