Education Grants

Financial Awards for Teachers & Other Gifted Students

A higher education degree is a requirement for financial stability and for success in any career path. This is now true more than ever in the face of today’s economy and the growth of technology driven industries. The desire to remain competitive in today’s workforce has led to record enrollment numbers. Very few college students are able to pay out of their own pockets for their school expenses, and as a result, the number of available grants has increased. Education grants differ from loans because they do not have to be repaid. They also differ from scholarships by focusing primarily on student financial need first rather than on scholastic accomplishments. Grants may also be awarded for study in specialized fields, with certain qualifying criteria.

The face of the twenty-first century college student is changing; many are first-time students who have been out of high school for several years while working in jobs that paid well enough without a college degree. Many of those jobs have disappeared in the current economy, and there is a resulting movement to make college enrollment possible in order for these students to learn new skills. The purpose of grants is to open higher education doors to those who could not otherwise afford college. Grants that focus on low-income and minority students are prevalent, and specialized grants also help pave the way for such students to new careers in fields that interest them.

The process of searching for education grants need not be daunting, though many different ones are available. A good starting point for prospective students is to have a preliminary plan for their new college careers. Grants for specific courses of study should be taken into consideration, along with a realistic financial outline of living expenses while attending school. Eligibility for grant funds is most often calculated by annual income, followed by grade point average and intended goals. The more specific those goals, the greater the likelihood of receiving a grant award; this shows that the student is career-minded and focused on a specific outcome.

Available College Grants

The first source for education grants is the federal government, and these types of grants are among those awarded the most frequently. The first grant available to the widest demographic is the Federal Pell Grant. It is awarded to students who have not completed an undergraduate degree and whose income falls below a certain amount. Eligibility for this grant is also a determining factor in whether a student qualifies for a number of certain other federal grants. The Pell Grant awards up to $5,500 per year. The specific amounts paid are calculated based on whether a student is attending school full- or part-time, financial need and expected costs.

Students who have been determined to have the lowest incomes as determined by their expected family contributions (EFC) can also qualify for a supplement to the Pell Grant. This is known as the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG). This grant pays an extra $100 to $4,000 to help with education costs. As is the case with the Pell Grant, eligible students must sign an agreement that these funds will be used only for tuition, fees, and other higher education related expenses.

New college students who plan to enter the teaching field can apply for the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program. This grant awards up to $4,000 per academic year for education majors who plan to teach at the elementary or secondary level upon graduation. Students who are awarded a TEACH Grant must complete an agreement to teach full-time in a school that serves students from low-income areas. This service teaching period must be for a minimum of four school years during a given eight-year period after college graduation. The TEACH Grant is especially geared toward aspiring teachers in subjects with teacher shortages, such as the sciences and mathematics.

The next step in the search is for state education grants where individual students plan to attend college. Most states offer sets of college grants for specific groups of students, such as those who belong to a minority group or who are first-generation college students in their families. Grants for African-American students, Hispanic students, Asian students, and Native American students are widely available in all states that have earmarked funds specifically to offer these educational opportunities. There are also numbers of grants available for women, particularly those in underrepresented degree fields. Many states offer grants similar to the TEACH program for in-demand professions in the state including doctors, nurses, teachers and more.

Higher education grants are available to military veterans through the G.I. Bill Program. Service members who have served continuously for three years (or two years, if that was the original enlistment agreement), and began active duty after June 30, 1985 can apply for a grant through the Montgomery G.I. Bill program. Veteran and active students enrolled in a certain number of college credits receive monthly payments based on the number of credits taken per semester and the length of your program of study. Until 2008, active duty veterans received up to $250 per credit hour provided they repaid a certain amount to the U.S. Veterans Administration.

The 2008 Post-9/11 G.I Bill differs from the original G.I Bill because veteran students do not have to pay a buy-in amount ahead of time. This program allows recent veterans and ac  to receive educational benefits equal to the maximum allowable tuition amounts for the states where such students are attending school. Some states have additional G.I. grants separate from the federal level that are awarded based on full-time or half-time enrollment per semester.

Other educational and training assistance programs are available to military personnel and their families as well, such as: Reserve Educational Assistance (REAP) – for National Guardsmen and Reservists, Survivors & Dependents Assistance (DEA), Veterans Educational Assistance Program (VEAP), Educational Assistance Test Program, National Call to Service Program, and Veterans Retraining Assistance Program.

Who May Qualify

To qualify for a Pell Grant, students must be pursuing their first two-year or four-year degrees. Some limited Pell Grant funds are also awarded to graduate students who are completing a teacher certification program. Other requirements include U.S. citizenship with a valid Social Security number, completion of high school or equivalent, and lack of certain criminal convictions. Dependent students are those whose families are expected to contribute a certain amount while the student is enrolled in school, and this amount – the estimated family contribution (EFC) - along with the expected tuition costs is used to calculate the exact amount of grant money to be awarded. The same criterion is used to determine eligibility for the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant to be awarded to those students with exceptional financial challenges.

To qualify for the TEACH Grant, aspiring educators must be enrolled in a degree program that will lead to teacher licensure. Some academic minimum standards must be met as well. First-time students with no prior college coursework can qualify for this grant by attaining certain scores on the SAT or ACT. Otherwise, current education majors can qualify by submitting their transcripts indicating a grade point average above 3.25. The TEACH Grant can be awarded at either the undergraduate or the graduate level, and graduates at either level must sign an agreement to fulfill their teaching obligation within the prescribed time frame.

