Grants for Married Students
Another Benefit of Marriage?
Being married and raising a family does not mean you should be penalized when it comes to pursuing a college degree. Married students who are seeking grant programs for college have a number of avenues to explore when searching for grant sources:
- federal grants
- grants for minorities
- grants for those returning to college
- grants for adult learners
- specialty-specific grants
First, decide what "married" means to you. Does it mean you expect to only attend college part time? Maybe you are considering distance learning at one of the increasingly popular online colleges or universities. In cases such as these grant funds may be scarce. There are still few funding sources for online degree programs and many grants require you attend a college on a full-time basis, even reside on campus.
Federal Pell grants are available for those students with the most proven financial need. Unless your household income falls below the average poverty level, though, you might skip it and consider alternative grants for married students.
Minorities
If you are African American, Hispanic or Native American, consider grant sources focused on minorities. Dig deeper into minority grants and you will even turn up those focused on area of study. And the money available is no pocket change. More and more fields of study, professional organizations, as well as colleges and universities are vigorously soliciting for minorities and women to diversify their populations.
Exemptions for Married Students
In some cases, married students may be exempted from some of the grant criteria if awarded. For example, Columbia College in Missouri extends exceptions to married students and lone parents in regards to their stipulation that grant recipients reside on campus. This emphasizes the fact that you must make sure you understand the requirements for a grant if you are married.
Getting Married While In College
What if you marry while in college? How does that affect your financial aid or grant possibilities? As far as financial aid goes, some colleges, such as Barnard College, consider students who marry mid-college career to still be dependents of their parents. As such, parents are responsible for proving need in regards to grants and federal student loans.
