20 Popular Grants and Scholarships For Which Everyone Should Apply – Government grants and scholarships are free monetary assistance that is available to students who want to pursue higher education from both private and public sources. Whether you are attending a college for the first time or pursuing a higher degree for college tuition, supplies, books and other costs related to your stories can be a daunting process especially if you belong to a low-income family.
Fortunately, there are various forms of financial aid opportunities for higher education funded by the federal government that make investment in education financially feasible for a lot of students. This guide will throw light on how you can qualify for government grants and scholarship programs.
Highlights of this Post
What Are Government Grants And Scholarships?
Government grants and scholarships are free aid opportunities that help students cover their college expenses or higher education costs. The best thing about grants and scholarships from the federal, state or local government is that they are not required to be repaid.
There are numerous educational grants and scholarships totalling billions of dollars that are awarded every year to individuals coming from different circumstances and backgrounds. Grants and scholarships are both free aid assistance that need not be repaid so they are the most sought-after option to curtail the cost of education.
The difference between grants and scholarships lies in the fact that while grants are based on the financial needs of students, scholarships are generally based on the merit of the students such as academic achievements, field of study, extracurricular activities and more.
The need to qualify for government grants includes the following but is not limited to:
- Disability status
- Cost of school
- Family income and status.
There are various types of scholarships awarded to students based on different scenarios such as the following:
- Students studying high-demand fields or STEM field
- Scholarship competitions
- Academic excellence
- Students of a particular ethnicity or group for instance LGBTQ community or Native American
- Exceptional athletic performance
What Are The Eligibility Criteria For The Government Grants And Scholarships?
Any citizen of the United States or an eligible non-citizen who has enrolled or is planning to enroll in a United States educational institution can apply for government grants and scholarships. One of the most common educational grant programs is the well-known federal Pell Grant which requires students to demonstrate robust financial need and meet other criteria.
A lot of state government grants are need-based as well. Nonprofits, community organizations and private corporations also provide scholarships and grants to students coming from different profiles irrespective of their financial needs.
The eligibility criteria to qualify for government grants and scholarships are as follows.
- Must file FAFSA to avail of government grants or scholarships
- Applicants should not be defaulters on any federal loans
- Students must be a citizen of the United States, a legal/ permanent resident or eligible non-citizen
- Students must be enrolled for full-time or half-time in an accredited US college or university
- Students should possess a valid Social Security number.
- The recipient should maintain acceptable grades
- The applicants and recipients of government grants and scholarships should not be incarcerated.
What Are The Documents Required To Apply For Government Grants And Scholarships In The United States?
Low-income students who are applying for government grants and scholarships to offset the cost of their college are required to submit relevant documents to prove their eligibility.
Even though the documents required may vary depending on the program you are applying for, the following is the list of relevant documents that are required.
- Citizenship, residency and eligible immigration documents
- Proof of academic excellence in the form of academic sports or a copy of standardized test scores
- Essay and recommendation letter
- Financial aid information such as parents’ tax and income information and FAFSA
- Copies of transcripts and diplomas
- Scholarship application form and an updated resume highlighting your skills and accomplishments.
- Government-issued photo ID, passport, driver’s license, original birth certificates, school registration etc.
What Is The Maximum Financial Assistance Received Through Government Grants And Scholarships?
The amount of financial assistance that you can receive through government grants or scholarships may vary depending on your state of residence and the program that you are applying for.
The financial assistance changes from year to year depending on the availability of funding and other factors like whether the student can continue to meet the criteria, the student enrollment and whether the donor will continue to contribute the funding each year.
The disbursements of government grants and scholarship funds may vary depending on the college or university you are attending. They are typically dispersed at the beginning of every semester or academic term in various ways including direct deposit into the student account or a paper check addressed to the applicant or their school.
The funds received from government grants and scholarships help people meet their educational expenses like room and board, tuition, fees, etc. If the amount exceeds the total cost of the education then you can get a refund for the remaining balance.
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What Are The Available Government Grants And Scholarships Available For Students?
Grants and Scholarships For All Students
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Pell Grants
You must be aware of the Pell Grants already as it is one of the popular grants that is provided by the federal government.
These grants are specially given to the students that are under graduate to pursue their education. You have to fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) application form and submit it.
The amount of the grants varies and the maximum grant that is provided to a student is approximately $6000 to continue their education.
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Academic Competitiveness Grant
The Academic Competitiveness Grant is mainly provided to the undergraduates that have good academic performance. You must have good grades to qualify for the grant.
