Search Local Governments Sources For Academic Scholarships For Online Education Programs
Wednesday, November 30th, 2011A college education can add thousands of dollars of debt to a person’s economic standing. Not only does a student have to pay for classes, but supplies like books are getting more outrageous every semester. It’s not unusual for a textbook to cost over a hundred dollars, and if you’re taking five classes, that’s a very large expense every semester.
If you’re lucky enough to have put money aside, getting through the expense of an education might not break the bank, but most people aren’t that fortunate. Even with savings, students still have to cover other necessary and incidental costs, like housing, food, clothing, and more. Some students might find that they are thousands of dollars short when it comes to meeting all of their expenses. Fortunately, there are ways to bridge those costs that won’t cost you an arm and a leg; in fact, you might be eligible to get money to cover your costs for free.
Students can receive free money to help them pay for school through grant programs. Those who receive financial aid in grants don’t ever have to pay it back, because it’s a gift. Every year students can apply for the billions of dollars in grant money that’s available specifically for education.
For the purpose of this discussion, we’re going to break the grants down into four basic categories, and within each category, there are different types of grants. The two basic types of grants are need-based and merit based grants. A need based grant is given based on a student’s economic need, i.e., the ability or inability of a student to pay for a college education. The other type of grant is a merit grant, and that means the grant is based on the student’s merit, usually a talent, skill, service or academic standing.
The largest fund for grants is through the federal government. These grants are available to students nationally, and are often based on financial need. The most well-known federal Grant is the Pell Grant; the highest Pell Grant award is $5,550 per year for students who qualify. Additionally, the federal government also offers several other grants that are often in conjunction with the Pell Grant, including the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, the Academic Competitiveness Grant, and the SMART (Science and Math Access to Retain Talent) Grant.
At the state and local level, grants are available from governments to residents of each state or city based on certain criteria that each government entity determines. Most state grants require that recipients be residents of that state for a period of time (usually 12 months) before the grant can be awarded. The types of grants that are available vary state by state and locale by locale. Some states award grants to students who are in the top percentile of their graduating class, while others have grants that are available to students based on their economic status. To find out specifically what grants are available in your state and city, you can contact the financial office at the school you plan to attend, or you can visit your state’s Department of Education website.
Many private groups and institutions also award grant money to students. These are called profession-specific grants or student-specific grants. That means the grant is specific to either a chosen profession or field of study, or to a particular group or category that a student belongs to. For profession-specific grants, check with the department or college in which your major is taught, or the professional or trade group that is affiliated with your major. Student specific grants are based on status or inclusion in a particular group, such as a racial minority or physical ability or disability. The financial aid office will have more information on these types of grants.
Don’t be one of the students who fall short on money; make sure to apply for as many grants as you are eligible for. Millions in scholarships and grants money goes wasted because students don’t apply for it; they may not know that so much money is available for free. Take advantage of this opportunity to get a college education through accredited degree online programs at no cost to you.