Financial Aid for College Students - Grants
by: Max Stein
The bad news about attending college is that it costs more than ever to attend.
The College Board estimates the average four-year public college costs almost
$5,000 per year to attend and a two-year public college is almost $2000. And
that’s not counting the skyrocketing cost of textbooks or other class
fees. The good news is there is more than $105 billion dollars available in
student financial aid. Some of this money is available for free…in the
form of college grants.
While there are many options to consider financing your college education,
this article will discuss specifically grants for college.
The most common form of Federal grant money is the Pell Grant. The amount
awarded is based on your financial need and it is for undergraduate study only.
Pell Grants can be awarded to part-time students. The maximum amount of a Pell
Grant is $3000 per year and it can be combined with other grants or financial
aid.
Another common federal grant is the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity
Grant or SEOG. Like the Pell Grant, the SEOG is awarded based on financial
need and is for undergraduate study. This grant can be combined with other
school grants or financial aid, but the cap is $1000 per year.
Colleges and Universities often provide their own grants for students. The
amount of the school grant varies, but they do take into consideration a number
of factors in issuing these types of grants including: financial need, grades,
merit or program of study. Please check with the college you’ve been
accepted to for more information.
To be considered for any of these types of grants for college, you must complete
a financial aid form known as the FAFSA. Your college will help you with this
process and you can get information online. There are time deadlines in completing
this application, so be sure to take that into consideration when planning
your education.
Even though college costs are trending upward, there are many financial aid
options for students. College grants are one of the best options since they
don’t need to be repaid, however, not everyone qualifies for them. Complete
a FAFSA application to determine whether you can qualify for a college grant.
www.top-colleges.com
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
About The Author
Max Stein is a freelance writer who writes about business, education and marketing.
Contact him at maxstein_9@hotmail.com
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