College Grants Explained

World is in a recession. The economic slowdown is bigger than any slowdowns we have seen in our lifetime. This means we are in a time period where it is a good idea to stop doing what we are doing and rethink our life strategy. In this period we can improve our competitiveness and master few trades, or skills that will help us in our professional life later on.

For many of us in order to improve it will mean to receive higher education. I believe now is the best time to enroll in some kind of a college or university. This creates a small problem: enrolling and receiving higher education costs money. Some of you are thinking this makes no sense, how will I be able to pay for college in an economic slowdown? The answer is easy. US Government provides many Education Grants for students who want to go to college. If free money for school excites you, please read on.

What are College Grants?

College grants are awards given to students by both federal and state governments. Also, they are one of the favorite methods when it comes to Financial Aid. Very often these awards do not have to be repaid. They should be one of your first strategies of financing your education. Education grants are awarded based on financial need, eligibility and funds availability. This implies they are distributed on first come first serve basis. Education Grants can pay for tuition and other college related expenses. These government education grants exist for both undergraduate and graduate students.

In 2009-2010 school year our government awarded $26,265,147,289 in total federal college grants. The average award across grants per student per year was $2,278 with the maximum award being $5,350. That is a lot of money per student. It is definitely well worth it to apply for school grants.

Here I am going to list of some of the most important college grants we are going to talk about. They are: Pell Grants, TEACH Grants, National SMART Grants, Academic Competitiveness Grants (ACG), and Federal Supplemental Edu. Opportunity Grants (FSEOG). Let us review these common government grants and see what they have to offer.

Pell Grants

Pell Grants are the heart of education grant programs. A Federal Pell Grant is also the foundation for financial aid. This great grant was formerly called: Basic Educational Opportunity Grants (BEOGs). It is your first funding when it comes to college financial help. Other types of financial aid and other grants supplement this grant. As with most of the grants this award does not have to be repaid. This grant program carries the most money and is the first grant you will be considered for when you submit your FAFSA application.

In 2009-2010 the average award for one academic year for the Pell Grant was $3,611. President Obama has proposed to increase the grant budget. The new proposal would raise the maximum Pell Grant award by $200, to $5,550 for the 2010-11 academic year. This would make additional 260,000 students eligible for this program.

The award amount for this grant depends on: students expected family contribution, cost of attendance, students enrollment status, whether the student attends for a full year or less.

TEACH Grants

TEACH Grant otherwise also known as The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program is a brand new grant for those who want to become teachers. This program was created through the College Cost Reduction and Access Act. The purpose of this program was to find more teachers. Students must agree to teach after they graduate.

In this category the average award is $2,941 per academic year and the TEACH Grant provides funding up to $4,000 per year to applicants who want to teach in a public or private elementary, or secondary school with one important condition: the school has to server students from low income families.

Students who graduate but do not complete the required teaching service will have to pay off the grant as it will turn into a unsubsidized loan, where interest will have to be paid from the date the TEACH Grant award was disbursed. College students who want to receive this grant need to agree to serve as full time teachers. The teaching will need to be for 4 academic years and it has to be performed within the 8 calendar years of the graduation date. Applicants do not have to show financial need in order to be eligible for this program.

National SMART Grant

The National Smart Grant is also well known as National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant. National Smart program was established by The Higher Education Reconciliation Act as a main program to meet the growing need for math and science instruction. SMART Grants are available during the third and fourth year of undergraduate study only. The purpose of this program was to support students majoring in physics, mathematics, technology, engineering, life, computer science, critical foreign language, or non major single liberal arts program. National SMART grants are only available as the supplement to the Pell Grant. One must receive the Pell Grant first, before being able to receive money from the SMART Grant.

Maximum award in this grant is $4000 in academic years: three and four. Applicants must meet Pell Grant eligibility requirements in addition to a high GPA score of at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG)

ACG Grant Established by The Higher Education Reconciliation Act carries a role of a supplement grant to the Pell Grant. This is a sister grant to National SMART Grant. Academic Competitiveness Grants are available to students for their first and second academic years of college. Later on students can use the SMART grants for their third and fourth academic year. This is a fairly new program helping those applicants who take challenging high school courses and those who pursue challenging college majors. Students must receive the Pell Grant first, before being eligible for the Academic Competitiveness Grant.

About $790 millions have been designated to the program in 2006-07 academic year and this program will have 4.5 billion over the next few years. Maximum award in this grant is $4,000 and in 2009 the average award per student per year was $787. In order to qualify for this grant, students must meet the rigorous secondary school program of study requirements. It is worth noting that not all students who receive federal Pell Grants are eligible for this ACG grant.

Federal Supplemental Edu. Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant or sometimes abbreviated to FSEOG, is federal Financial Aid program for students with exceptional financial need. Just like with most other grants the money does not have to be repaid as long as the student remains eligible. Since this grant works on financial need basis, students who apply first will have the first chance of being awarded. If you are a student who is a Pell Grant recipient with the lowest expected family contribution you will be considered first for the program.

