(AscendHealthy.com) – Are you worried about paying for your college education, or that of a student in your family? Most college students are. It can put you in a tough position, because a college education is crucial to success in most career paths. If you have limited means, though, or if your family is low-income, how can you overcome the financial barrier to a college education?
The answer: grants. Grants allow you to receive money — money you do not have to repay, unlike a loan. If you’re interested in how to get grants, you’ll need to head to Grants.gov.
What is Grants.Gov?
Grants.gov is a centralized location for college grant information. You or your student family members can search for college grant opportunities here. You’ll find different grants based upon attributes such as income level, heritage, background, abilities, or even the area of study you wish to pursue.
When you search Grants.gov, you can find many opportunities you might otherwise not get to see. It’s not just for incoming college freshmen, either, so continue to look year after year for fresh grant opportunities. Grants.gov is the place to go to begin a search for a college grant.
How to Use Grants.Gov to Find Higher Education Grants Online
- Navigate to Grants.gov and click on the tab that links you to the “Search Grants” page.
- Once you’re on the Search Grants page, a search box shall appear in the upper right hand corner, with the keyword “education” pre-filled.
- The initial page of grants relating to college education will be listed.
- Browse the listings to search for grants that may apply to your college, university, or situation.
Types of Government Grants Students May Qualify For
Whether you find opportunities on Grants.gov or elsewhere, there are some conventional grant opportunities you should not overlook, especially if you are from a low-income family and/or are a first-generation college student. Studentaid.gov is a useful resource for these grants. You’ll need to adhere to the conditions of the grants, such as maintaining a certain grade point average and being a student in good standing.
If you can demonstrate a financial need, you could qualify for financial aid.
These opportunities include:
Pell Grants: This eligibility is determined based upon how much money your family can or cannot contribute to your education, and they are the most readily available form of student aid.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG): These grants come directly from schools and get to students demonstrating financial need.
Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grants: You must be in a program eligible for these types of grants, and they also require you to maintain a specific, trackable level of academic excellence.
If you don’t qualify for these types of grants, don’t worry: Grants.gov may reveal more opportunities to you. Especially in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, private corporations, public agencies, non-governmental organizations, and research institutions provide ample opportunities for those in need of financial assistance to pursue STEM careers.
Additionally, don’t forget to use the resources at your disposal, such as the guidance of your teachers and counselors at school. Your school or local librarian and the staff at your libraries and community centers can also help you locate grant opportunities.
At this point in time, the government is being pressured to limit and completely prohibit predatory student loan options for incoming students. One way they can get ahead of this criticism is to create and promote as many grant opportunities as possible. No matter your situation, consider applying to as many grants as you can to maximize your chance of success.
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