Financing Your Future: Education Grants
Federal financial aid is like free money. Get a grant and you never have to repay the government. If you need money to pursue your degree, there are more funds available this year whether you’re studying online or in class.
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.
Pell Grants are the foundation of federal financial aid. That means students can still get money from other scholarships and grants. However, federal grants can only be used at one school at a time. There are hundreds ofgrants for college available. Some college students receive grant money to pursue a specific degree, like nursing or a career in public service. Some states also offer their own college grant programs.
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 student loans and grants, 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.
The Department of Education website has more information on available pell grants. Just fill out an FAFSA and you could make attending college more affordable with the help of scholarships and grants.
Category: Student Loans
Comments (0)
Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed
There are no comments yet. Why not be the first to speak your mind.