Housing ReliefYou may be tempted to apply for student loans as you look for ways to finance your schooling. And while such loans can help you attend classes now, even if you don’t have the cash to do so, you’re better off seeking alternatives that you don’t have to pay back with interest. Grants are such alternatives that can be found via various avenues, which we’ll reveal now.
Complete your FAFSA to get federal grants.
The federal government has some grants that can pad your pockets significantly. Best of all, most are based on financial need versus merit, so they can be less competitive than many scholarships.
Your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) doesn’t cost a thing, and it opens you up to opportunities for cash from the schools you’re interested in as well. If you can show sufficient need, you could get a federal Pell Grant that equals up to $6,495 per year. And while that’s a nice chunk of change, simply qualifying for a Pell Grant opens the door to even more grants from the federal government, which is why completing your FAFSA first is a must.
To see other grants from the federal government, go here.
See what your state has to offer.
After applying for federal grants through your FAFSA, it’s time to move down to the state level.
Many states offer grants to college students that can be used for tuition and other expenses, so click here to see what you could qualify for.
Check in with your school’s financial aid office.
With the federal government and your state checked off, it’s now time to move down yet one more level and see what your school has to offer. Universities have grants and other forms of financial aid to recruit students to campus.
To see what your school has in store, contact their financial aid office. And if you haven’t picked a school yet, contact various offices of your potential choices, as their offerings could help you make a decision based on award money.
Start searching for grants based on your unique situation.
Here’s where your grant search gets really interesting. Once you make the logical progression from federal to state to school grants, it’s now time to start looking for financial awards based on your:
- Field of study
- Ethnicity
- Gender
- Special situation (single parent, disability, going back to school as an adult student, etc.)
Don’t be afraid to get specific with your search, either, as that can help you narrow down obscure grants with very little competition. For instance, here are some grants that you never knew existed that show you why doing a deep search for this form of free money is essential:
- Endangered Language Fund – For students studying languages that are about to go extinct.
- Truman Library Institute Research Program – For anyone researching former President Harry S. Truman.
Massage Therapy Foundation – Grants for students looking to become massage therapists.
