The costs of higher education can be very expensive, and often out of reach of many prospective students. However, this shouldn't dissuade you from going to school, college or university to study the course that interests you as there are many options to help you financially. BackToSchoolGrants.com is a free resource that provides information about financial aid, scholarships and education grants for school or college, so you can discover the options that are available to you.
School Grants and College Scholarships
There are many types of college grants and scholarships available. Often, people do not realize the opportunities available to them regardless of their situation. For example there are grants for moms going back to school, single parents, and also grants for the type of school you want to apply for including high school, boarding school and private school grants. You just need to know where to begin your search for college grant money.
Federal School Grants
With a bit of research time you can find out what types of grants you can apply for. It is a possibility you could also benefit from federal government school grants which do not need to be repaid after you graduate. Whether you are successful in your application for federal grants will be down to your financial need and expected family contribution. These details can be found in the FAFSA report (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) which would need to be completed accurately and honestly. There are two types of federal student grants:
- Pell Grant - The Federal Pell Grant program is needs-based according to a student's Expected Family Contribution. It is one of the most widely available programs for students that are in need of financial support. The amount of money available to an individual is determined by a number of factors which are discussed in detail in our Pell Grants guide.
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) - There are around 4,000 colleges and universities that participate in the FSEOG program. Again this is a needs-based program that is aimed at supporting students at the lowest end of the Expected Family Contribution. Read more about this program in our FSEOG Grants section.
College Scholarships
There are a number of key differences between college scholarships and grants, despite them both being forms of financial assistance for tuition that do not need to be repaid.
A grant is money given by non-profit organization such as the government, although they can also be provided by foundations and corporations too. The requirements needed to apply for a grant, plus the amount available for any individual student will differ due to a number of factors.
Scholarships are specifically aimed at students attending college to fund part of their education or the entire tuition costs. There are usually certain requirements that must be met by the student in order to attain the scholarship, and as a result they normally have more rigid requirements than grants. There are difference and similarities between grants and scholarships which we cover in more depth in the scholarships section of our site.
Student Loans and Financial Aid
Grant money for school, college or higher education isn't set aside for everybody, but often mainly for those people that do not have the necessary financial support from family. In the situation where you may not qualify for grant programs, other financial aid options such as school loans may be a good alternative source of funding. As with grants though, there are options for many types of individuals such as financial aid for single mothers, unemployed and so-on.
Student loans for college applicants are very common nowadays. They are available in two main categories; private and federal, with several types of loan under each. There will be different interest rates, grace periods and repayment options with each loan so it's well worth taking the time to research all available loan options. Of course Back to School Grants has a lot of information on the different types of financial aid for college, so feel free to read our guides and resources first.