College Grants Help Provide Higher Education to the Economically Disadvantaged

As college and university education costs have increased over the years, students are finding it more difficult to pay for college education. Only the wealthy few are able to afford college tuition without any form of financial aid.

The average cost for private four-year tuition is $23,712 for 2007-2008, up 6.3 percent from last year.
Meanwhile, tuition for a public university for four-years is $6,185 per academic year, up 6.6 percent from last year. Students have commonly available avenues to access college funds, including student loans, scholarships, and grants.

The primary purpose of college grants is to make higher education funds, irrespective of allotment size, available to financially needy college students. Grants help students defray the cost of a university education. School students can begin their grant search on the internet, governmental websites.

Grants Differ from Student Loans and Scholarships
Grants are completely different from student loans and scholarships in that they are free gift money that doesn’t have to be repaid. Grants are mainly divided into separate categories:

• Specific to the student
• Specific to the subject
• Degree Level
• Minority status
• Income Level

Also here are some familiar sources for grant funding:

• Universities and Colleges
• National and state governments
• Private, Non-profit, public organizations

Numerous grant recipients are financially impaired or economically disadvantaged, thus many grants are specifically designed for minorities and low-income students.

Government Grants
Grants can be received through the federal or state governments. Federal grants offer hundreds of thousands grants to students in need. The following federal grants make attending a college a reality for many students:

• Since 1973, the Pell Grant, has remained a staple of federal funding, having helped millions of low-income students over the years.

• The Academic Competitiveness (AC) Grant is made available to freshmen and sophomores with excellent academic records with demonstrated aptitudes for service and leadership. Applicants have to meet eligibility requirements of the Pell Grant.

• The National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (SMART Grants) offers $4,000 awards to juniors or seniors studying engineering, computer science, mathematics, or sciences. Applicants have to meet eligibility requirements of the Pell Grant.

Many states offer resident students merit based, needs based, and subject based grants.

The following represent other grant types:

• Minority Grants
• Black Students
• Hispanic Students
• Native American Students
• Asian American Students
• Women
• First in Family to attend college

Furthermore, there are some loose categories that encompass a significant population of students. The most common student-specific grants are:

• Non-traditional – students who don’t fall between the ages of the typical college student of 18-24
• Low-income and the disadvantaged – students who are economically or physically disabled
• Graduate and doctoral – quite competitive grants to help students do research participate in studies abroad
• High school and undergraduate – grants range from economically disadvantaged students to specialized grants in math, science, engineering, etc.
• Military and families – full college tuition to students who join the armed forces, tuition assistance for spouses

Remember, that there are many sources to access grants, free fund for college; be diligent in your grant search. Never quit.