Maximum award in this grant is $4,000 and in 2009 the average award per student in one academic year was $787. This particular grant is designed for undergraduate students only. Funding for the grant is very limited. Make sure to be one of the first applicants in order to be considered.

Other Grants

On top of the famous free government grants mentioned above, students can apply for other grants that will help them pay for their education. Some of the institutions that provide grants to students are: states, colleges and universities, public institutions, and private organizations. Check with your school or state for more information on the programs they provide.

Who is Eligible?

Education Grants were designed mostly for undergraduate students, but graduate students may receive these grants in some cases. In order to be eligible students must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment before they apply. Weather grants are awarded or not will depend on your FAFSA application result. Very often the school will make the decision if you qualify for certain state or school based college grants. Sometimes schools are not able to decide automatically. In this scenario you may be required to apply to grant administrator in order to be considered for a particular grant.

When you fill out your FAFSA forms, the information from that application is used to calculate the Expected Family Contribution, or EFC. This EFC report determines whether the student is eligible for a Pell Grants or not. EFC stands for Expected Family Contribution. This EFC is the number that is used to determine your eligibility for federal financial aid. This number results from the financial information you provided in your FAFSA application. Your EFC is reported to you on your Student Aid Report (SAR).

How to Apply?

Most are provided by the federal government, so you apply by submitting your FAFSA application. For other non federal grants you have to find the administrative contact for the grant. You may contact him directly and see what the enrollment process is for that specific grant program.

Where to Apply

Federal Student Aid Information

Phone: 1-800-433-3243

TDD: 1-800-730-8913

8 a.m. to 8 p.m., M-F (EST)

Email: fsa.customer.support@ed.gov

Phone: 1-800-621-3115 - Default Resolution Group

Phone: 1-800-557-7392 - Direct Loan Consolidation

Phone: 1-888-869-4169 - Disability Discharge Loan Servicing

Phone: 1-800-433-3243 - Federal Student Aid Information

Phone: 1-202-377-3800 - Office of the Ombudsman FSA

Important Questions

Can I apply for student grants if I have a student loan?

This question comes up a lot. Yes, you can apply for student grants if you have a student loan. You can always apply for grants, even if you have a student loan as long as you did not default on your college loan. To be honest I would apply for grants even if I was in default on my student loan. Chances are you will find a program that will give you grants for your education even though you ran into debt problems. It does not hurt to try. Make sure to be legitimate.

Can I receive education grants if I am enrolled less than half-time?

Yes, you can receive education grants if you are enrolled less than half time but you will be able to receive only the Federal Pell Grant and the FSEOG. Moreover, you may not receive as much as if you were enrolled full-time. For the ACG and the National SMART Grant, you must be enrolled full-time.

What is the most important requirement in order to receive college grants?

In most scenarios college grants are awarded based on your financial situation. If you are in a financial need college grants may be awarded to you. In a scenario where you are a wealthy student grants may not be awarded. I believe the most important tip in receiving grants is speed. You must be one of the first students to submit your application. I am sure there will be more than one student in financial need, and we know at this point college grant money is limited.

To Sum it All Up

Education grants exist if you are willing to receive higher education and you do not want to pay for it using your own money. When looking for financial aid, grants are the first thing you should look for as they mostly do not have to be repaid. It is free money for your education. Everyone should apply since the Education Grants were built for everyone in mind. Worst case scenario you may receive less than full amount, but you should be awarded some money.

You made your first step by reading to the end of this article and the next step for you is to fill out and submit your FAFSA application. If you stop right here you wasted time reading the above text. Do not waste time, visit our website and find out more information. In case you are awarded money, visit us back and share your success with us. Good luck.

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For more info please visit our Government Grants website.

Student Loans - A Simple Guide

There are various resources to find money for a college education. Student scholarships, student loans, and grants are available to get a college education. After going through the merits and demerits, the best option may be chosen.

Student loans are different from a student scholarship since they have to be repaid. Student loan schemes are available in two different types. One is a subsidized loan and another is an unsubsidized loan. The interest for the subsidized loan is taken care of by the Federal Government in USA and in other countries the finance ministry provides some sort of assistance, whereas the unsubsidized loans carry a normal percentage of interest. Eligibility for a subsidized loan can be found out by filling in the relevant details online

The students and the parents can become tense at the time of planning how the expenses of a college education will be met.

To finance a college education, a programme called FFELP (Federal family education loan programme) provides the most flexible and affordable student loan options. Using the loan finder web service a student can find all the required information for applying for a federal loan online. Find more info at [http://www.loanresourceonline.info]

Additional finances not covered by the federal programme such as education related expenses, overseas study, and housing can be procured through a private student educational loan. When compared to credit cards, these programmes carry a marginally lower interest rate and have very easy payback terms.

Many of the student loan agencies - both government and private - have online submission and processing facilities hence the loans are accepted after a review within a week or sooner. The repayment of the Federal student loan can start six months after the graduation of the applicant.

