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You know you need to fund your college expenses, and you know that grants are the first choice because they don’t need to be repaid like loans. But how do you find grants for school? That’s the real question many students ponder as they look for ways to pay for their college degree.
See if Uncle Sam Can Help!
If you want to know how to get grants for school, a good place to start is with the federal grants. The federal education grants are the easiest to locate because you can go right to your financial aid office first and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This application is used to financially qualify you for any of the federal grants the educational institution is managing including the Pell grant and the FSEOG.
You can visit Studentaid.ed.gov and find a list of the current federal student aid grant programs to see if you may qualify for any of them.
- Teach Grant Program – Annual grant given to students who are studying to become teachers and agree to teach low income students for at least 4 academic years
- Pell Grant – Grant given to mostly undergraduate students who meet financial and other established criteria
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) – Grants given to mostly undergraduate students who can prove exceptional financial need and meet other criteria
- Academic Competitiveness Grant – Grant awarded to first and second year college students who complete a Secretary of Education certified rigorous secondary school program
- National SMART Grant – Grant awarded to undergraduate students in their third or fourth year of study and majoring in designated subjects
- Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant – Grant awarded to undergraduate students whose parent was a member of the U.S. Armed Forces and died while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan
These are the federal grants listed on the Department of Education website. All of this money is accessed through the financial aid office of the college or university. But when you are looking for government grants for school, you don’t have to limit yourself to federal grants.
Don’t Forget Your State Offers Grants
Each state has grant programs too. It is impossible to list them all here, but you can find them in several ways.
- Through the financial aid office at the college or university
- On the state website for the education department
- By doing a Google or Yahoo! search
- Referencing publications listing available grants at the school, library, career center or bookstore
State grants may be need based, merit based or discipline based. Many states have grants funded by lottery revenues and are given to all students who meet academic minimums. There are state grants for special needs groups such as homemakers returning to the workforce or the blind or disabled. Many grants are given to students majoring in particular disciplines like science, special education, nursing or the arts.
State grants are distributed in two ways. Some grants may be applied for directly while others require the student to go through the financial aid office.
Institutional Grants May Be Right for You
There are people, businesses, social groups and other organizations that endow money with a college and the interest on the invested endowment is used to fund grants and scholarships. There are also one-time grants that donors give institutions. You should inquire at the college financial office and ask for a list of institutional grants that are available.
Applying for a Grant
So you know how to find grants, but now you need to know how to apply for school grants. Applying for federal grants begins with the completion and submission of the FAFSA. The state grants may be accessed either through the financial aid office or by downloading a grant application posted online by the state agency administering the grant. The institutional grants also rely on the FAFSA or on the completion of a grant application found at the school or provided by the funder.
The need based grants rely mostly on a financial calculation to determine eligibility. The FAFSA is often used for consistency no matter the source of funds. When grants are merit based or competitive, you may have to submit an application along with other material such as an essay. Each grant will have specific requirements for application and you must follow those requirements closely. It’s important to meet the deadlines too and even better to submit your application early.
There is a lot of competition for educational grants, but don’t let that fact discourage you from applying. The more grants you apply for the more likely you are to be awarded one or more. It takes some effort, but it’s effort that can produce big financial results.
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