Grants for Higher Education
Grants are like scholarships, except they’re usually based on
financial need, not grades. Grants are offered at both the federal and state level. Numerous colleges offer them as well. According to
CollegeScholarships.org, the most popular student-specific grants are for non-traditional students; low-income and disadvantaged students; graduate and doctoral students; and military students. These popular grants include:
- Pell Grant – The most common undergraduate grant available to low-income students and families trying to fund their college education. This money does not run out, and has no deadlines for applying. These grants are sometimes deceptively referred to as Obama mom grants (see warning below).
- Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) – Grant money awarded to college freshmen and sophomores that took academically challenging coursework in high school and qualify for the Pell Grant.
- Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity (FSEOG) – A program developed to promote access to a college education for low-income students. The money is provided mostly by the government and the rest is covered by the college.
Make sure you check with a college’s financial aid office to see your eligibility. Also, googling “grants for college degree programs” will return a number of helpful websites.
Warning: Be on the lookout for "Obama Mom" ads that urge single moms to use special funding from the president. These ads are everywhere, and they're not legit. Our blog explains what you need to know about the single mom college grant scam.