Student loans can be used not only to pay the fees but also for lab fees, dues for associations and housing. A student can still avail an educational loan even though the tuition is covered by a grant.

A student who is eighteen years or above in age, can apply for a student loan. Most of the student loan is deferred for repayment until the student completes the education or leaves the school.

Private loans for students are not given without a co-signer or a credit report. Credit unions give student loans if a vehicle or a boat is provided as collateral.

During the cumulative credit period, a student has the option of paying or not paying the interest part of the loan. It will become easier if periodical payment is made to cover the interest. If this is done, the capital repayment after completing the studies becomes easier for a student.

Student loans are to be repaid in ten years. Nevertheless, longer repayment facilities are provided to large student educational loans.

Lucy Bartlett is a proud contributing author. Find more articles here. For more info visit Loans [http://loanresourceonline.info] or Student Loans [http://loanresourceonline.info/student-loans.php].

Finding Scholarships For College Students

There are a couple places you can find financing for school, and scholarships for college students is certainly one of them. These resources alone can provide you with enough money to pay for most, if not all, of your college tuition. There are even scholarships for college students that will allow you to use the money to buy books, pay for student housing, and pay for other educational expenses.

One of the best resources that should not be overlooked when searching for scholarships fro college students are the government grant programs. Every year the government provides billions of dollars to help students go to and complete their college education.

By providing free grant money to college students, the government helps people who ordinarily wouldn't be able to afford college or would graduate with thousands of dollars in debt.

The government sees this as a good long-term investment. The more Americans that receive a higher education or advanced degree, the more productive and competitive a nation we become. That means higher salaries, more jobs, and more income tax for the government. They are more than happy to give you $10,000 today knowing that you will be paying more than that in income tax for the next 30+ years as a result of your college degree.

You'll be able to find some of these scholarships for college students and grant programs by talking to your financial aid counselor at your school, but they are not going to be aware of even a fraction of the programs out there. Bear in mind that they are also more interested in helping you obtain a student loan or other financing option that allows them to make a commission. It is a good idea to work with your financial aid office, but a savvy student will use their own resources as well.

Your can easily uncover billions of dollars in scholarships for college students that are available to you right now. Once you do, all you have to do is qualify and ask for free grants for college...

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Tips and Techniques for Students Seeking Employment

In this job climate, people are finding it more difficult than ever to find a job. For students, this is complicated further by high unemployment, which has increased competition for even the lower wage positions that students can most easily land.

This can have a profound negative effect because students often cannot rely on a depth of job experience to attract prospective employers. Thus, they must excel in the job hunting fundamentals and sell their capabilities through presentation rather than accolades. Here are some suggestions that will aid in students' job searches.

First, students need to recognize and work within their limitations. Few things trend an interview down faster than when an interviewee starts talking about what they cannot do. When looking for jobs in the first place, the student should make sure that they can fulfill the job duty/hour requirements. It is difficult for students to know ahead of time how much extra effort will be required outside of the classroom. As such, they should allow for this and strive not to put themselves in a position where job and study hours cannot co-exist.

Secondly, honesty is the best policy. If there are limitations you know are unavoidable, be upfront with your prospective employer. Some people will say, "Deal with those after you've been hired so you don't put getting the job at risk", but this is not a good practice to make a habit of. Entering a job under false pretense creates a bad rapport between the student and his or her employer, making them less prone to compromise when a need for some employer flexibility is required.

As a student, there will be instances where projects, finals, etc. may make it difficult to get to work on a particular day. If the student has been honest about everything else, his or her employer is more apt to take them at their word & excuse the absence (provided they called ahead). Using dishonesty to get the job can cause his or her employer to view their plights with skepticism (even if they are legitimate), and can put employment at risk.

It is important to remember that in such a competitive job climate, building strong foundations at the workplace is of paramount importance. To a degree, employers are empowered with a "pick of the litter" mentality during tight employment cycles. As such, it is easier to remove individuals for whatever reason when there are a multitude of suitable replacements available.

In conclusion, students seeking employment should keep a professional demeanor. They should abstain from large-scale use of slang and "text" language. Resumes and required writing samples should be proofread thoroughly. After being hired, all communications, even informal ones, should make good use of proper grammar and punctuation. IT should not be assumed that informal communications will only be read by the desired recipient. In the event it is forwarded without their knowledge, student employees want to make certain that whoever ends up reading the communication maintains the desired opinion of him or her.

Conversely, it should be understood that individuality can be beneficial to career progression. A student should not confuse professionalism with boring. Thus, it is permissible, and even favorable in some instances, to be likable while on the job. Employees must remember that they may be considered for advancement before they have any notion of it, and the perception of an employee by their peers is a key facet of this consideration.

This is the first in a series of articles designed to help students prepare for job hunting, interviewing, and entering the workplace environment. Hopefully it will aid its readers to find and get the job they are seeking.

For additional information when conducting a student job search, visit the site indicated for excellent educational, employment, and grant-writing resources.