www.sampleresume.net |
|
|
Financial Aid Grants
|
Article on Financial Aid Grants
College costs continue to rise and as a result, most students want to apply for one of several grants currently offered by the U.S. government. Grants are usually offered to undergraduates on the basis of financial need and/or academic merit and do not need to be repaid after college. While some private foundations are now beginning to award them, the funding offered by the federal government remains key. Because of this, this article describes in brief the five most important federal grants offered to college undergraduates.
Federal Pell Grants
The Pell financial aid grant is awarded to students who could not otherwise afford to pay for college. In order to qualify for awards ranging from $976 to $5350, a student must demonstrate that her or his family’s contribution towards education can only be of less than $4617. To apply for a Pell Grant interested students must fill in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before July of the year in which they begin studies.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
Like the Pell Grants, the SEOG grants are awarded to students in exceptional financial need. If Federal Pell Grants work on a first-come first-serve basis, the SEOG financial aid grant is awarded to students whose personal financial contributions for college are lowest. SEOG grants range from $100 to $4000. In order to qualify, undergraduates must be enrolled in a college course at least half time.
Academic Competitiveness (ACG) Grant
This set of grants is awarded to those already receiving Federal Pell Grants. It is aimed at freshmen or sophomores who have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. Grants awarded through the Academic Competitiveness Grant range from $750 for first year students to $1300 for second year students. A set amount of funding is not guaranteed every year for these grants, so interested students should check the website of the Department of Education for the availability of this type of financial aid grant.
SMART Grants
The National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent-SMART Grants were created to support third and fourth year students studying in fields such as mathematics, computer science or biology and also concentrating on a foreign language such as Arabic or Chinese. Students can receive grants of up to $4000. Department of Education funding for these grants varies annually. Academic achievement conditions may also apply.
TEACH Grants
These financial aid grants are awarded to students who commit to teaching in elementary or secondary public school after graduation. More specifically, grant recipients need to become highly-qualified teachers in a sought-after subject area and willing to teach in low-income area schools. Qualified students may receive up to $4000 in aid. A number of other conditions apply, so those interested should check the Department of Education Website.
So, although there are not nearly enough grants for the demand, students can nevertheless access some of the financial aid opportunities outlined above if they apply on time and tailor their applications to the demands of the federal grant. For more information on the grants currently available visit http://www.grants.gov.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|