College Grants

There are an abundance of college grants out there that are just ripe for the picking. It will take quite a bit of research and tenacity to find out what they are, but if you take the time and effort to educate yourself about what the possibilities can be, the pay off will be well worth it.

A college grant can be available to almost any student who is motivated enough to sit down and find out what all the options are. It is a misconception that only people that show a financial need, are an outstanding athlete or some kind of virtuoso will have any hope of qualifying. Many students apply for, and get, multiple grants. If you consider the cost of getting a college education, then just about anyone will be able to provide justification for financial assistance.

So, the key here is actually finding and then filling out the college grants applications.

Think of it as being akin to not winning the lottery; if you don’t buy a ticket you can’t win! Here are some useful tips to help you get your college grants search off the ground:

• The first place to start is contacting the grants or admissions department of all the colleges you are interested applying to.
• The second consideration, and an equally important one, is the deadline date you must submit your application by. It is wise not to wait for the last minute since that would mean you have put yourself in the position of being the last on the list for consideration. The funds for college grants are not unlimited.
• You should also apply to colleges that are secondary to your primary list of colleges. There may be some courses that are offered that will be appropriate in helping you to move towards your degree.
• Some college grants are specific, i.e. for working women, pregnant women, a single parent, are community funded, or are for a specific course.
• You should apply for more than one college grant at a time. This increases your chances of success.
• You must be a US citizen or an eligible non citizen.
• It is mandatory to fill out a FAFSA form in order to be eligible to receive any college grants. You can obtain this form from any college’s financial office or from http://www.fafsa.ed.gov
• A Pell grant is the largest college grant currently being awarded.
• Another avenue to receive college grant money is though the Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grants. It is another form of financial assistance and similar to Pell grants.
• The amount awarded for college grants is dependent upon whether you are a full or part time student.

Once you have decided to embark upon what is available to you, document your findings in an orderly fashion. A simple database table could be useful and remember to include the deadline date!

College grants do not have to be repaid. If you are diligent in gathering information about them and applying for them, it will greatly reduce or even eradicate your college education debt.

[kop]