Types of College Grants
Federal college grants are generally administered on a needs basis, but can also factor in academic excellence and field of study. This money is donated each semester or on a yearly basis and helps underprivileged students pursue academic studies that would otherwise be inaccessible to them.
Pell Grant Program
The Pell Grant Program is a federal college grant administered on a needs basis to low-income undergraduate and some post-graduate students enabling them to pursue their studies. Unlike many other forms of federally funded student financial aid, this money does not have to be repaid.
Eligibility
Each Pell Grant applicant must be a US citizen, have a high school diploma or GED, and they must be able to demonstrate adequate financial need.
Student financial need is established using a standard formula devised by the federal government. The equation takes into consideration: the student’s income and assets (if the student is independent); the parents’ income and assets (if the student is dependant); the household size; and the number of family members attending post-secondary institutions.
With such a wide range for variance in financial need, it goes without saying that there will be equal variance in the money given to different eligible candidates. The grant money allotted is determined by an individual assessment and reliant on several factors:
1. The student’s expected family contribution (EFC)
2. The cost of tuition
3. The student’s enrolment status (part-time or full-time studies)
To give students an idea of the money they could potentially receive through this grant, for the 2009-2010 school year, the maximum amount of potential money to be awarded is $5,350.
An applicant may receive only one Pell Grant in an award year and may not receive Pell Grant funds from more than one school at a time. Students must apply for aid by the end of June to be eligible for aid in the upcoming school year.
Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG)
This is a relatively new student grant that was put into motion by the federal government back in 2006. It is available to students in their first and second years of post-secondary study and is awarded to students who have taken a rigorous course load of studies in their final high school years to better prepare them for their continuing studies.
At a minimum requirement students must have completed:
* 4 years of English
* 3 years of mathematics, including algebra I and a higher-level class such as algebra II, geometry, or data analysis and statistics.
* 3 years of science, including one year each of at least two of the following courses: biology, chemistry, and physics.
* 3 years of social studies.
* 1 year of a language other than English.
* Keep in mind that for each graduating year the list of rigorous secondary school programs may incur slight changes.
Eligibility
In order to qualify for this grant each year students must:
* Be a U.S. citizen
* Be a Federal Pell Grant recipient
* Be enrolled full-time in a degree program
* Have completed a rigorous secondary school program of study
How Much Money Can You Receive?
An Academic Competitiveness Grant provides $750 for the first year of study and $1,300 for the second year.
National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (National SMART Grant)
This grant is offered to students in their third and fourth years of post-secondary study. They are offered to students pursuing degrees in subjects deemed high demand and vital to national security, by the US government. These college majors include science, mathematics, technology, engineering, and critical foreign languages, to name a few.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the federal SMART Grant students must:
* Be a U.S. citizen
* Be Pell Grant-eligible during the same award year
* Be pursuing full-time studies in one of the outlined majors
* Be a 3rd or 4th year student in said major
* Have at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale as of the end of the second award year and continue to maintain a 3.0 GPA
How Much Money Can You Receive?
This Grant will provide up to $4,000 for each of the 3rd and 4th years of undergraduate study.
State College Grants and Scholarships
There are over 1.5 million scholarships for students looking to further their education. This is a viable alternative to a grant as it offers a lot of the same incentives. Like a grant, scholarships are money donations that do not have to be repaid.
The key difference between scholarships and grants is that scholarships tend to have more rigid requirements for selection, and they are specifically geared towards those who are entering college. Many students automatically dismiss scholarships from their financial aid options assuming that their grades make them ineligible. Yet with so many scholarships available today, many in fact are not based on solely your academic achievements, but rather individuals can qualify for this money donation based on: gender, race, sports abilities, artistic talent, field of study, and financial need.
In fact, a great idea is to apply simultaneously for grants and scholarships as there is usually no restriction to the number of scholarships one can receive while receiving their student grant funding as well.
There are many grant programs that are administered at the state level. The grants and scholarships available vary state to state but are based on merit, financial need, programs of study, race and gender.
