There are several types of educational grants that have nothing to do with the federal government. Because of that, they may be a little lesser known and a lot harder to find! Each of the following grant programs listed are for students demonstrating financial need. Here are some resources to help students seeking that ever-elusive financial aid for college:
State Grants
Each state, as well as the District of Columbia, has a budget for higher education. Part of that budget goes to state level grants. In most cases, those grants are reserved for students who are residents of that state or district. Students can look on the official websites for their state or district for information on those individual programs.
These monies are generally limited, so the earlier a student applies, the better chance he has of being accepted while there are still funds available.
College Grants
As with the states, most colleges and universities have money set aside for students who can’t afford schooling without help. Similar to state grants, these are need-based and funding is limited. Each school has its own qualifications and rules about study programs, credit hours and grade point averages. Students need to investigate thoroughly to make sure they can meet these requirements.
Private Grants
Many private institutions offer grants for particular qualifications such as future occupations, parents’ civil activities, military service or awards, and athletic activities. Others are awarded for physical characteristics or heritage or other qualifications. Most of these grants are fairly minimal, generally in the range of $300 - $500. Some can be significantly more.
Private grants may be offered simply for financial need. Others may require an essay or other competition.
Private grants can be more difficult to find. Many are offered through corporations to the children of their employees. Some, such as foundations, may take more searching. There are several commercial search engines (such as The Foundation Source) and books (one example: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Financial Aid for College, by David Rye) that may help in this search. Students should be aware that online searches for scholarships and grants may cost as much as $75.
Non-US College Funding
The United States isn’t the only country helping her people get an education. Here are some listings for college grant money in the UK, Canada and Australia.
UNI Grant is a resource for finding grants for undergraduate studies for students in the United Kingdom. Links for occupations or locations are provided. The students must contact the organizations by mail to apply. Funding may be “one off” or more regular, ranging from £100 to £15,000. (unigrants.com, 2009)
Canada’s Student Grants Program offers a selection of grants and loans for students with financial need. They also have a free financial aid search engine for those looking for private funding. (Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, 2009)
Australia’s GrantsLINK lists their major programs on a single page with links to the different sites. They also have a Youth Allowance which “helps young people who are studying, undertaking training or an Australian Apprenticeship, looking for work, or sick.” (Infrastructure Australia, 2009)
College is expensive. Graduating in debt with student loans isn’t always in the student’s best interest. After the FAFSA is completed (or sometimes before) non-federal grants can spell the difference between succeeding and struggling to stay afloat.
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