Moreover it is important for the student to have a minimum of 3.0 grade score to match eligibility criteria of the grant. To apply for the grant you need to submit the FAFSA form. To know more about the program you can visit their website.
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Elks Scholarship
Elks offers scholarships to the students who are under-graduates and the scholarship amount varies each year. If you leave the course in the middle because of any reason you need to return the undisbursed amount to them. Please visit their official website to learn more.
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TEACH Grants
TEACH is referred to as Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education. These grants are mainly provided to the students who want to pursue a teaching career. The great thing about the program is that both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible for the grant. However to qualify for the program you have to submit the FAFSA form
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The Teach Grant program offers the student’s upto $4000 who are planning to complete coursework and to build a career in teaching. The objective of the TEACH grant is to provide grants to the student to pursue their education in a high field and be an able high quality teacher in the future. To learn more about the program you can visit the website.
The National Science and Mathematics Access to Reading Talent Grant provides assistance where the Academic Competitiveness Grant leaves off and provides additional funding for low-income third and fourth year college students.
Qualified students should be recipients of the Pell Grant program, be academically talented and must major in a high-need foreign language or STEM field.
The grant assistance provided to qualified students every year is up to $4000. Qualified students can learn more details about the eligibility criteria by visiting the visual website of the U.S. Department of Education.
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The Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants are awarded to low-income students whose parents have lost his or her lives while serving in the US military.
Eligible low-income students must give proof that their guardian has died due to military service after 11 September 2001 in Iraq or Afghanistan.
To receive assistance through this government grant you need to meet the eligibility criteria and learn more details by visiting the US Department of Education website.
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Grants For Nursing
There are grants for particular careers as well. For instance, the US Department of Health and Human Services provides a nursing scholarship program through which it offers type assistance to students to cover the cost of tuition and basic living expenses while they’re pursuing an advanced nursing degree.
Graduates should agree to work for a couple of years at an approved healthcare facility or hospital after graduating. Students who are attending nursing school and wish to enter the nursing career can apply for the Advanced Nursing Education Workforce by visiting the grants.gov website. The program provides four years of financial assistance to candidates and requires them to work in rural communities after graduation.
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Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship
The Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship is another program that offers students grants on their academic performance to help them to pursue higher education. The scholarship program awards grants to the students upto $1000. To know more about the program you can visit the website.
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Alpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Kappa Alpha provides an opportunity to receive money from educational institutions and other sources. The main objective of this program is to provide support to the undergraduate and graduate students to overcome the financial obstacles.
The applicants must have to be regular students who have enrolled themselves in a regular course under some recognized university. You are suggested to check them once before applying to it.
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AFSA National Essay Contest
The full form of AFSA is the American Foreign Service Association. This grant is only available to the employees of American foreign services. They will be provided $2500 to the winner of the grant and $1500 to the runner up. Once you get qualified they will transfer the amount to your given bank account.
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Bonner Scholarships
Bonner Scholarship is available to almost 22 universities and colleges throughout the nation. This scholarship is available to the students who are participating in colleges. The students need to serve the community on a yearly basis and based on the performance you will be awarded an amount.
You need to check their official website to gather more knowledge about this program. They have a unique application procedure that you will understand after checking their website.
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CKSF Scholarships
Common Knowledge Scholarship Foundation offers this scholarship to the students of colleges and schools throughout the nation.
CKSF is a non-profit organization that operates several educational scholarships to encourage students irrespective of their academic performance. You need to pass a quiz contest to win this scholarship. You are hereby suggested to check their official website to learn more.
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Davidson Fellows Award
Davidson Fellows Award is available to the youth who will work for the society by maintaining a discipline. They offer a social and academic opportunity to the youth who perform extraordinary activities for the society.
You will be awarded $50000 if you are qualified enough for this program. You are hereby suggested to check it once and you can apply to it directly from the official website.
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Scholarship Sponsored By Sallie Mae
The scholarship is initiated by Sallie Mae to help the American students with programs and funds to pursue their education. It is a charitable organization that has supported the students with all the necessary educational expenses so that they achieve their dreams.
Many students have benefited from this fund to pursue higher education. However you have to visit their website and register yourself to get a free grant upto to $1000. To know more about the program you can visit the website.
Eligible African American students living in the Greater Kansas area can apply for the Black Community Scholarship Fund. The scholarship offers financial support of up to $5000 to eligible high school adults and seniors if they are planning to attend or have already enrolled in college and must agree to perform 16 hours of community service with a partner of the black community scholarship fund. You need to have a full-time student status with a minimum GPA of 2.0 to qualify.
