Who Can Receive Educational Grants?
There are generally two types of educational grants offered by the federal government. The first is for individuals to help pay for a college education. The student can use the money for undergraduate courses in order to obtain their first Bachelor’s Degree. The second is for organizations. There are numerous grants available for such things as research, community improvement projects, and non-profit associations.
How Are Educational Grants Established?
The legislature establishes government grants, their purposes, their regulations, and the criteria for qualification. They institute the oversight agencies that review all applications, and determine which recipients best match their set requirements.
Where Is The Best Place to Start?
All the information you need regarding these grants can be found at the website for the Department of Education, http:\\www.ed.gov. There you will find a list of the different types of programs available, as well as their criteria for eligibility, instructions for applying, and contact information for each individual program if you need further assistance. The DOE’s website also provides a registry service that can inform you when new grants become available.
Educational Grants for Individuals
When a student applies for federal financial aid, they fill out a form called the FAFSA. (http\\www.fafsa.ed.gov). This form is required by almost all institutions of higher learning as the starting point for student aid, including aid offered by the school itself. The FAFSA requires that students provide such information as income, whether they will be a full-time or part-time student, whether they filed a federal tax return the previous year, what their income and tax obligations were, and other identifying information. The government uses the FAFSA to determine if a student qualifies for a Pell Grant, student loan, or both. The school then uses that same information to make their own financial aid decisions.
The Pell Grant is awarded to undergraduate students who have not previously received a 4-year degree. The amount of the award is determined by the student’s financial need as well as whether the student will be attending school part-time or full-time. Each year the government sets a maximum limit on the amount of money each individual receives. This limit can be found online or at your school’s financial aid office. The Pell Grant does not need to be repaid.
Education Grants for Organizations
An organization may review government grant programs for which they may be eligible online at http\\www.ed.gov. Once they have reviewed the eligibility criteria, they can request an application package that will include all the necessary forms and instructions for filling them out. Grants vary in their award amounts; some go up into the millions.
The government establishes funding priorities, meaning they decide who should receive special preference for grants. Programs with an “absolute priority” will only consider applications that relate to that priority. “Competitive priority” means that applications concerning that priority will receive extra “points” in the review process, giving them an advantage. “Invitational Priority” means that applicants are encouraged to address that priority in their projects, but those who do will not receive preferential treatment.
The Department of Education will not accept applications that are not sent by the required deadline. If your application for an educational grant has been denied for this or any other reason, you will be informed in writing and given a full explanation for why your application has been turned down.
If you are awarded an education grant for your organization, you will be informed through writing. It is possible that you will not be given all the grant funds that you requested. The Department may determine that some of your expenses were either unnecessary or their cost was excessive. You will be instructed as to how you will be receiving your funds, usually by setting up a separate award account. These instructions are included in “The Department of Education’s Payee Guide,” which you will receive around the time that you receive notice of your award.
If you would like more information, you can contact the Department of Education directly or contact one of many institutions online or in the yellow pages that are experienced in assisting both individuals and organizations with applying for educational grants.
Alisa Elizabeth King Terry