College grants Help Students Pay For College
There are many college grants available to students to help them pay for college. Many people confuse grants with college scholarships and student loans. Education grants are different from loans and scholarships because they do not have to be paid back and they are not awarded based on academic achievement. They are usually awarded based purely on financial need. College grants, especially grants issued by the federal government or minority college grants, are reserved for prospective student who meet certain criteria. Students and their parents must usually have low incomes and little money in savings in order to be eligible for federal college grants.
If you are eligible for college grants, they can be an ideal way to pay for school because they are interest-free and you don't have to worry about paying the money back after you graduate.
Pell Grants
Pell grants are college grants issued to students by the federal government. Pell grants are not loans and do not need to be paid back. Pell education grants are issued to students based on their demonstrated financial aid. The federal government determines if a student has financial need based on the information that they provide in the FAFSA. The FAFSA is an online financial aid application that students fill out that details the income and assets of themselves and their parents.
Pell grants are usually only awarded to individuals that have a very low EFC (Estimated Family Contribution) number. An EFC number is calculated based on the income of you and your parents. The lower your income, the lower your EFC number will be. Students deemed eligible to receive Pell grants are awarded between $270 and $2700.
Government College Grants
The federal government issues many other college grants to students that are not as well known as Pell grants. In order to fill out college grants applications it is helpful to know what they are. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG) are awarded to very needy college students that have already received a Pell Grant. Only students with very low EFC scores will be awarded FSEOG college grants. Award amounts vary between $100 and $4000.
National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART) Grants are education grants awarded to Pell eligible students majoring in certain science, math and foreign language fields. Students eligible for SMART college grants can receive up to $4,000 per year.
Academic Competitiveness Grants (ACG) are college grants that are awarded to freshman and sophomore students who are Pell eligible and are able to maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher.