If you're the parent of a high school student bound for college, you may be assessing possible sources of educational funding. Between student loans, scholarships, grants, and maybe even some money out of your own pocket, financing a child's education can sometimes be complicated. A college financing service can help guide you through the maze of financing information for a relatively affordable fee, but if you'd prefer to avoid the fee and do it yourself, all the information a service provides is freely available for you to discover on your own.
Completing the Federal Application for Student Aid Form
One of the first things you and your child need to consider is filling out the FAFSA (Federal Application for Student Aid) form for federal education grants. Government grants for school are available in several different forms including the most well known Pell grants. The federal government is happy to provide these grants to low income families who cannot afford to contribute to the educational expenses of their children. But they do have stringent income requirements.
Filling out the FAFSA form is pretty straightforward but requires online access to complete. As recently as 2007, the federal government began working on a program that will eventually require all grant applications to be completed via the Internet.
Research State Funding Options
In addition to filling out the FAFSA application, you and your student should also check with his guidance counselor about the availability of state funding. State funding is generally more plentiful than federal funding and easier to come by. Like the federal grants, state government grants for school are usually based on financial need.
For some career choices however, academic performance and career potential are also considered. One example of such requirements would be in the area of performing arts. The student who desires to pursue an education in performing arts will need to demonstrate some ability in that area. In other words, if he has no skill or potential in performing arts he will likely never get a grant.
Government grants for school can provide some help in funding your child's education. But make no mistake; government grants are generally very small. The majority of funding for educational needs will come from student loans, scholarships, and out of pocket dollars. Don't fall into the trap of believing that government money is available to pay for a child's education in its entirety. No matter what the books and television commercials promise, it's simply not true.
Looking Outside of Government Grants for School
In addition to government grants for school you might also want to consider private grants from businesses and non-profit organizations. These private grants, coupled with government grants, can make the difference in whether or not your child attends the school he or she desires. Grants from private institutions generally require a grant proposal and personal interview, but they're not difficult to get at all.
A few hours on the Internet, combined with a few more hours with a high school guidance counselor, should provide you a good starting point for applying for government and private grants for school. Just remember one word: persistence. There are far more students applying for government and private school grants than there is money to give.
They say the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and that's certainly true for government grants for school. Be persistent; don't give up if you don't see results immediately.