African-American Students have plenty of grant opportunities to select, namely those from foundations such as the United Negro College Fund and individual historically-black schools. Many of these school-administered grants are awarded for high grade point averages, athletic achievements, and community service. Others also take specific courses of study into consideration.

The Hispanic College Fund is a foundation set up to provide college grants for Hispanic students from lower-income backgrounds. Qualifications for any of these grants include ethnic background, a minimum grade point average, valid U.S. citizenship, full-time college enrollment status, and sometimes specific field of study.

Several grants are available for Asian students pursuing specific courses of study, namely in journalism and the visual arts. The Asian American Journalists Association offers a few different types of internships along with grants of up to $2,000 to help offset living expenses while completing an internship in specific areas of online or print journalism. Asian visual arts students with a minimum 2.5 grade point average are also eligible to apply for grant funds from the Asian Cultural Council.

Native American students can apply for specific college grants based on their individual tribes and states of residence. Most of these grants originate from non-profit organizations with their own separate application forms. Candidates are required to submit a Certificate of Indian Blood as well as proof of belonging to a federally recognized Native American Tribe.

A variety of grants are available for women students who are interested in fields of study such as engineering, computer science, mathematics, the physical sciences, and business management. The American Association of University Women offers several grants to women with significant financial need and who are non-traditional students. Grants based on merit are available from foundations such as the Barry Goldwater Foundation and the Ford Foundation for women completing undergraduate degrees in mathematics, science, or engineering. Special preference is given to those students who plan on pursuing graduate studies in their fields.

Students who have served in the armed services (or their surviving children) qualify for G.I Bill programs based on their service records as well as state residence in the case of separate state G.I. benefits. Veteran students with verified disabilities also qualify for vocational rehabilitation programs that provide job training and cover the costs of textbooks. Some vocational rehabilitation programs also help veteran students with living expenses and costs of education-related supplies.

The Application Process

The preliminary application for any federal student aid is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). On this application, students furnish information about their education history, their income and assets, and their family’s expected contributions. The resulting report calculates how much federal aid may be awarded based on these numbers. The application is readily available online, and many school financial aid offices offer help with filling in the correct information. When you fill out the FASFA, you are automatically considered for the Pell Grant and FSEOG.

The application process for the TEACH Grant is started with an online screening process found at www.teach-ats.ed.gov. Prospective award recipients are required to complete this online orientation in addition to submitting a completed FAFSA. For each year the TEACH is awarded, the student must participate in TEACH counseling, to understand their role in the program. Applicants can also complete and sign their TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve through the same online portal.

Grants for women and minority students have somewhat more varied application processes. Private foundations and individual grant-providing colleges often look first at financial need based on the student aid report from the FAFSA. Secondary applications are often required when students are applying for private foundation grants. These forms are available either at school financial aid offices or at different foundations’ websites, and some need to be submitted along with school transcripts to prove minimum grade point average. Consult with the desired institution for details.

Applications for veteran educational grants can be obtained through a local branch office of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Eligible student veterans will need to fill out the Application for Education Benefits, known as VA Form 22-1990. Disabled veterans are usually required to complete a counseling and evaluation session through their local VA office to determine the best college-related plans and goals for their individual circumstances.

Additional Grant Resources

Non-traditional college students are typically defined as those over the age of 25, and these students have a wide variety of grants available from different areas of industry and business as well as from individual colleges and universities. The growth of online degree programs has also created a wealth of grant opportunities for adult students. Working adult students may have the option of tuition assistance if they work for a large and established company, and some professional organizations offer grant funding for such students who demonstrate the dedication to earning a degree in their chosen field.

Another advantage for non-traditional adult students is that they often have more connections that can lead to educational grant possibilities. Involvement in community and civic groups can open doors to this type of college funding through private grants that may not be found as easily otherwise. Other opportunities through work-study programs may also help with college costs, especially in the cases of students with a good history of work experience.

Some non-traditional students face more challenges in furthering their education due to felony convictions. The good news is that federal student grants are still available to them as long as the felony conviction was not drug-related. The first step in this process is to gather grant information through the probation office and through the financial aid office at the college of interest. These students will still need to fill out the FAFSA as a measure of whether they can receive any federal aid.

Grant opportunities are also not limited to undergraduate students. Funds are available for advanced degrees at the master’s and doctoral level. The qualifications are a bit more stringent and the application process is somewhat different. Students with the drive to complete the challenge of an advanced degree need to demonstrate how they will specifically contribute to their field of study in many cases.

There are fewer grants available for graduate students at the federal level. Most federal aid for advanced degrees comes in the form of loans. The Federal Pell Grant is currently available only to graduate students who plan to enter the teaching field. Graduate level grants are concentrated in research-based colleges and universities that are seeking graduate students in a specific underrepresented field. Many of these grants are aimed at minority graduate students as well. The monetary value of these awards also tends to be much higher.Grants for studies at the doctoral level are some of the most sought-after, and there is usually a great deal of competition for them.

The wide array of education grants available is designed to allow a college education to be a reachable goal for any prospective student, from any walk of life. Students who begin with the proper motivation and desire to learn have the benefit of grant awards to help take care of the always-rising costs of tuition, fees, and books. Grants ease some of the traditional college-related stresses because finances become less of a worry. The key is to evaluate individual student criteria, research all possible grants that fit these criteria, and to apply early and often.