Getting A Grant For College
Financial aid you never have to repay. That's what a federal grant is and the money is available to help you pay for your education. The Department of Education has tens of thousands of dollars for students looking to get their degrees.
The first step is filling out a "free application for federal student aid" or FAFSA. This one application makes students eligible for all federal, state and some private institution programs. You can download the application from the U-S Department of Education website. If you don't have a computer, check your local library. Federal grant money is good at more than five thousand colleges and universities.
The U-S Department of Education distributes grants based on financial need. Students must be pursuing an undergraduate degree or a professional degree. The money is awarded based on family income and expenses. Only 10% of student who get financial aid came from families earning more than $41,000 a year.
Pell Grants are the base for federal financial aid. Students can pile other scholarships and awards onto the initial amount. There are hundreds of other grants and scholarships. Some are offered for specific degrees, like nursing or careers in public service. Some states also offer their own grant programs. There is one catch, you can only use your grant money at one school at a time.
On-line students can qualify for online grant, but they usually must enroll in high demand careers like science or education. But there are other grants available if your getting a degree on-line. If a student's financial needs is desperate, they can apply for Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant. The Academic Competitiveness Grant benefits students who graduated from an academically rigorous high school program.
The amount of money a student gets is the same every school year. It's determined not only by financial need, but also tuition costs and enrollment. There are even special benefits for students whose parent or guardian died in military service after the 9-11 attacks.
The Federal government has raised the amount of grant money available to each student for the 2010 to 2011 school year by $300. The money is paid at least twice per academic year. It may go directly to the student or to the school to put towards tuition.
If you want to go to college or earn your degree online, The Department of Education can help. Check out their website for more information on available pell grants. Simply filling out an application may make your education financially feasible with the help of financial aid.