College Grants for Minorities
There are numerous grants and scholarships for minorities. Listed below are foundations aligned with various racial minorities providing information on a variety of fund sources specific to African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans.
African Americans
United Negro College Fund (UNCF)
This foundation has been in operation since 1944 and sports the effective motto “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” They have an extremely large database of donors and administer a variety of grants, scholarships and fellowships to black students pursuing college studies. Student eligibility varies greatly from grant to grant.
UNCF administers 400 scholarship and internship programs, so that even students from low- and moderate-income families can afford college tuition, books, and accommodation.
Hispanics
Listed below, are several great information resources for educational income for Hispanic students.
Hispanic College Fund (HCF)
This is a scholarship organization that through a variety of programs offers funds to help Hispanic students pursue post-secondary education.
To be eligible for any of the scholarships that they offer, individuals must possess the minimum requirements:
* must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident
* must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
* must plan to enroll as a full-time undergraduate student from Fall 2009 - Spring 2010 in a US post-secondary school
Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF)
This is the largest organization in the US in support of post-secondary education for Hispanics. According to the HSF website during the 2007-2008 academic year it “awarded almost 4,100 scholarships exceeding $26.6 million.”
To be eligible for any of the scholarships that they offer, individuals must possess the minimum requirements:
* A minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale (or the equivalent)
* Be a US citizen OR legal permanent resident with a valid permanent resident card or passport stamped
* Be pursuing or plan to pursue your first undergraduate or graduate degree
* Must apply for federal financial aid using the Free Applications for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Los Padres Foundation (LPF)
This grant fund is dedicated provides several grants and awards for economically disadvantaged New York and New Jersey Puerto Rican/ Latinos to pursue a future through education. They offer a variety of grants including:
* The College Tuition Assistance Program- A renewable $2,000 a year grant that helps to reduce education costs
* The Gilbert Rios Memorial Award- A $5,000 grant for one male and one female Latino post-secondary student who is interested in pursuing a post-graduate education.
* Second Chance- A $2,000 grant that can be applied to help with tuition expenses for a 2-year or 4 year degree, a trade school or apprentice program.
Native Americans
The American Indian College Fund
This fund provides about 5,000 scholarships annually to American Indian students with plans to pursue post-secondary studies at tribal colleges.
To determine your eligibility for these scholarships, you must fill out an online application on their site.
College Grants for Women
There are many grants and scholarship programs that provide assistance to women pursuing higher education. The specific grants that each individual woman qualifies for depends on a variety of factors, such as field of study, academic standing and financial need.
Perhaps the most plentiful of grant funds being offered to women are funds for females pursuing studies in a traditionally male dominated industry. Career paths such as math, science, engineering, technology and medicine, are just some of these fields of studies that see increased financial aid to women.
Below are just some of the grants, scholarships and foundations that give financial aid to women.
The Barry Goldwater Scholarship Grant
This grant is available to women in their 3rd and 4th year s post-secondary studies in sciences or maths. Students must be ‘outstanding’ with a relatively high GPA.
The American Society of Women Accountants Educational Foundation
The foundation offers a variety of awards and scholarships to women to better equip them in the financial field. These funds are for individuals attending 2-year or 4-year college or university finance or accounting programs.
The American Association of University Women (AAUW)
This educational foundation has been one of the most influential in providing women with the financial resources they need to pursue post-secondary studies. Over the years they have come to acquire an extensive database of grants, scholarships and fellowships for the US female population. In 2008 alone, they provided approximately $4.5 million in funding for more than 250 fellowships, grants, and special awards to outstanding women.
Finding free college scholarships and grants for high school students is not a simple task, however, thanks to some government programs available and with the help of the college or university that you expect to attend, there are some free college scholarships and grants available if you know where and how to research these programs.
That being said, there are other alternatives to finance college tuition in scholarships, grants and awards that should be reviewed to see what you may qualify for. One source that I found helpful is located here.
