Federal grants. This is a topic that many people misunderstand due to circus-like sales pitches on late night TV touting the availability of federal grants for anything under the sun. The sales pitches try to convince us that a ton free money is available from the government to start a business, go to school, buy a home, take a vacation, or just about anything else we so desire. While federal grants are available for a variety of purposes, obtaining one is not as easy as simply going down to the local grant store and taking one off the shelf. Obtaining a grant requires persistence, knowledge, and genuine need.
Finding Federal School Grants
Where federal grants for school are concerned, the federal government is indeed interested in helping as many people as possible obtain a college education. They make several different educational grants available for a variety of financial needs and career choices. The best place to start your search for government education grants is their clearinghouse web site at grants.gov.
The most common type of federal education grants are known as undergraduate college grants. Examples of such grants include Academic Competitiveness Grants (ACG), Pell Grants, and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG). These grants are aimed at undergraduate students in low income brackets.
Applying for Federal Education Grants
Students applying for federal education grants do so by filling out the Federal Application for Student Aid (FAFSA). This application seeks information about student income as well as income from parents and other family members. Grants are awarded in cases where the students and parents cannot afford to contribute significantly to the cost of higher education. The grants never need to be repaid and can be used for any legitimate educational needs.
Another type of federal education grant is a college level grant for graduate students continuing their education. These grants are also known as fellowships. Such grants are usually focused on a specific area of research and are limited in scope and time. Oftentimes, researchers will apply for federal grants in conjunction with other grants from private institutions and businesses who might be interested in their research.
Federal grants for undergraduate students are usually well known by high school guidance counselors, college financial aid officers, and scholarship searching services. Because of their popularity, a student should have no trouble getting advice on how to obtain them. And with decent academic performance and genuine financial need, a student should also be able get at least some federal grant funding.
As for graduate student grants and fellowships, they're a bit harder to come by and require writing a grant proposal. The proposal needs to convince the grant provider that your research has some sort of potential to make it worth the investment. Grant writing for this type of research is extremely difficult, so make sure you know your stuff. If you're not comfortable writing your own proposal, you may want to hire a professional who specializes in such things.
Finally, federal grants for school are sometimes offered in conjunction with similar state grants. With federal and state grants tied together, students are able to offset their educational costs with additional money. Governments benefit from this arrangement by reducing the paperwork involved in awarding their grants. In addition to checking with your guidance counselor and college financial officer, feel free to contact your state education department for more information on education grants they may have available.