Educational Grants for College Student

For you who are enrolling in college, whether it’s your first time in or you just return to the college after a period of time off, it’s recommendable for you to look and apply for Federal Educational Grants for College Student.

The Federal Educational Grants provided by U.S. Department of Education is arguably the largest source of aid in America. There is over $150 billion of aid available in form of grants, work-study, and federal loans for students attending four-year colleges or universities, community colleges, and career schools. Interested? Yes, you can get the grants too, the question is how. Here we will provide you with some information on Federal Educational Grants, more after the jump.

educational-grants-for-college-student

Eligibility of Educational Grants for College Student

If your question is “who gets the educational grants for college student?” then we talk about eligibility.  For most federal educational grants or federal student aid, the eligibility is based on financial need and on several other factors. Here are some most basic eligibility requirements to receive Federal Educational Grants:

  1. a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen,
  2. have a valid Social Security number,
  3. have to register (if you haven’t already) with the Selective Service, if you’re a male between the ages of 18 and 25,
  4. Maintain satisfactory academic progress in college or career school, and
  5. show you’re qualified to obtain a postsecondary education by:
  • Having a high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) certificate.
  • Passing an approved ability-to-benefit test (if you don’t have a diploma or GED certificate, a school can administer a test to determine whether you can benefit from the education offered at that school);
  • Completing six credit hours or equivalent coursework toward a degree or certificate;
  • Meeting other federally approved standards your state establishes; or
  • Completing a high school education in a homeschool setting approved under state law.

The types of Educational Grants for College Student

There are several Federal Educational Grants/ Student Aid Programs offered to help you pay for your college education. Among other:

  1. Grants: it is Educational Grants funds that do not have to be repaid (other conditions apply).
  2. Work-Study: it is a part-time work program to earn money while you are in school.
  3. Federal Loans: it is a student aid funds that you must repay with interest.  Types of federal student loans among others:
  • Perkins
  • Direct Stafford
  • Direct PLUS (graduate and professional degree student borrowers)
  • Direct PLUS (parent borrowers)
  • Direct Loan Consolidation

Besides the aforementioned source of Educational Grants you can also find Aid to help your college payment from:

  • Scholarships
  • Scholarships for military families
  • Your college, university, or career school
  • More federal aid sources
  • State higher education agencies

Method to Apply Educational Grants for College Student

To apply for educational grants for college student is not as complicated as you might think; in fact it’s quite simple. The simple way is by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSAsm) at www.fafsa.gov. Then you follow some easy steps to make the application process even simpler:

1. Gather round the documents needed to apply. Such as income tax returns (yours and most likely your parents), W-2 forms, and other records of income, as well as identification documents (social security cards, driver’s licenses). Make sure you get the complete list of documents.

2. After you have the complete documents then you have to apply online at FAFSA on the WebSM and Submit a FAFSA.  The FAFSA is used to apply for federal financial aid (grants, work-study, and loans). It is worth to note that the process is free, never pay to apply for federal financial aid.

 

Note: You have to complete the FAFSA each year, starting on January 1. Be sure you meet application deadlines. For deadlines, visit www.fafsa.ed.gov.

  • For further information, you can get free information and help about  Educational Grants from:your school counselor,the financial aid office at the college, university, or career school you plan to attend, or
  •  The U.S. Department of Education at www.fafsa.gov (online chat is also available), or call 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243).

image: studentloanhelper.org