For many of us, school grants are essential to funding our post secondary education. Scholarships play a role too, but because they are awarded on the basis of either athletic or academic achievement, are only available to a relatively small group of individuals. Most grants are available to everyone, regardless of your performance in sports or the classroom.
This article and included video outlines 7 essential “School Grants Facts”; 7 things about grants and scholarships that are of critical importance to anyone who is looking for funding for school.
Please take your time to read and watch carefully.
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Table of Contents
1. What are school grants?
They are essentially “gifts” of free money that are used to pay for school – usually post secondary education, like college or university programs. Unlike loans, they do not have to be repaid.
This makes them the most desirable of all your funding options.
2. Who provides financial aid grants?
Usually they are provided by governments, schools, private organizations, corporations, associations and even on occasion, private citizens.
3. How are grants awarded?
Generally, either on the basis of financial need, academic achievement, or athletic skill.
The most common grants in the US, the Pell grant and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity grant, are “needs based”, which means your eligibility is based on your financial need.
Don’t worry… you don’t have to be financially disadvantaged to qualify for help to pay for school – school is expensive, and many “every day” people qualify for help.
4. How do grants differ from scholarships?
Scholarships are usually awarded on the expectation of performance – either academic or athletic. Failure to maintain a certain level of achievement can jeopardize the scholarship.
This is not the case with grants. They are awarded without expectation of performance.
5. How much money can I expect to receive from a grant?
Federal Pell grants for college can pay as much as $5,500 per year.
The exact amount you are eligible for is determined by your financial need – your application will include a section on income disclosure.
The government will use this to determine the amount for which you are eligible.
The amount other grants pay varies greatly; from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.
6. How do I apply for grants?
It really depends.
You can apply for many of the available state and federal grants (like the Pell grant and others) simply by submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Other free grants for college will have their own submission guidelines, which the providers will be happy to provide.
7. Can I apply for multiple grants and scholarships to cover tuition and fees?
Yes, absolutely.
In most cases, submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid will take care of applying for the relevant federal and state grants (sometimes called “fafsa grants”), but you’ll want to do your research (SchoolGrantsBlog is great place to start) to see if there grants and scholarships available in your area, possibly offered by businesses and organizations.
In this case, by all means apply. Remember…
Sending in an application doesn’t guarantee anything, so you really want to have your “eggs in as many baskets” as possible. In other words…
The more grants you apply for, the greater your chance of obtaining more funding, so yes… apply away!
Make sense?
Bonus Question: What If I’m Older?
Most federal and state grants are not restricted to those who have recently graduated from high school, or are currently enrolled in post secondary education… they are meant to further the education and improve opportunities for everyone.
In other words, age is not a barrier to grant eligibility. That’s great news!
We hope you have enjoyed this article on School Grants FAQs.