Grants and Scholarships For Women
Educational grants and emotional support are provided to needy low-income women by the Girlfriend Factor so that they can pursue higher education and attain self-sufficiency. Operating since 2006 the grant assists people who are living in California Coachella Valley.
To date, the organization has supported 180 local women with more than $700,000 grants for pursuing higher education. You need to be a minimum of 25 years old and showcase robust financial need to receive this grant.
There are many other Free Government Grants For Educations
The Emerge Foundation Scholarship provides assistance to female students who are 25 years or above in age and are residents of Georgia. The scholarship assists students who are pursuing a degree, regardless of whether it is associated with a bachelor’s or vocation training. You need to showcase robust financial needs and meet the guidance of the program to get assistance.
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Adult Students in Scholastic Transition (ASIST)
Adult Students in Scholastic Transition (ASIST) is operated by Executive Women International (EWI). This grant is available to single parents, displaced workers and also for single mothers. The main objective of the grant is to provide support to these people so that they can continue their further study to make it more transitional.
They have set some eligibility requirements that you need to fulfill for availing their assistance. The eligibility requirements are following:
- Displaced household with small children
- Clearly defined career goals and objectives
- Specify educational requirements to attain the above goals and objectives
- Utilize re-entry programs available through colleges, community agencies, and service groups or career professionals
- Financial need
- Socially, physically, and economically challenged adults
- S. citizen or permanent resident
- 18 years of age or older
This organization provides a total of 6 grants worth $20000. You are suggested to check the official website to learn more about the program
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AAUW Educational Foundation Career Development Grants (For Women)
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) Educational Foundation sponsors these grants for women who want to pursue further education and training is required for them to continue their career.
You will be provided an amount ranging from $1000 to $10000 based on your urgency and qualification. You are required to fill a form and you will be given your award after qualifying their eligibility requirements. You can learn more by visiting the website.
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Grants and Scholarships For International Students
The Fulbright Student Scholarship Program is an international scholarship provided by the US federal government for international students. International students who are pursuing any field of study apart from electrical computer engineering mechanical, medical, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry or other clinical fields are eligible to receive assistance under this scholarship. The scholarship award helps to cover tuition, round-trip airfare, health insurance, books, room and board etc.
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The Professional Fellows Program is a full-fledged international scholarship sponsored by the US federal government for qualified international students. The program is open to citizens of different countries and is given for pursuing a degree in governance and society, economic empowerment and innovation and entrepreneurship. The scholarship helps students to cover program fees, living arrangements and travel fees.
Few more federal government scholarships for international students are as follows
- Thomas Jefferson Prize In United States History
- Fulbright Irish Student Awards
- Fulbright Program For Citizens Of Afghanistan
- Fulbright Foreign Student Program For Kosovo
- PhD fellow In Computer Science Cybersecurity At The Arctic University Of Norway
- Dominica Hosting Associations Scholarship Fund For U.S. Citizens
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Conclusion
Government grants and scholarships are an excellent opportunity for low-income students who are looking for ways to fund their education. These grants and scholarships are available at the federal, state and local levels and help students if they can fulfill their eligibility criteria. Whether you are considering merit-based assistance programs or need-based government grants make sure to meet the eligibility criteria and then start the application procedure. With the assistance of the aforementioned grants and scholarships, you can easily cover your housing, childcare, women’s room and board expenses and other educational costs.
Learn more about How to apply for Scholarships for college students at ggc blog section today. Our resources at Get Government Grants’ guide you in times of your need and will help you to make your ends meet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are grants and scholarships the same?
No, scholarships and grants both are different terms so don’t be confused. Scholarships are the programs and funds given on the basis of merit and performance of any individual whereas grants are given based on any income limit, projects and research.
Can you get a scholarship and a grant?
Yes, you can apply for scholarships as well as grants at the same time. There are various scholarships that only allow students that are taking benefits from various federal government grants such as SNAP, TANF, Social security income etc.
Are there any scholarship grants for students?
Yes, different scholarship grants like Adult Students in Scholastic Transition (ASIST), Duck Tape Scholarship Contest, Bonner Scholarship grants etc. are available for school and college students throughout the nation.
Are there any strict eligibility criteria?
Yes, they have set some eligibility requirements for their scholarship grants. Different organizations have different requirements. For knowing them you need to check the website and read them carefully before applying.
