Grants Available for Online Students

Any students who wish to study an online college course should be interested in attaining a grant. A grant is a monetary gift that is intended to help a student pay for tuition, lodging and supplies. In some cases there are limitations to the grant such as a student must perform well in their academics or must work for a certain period of time later but usually grants have few limitations.

Government Grants

Government grants are the most common type of grant available because they are easy to attain and have very little requirements other than US citizenship and SSN. Government Grants can range from the Pell grant which gives between $650 – $6,500 per academic year to a student or the conditional TEACH grant which grants up to $16,000 per year to a student. Other supplementary grants for equal amounts of a normal grant may also be earned through application through the FAFSA.

Educational Grants

Educational Grants are more commonly known as scholarships and can only be earned through outstanding academic achievement in school. This type of Grant can be applied for through the school that offers the academic program. This type of Grant is sometimes also given to students with high sports achievements, however, these students are normally expected to attend a traditional on-campus class.

Public Housing Grants

Public Housing Grants are monetary donations given to the government by private citizens so that students may attend a higher education and therefore be able to seek valid high paying employ so that they may support themselves in the future rather than living off of government programs such as welfare or etc.  Anyone wishing to apply for a public housing Grant must apply through the website; apply for a DUNS number and register with the CCR (Central Contractor Registration, not the band).

Non-Profit Organization Grants

Non Profit Organizations often grant monetary loans, grants and scholarships to students with high academic achievement. Many of these programs are aimed towards teaching the arts such as Dance, Music or etc. However, many also aim to allow low income families to send their talented children to a higher education college.

Employee Grants

In some cases, a grant may be earned through an employer should the company be large enough and your value to the company be enough. In this case the company will usually pay your entire cost of tuition with the limitations that you must receive good grades and you will continue to work for the company after graduation. The online course that you study must be beneficial for the company in order to attain this type of Grant.

Individual Grants

An individual grant is the rarest types of monetary grant and involves a wealthy individual offering to pay the tuition of a talented person.  This kind of Grant must be sanctioned by both the student’s school, legal guardians and the government before being used and is most common in family members or from a benefactor to an art school. Because this option is not a common one, it can usually be left out of searches for grants unless specifically mentioned by a school or program.

 

About Federal Student Aid

What is Federal Student Aid?

Federal Student Aid is available in most of the United States and is available to any US Citizen or legal registered resident with a social security number and a valid need for the aid.  There are more than 26 Federal Agencies throughout the USA offering around 1,000 different types of Federal aid.  Most Federal Student Aid is aimed towards students who have not yet achieved their Bachelors’ degree and who come from a family with an annual income of less than $20,000. Federal aid is available for anyone attending one of more than 4,500 accredited colleges, this can include students attending online college courses or simply going to a traditional on campus course.

Different Types of Federal Student Aid

Because there are so many different types of Federal student aid, it is important to outline them in order to avoid confusion.  The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) offers loans, grants, scholarships, and conditional Grants.

The Difference between Types of Federal Aid

With all of the available options for Federal aid it would be easy to become confused and apply for the wrong thing. This brief outline of each type of Federal aid should help to clear matters up.

Federal Loan

A Federal Loan is given to anyone with the proper documents so long as they are attending a proper accredited school. This can be online or on campus and the loan will usually cover the entire amount of the tuition should you wish.  This loan must be paid back with interest after the tuition period is over.

Federal Grant

A Federal Grant is given to students who are in financial need but who still wish to attend college. The most famous of these is the Pell Grant which has a maximum of $5,500 per year as well as additional grants that are given out as needed. Grants do not need to be paid back; however, they must be applied to for each academic year that a student wishes to receive aid for.

Scholarship

A scholarship or academic achievement grant is given in light of extreme achievements in an academic field. Usually this type of student aid covers the full cost of tuition for the student’s time at an accredited college and usually requires that the student keep a high grade average throughout the study period.

Conditional Federal Grants

A conditional Federal Grant is a money loan that requires the student to complete something in order to receive the money as a gift. Examples of this could be the Federal TEACH grant which gives up to $16,000 per year with the condition that the student teaches a minimum of 4 years at a high need educational facility within 8 years of graduation.  This type of loan will usually cover a great deal of the cost of tuition and will not require money back if the requirements are filled.  Should the requirements not be filled, the student will be required to pay the loan back with interest since the time of accruement.

How to apply for Federal Student Aid

Applying for Federal Student Aid is as easy as going to the FAFSA website and submitting an application. Students are required to have a valid US citizenship or residency, social security number and GED or High School Diploma as well as to submit tax information for themselves or from their family as well as answer a few basic questions about tuition and etc.

The application should be submitted before June of the year the student wishes to begin study, or before October for a summer class. Students will be notified of their approval status either through their intended school or through the mail.

The Federal Pell Grant For Online Students

What Is The Federal Pell Grant?

The Federal Pell Grant is quite simply the most common Federal Grant given to students. If you plan to study an online degree course, this is probably the federal aid you are most likely to receive.  Because the Pell Grant is designed to allow low income families to attend a higher education school, it is one of the most easy scholarships or grants that you can apply for.

How to Qualify for the Federal Pell Grant

Qualifying for the Federal Pell Grant is actually pretty easy. General requirements state that you must be a legal US resident, have not yet earned your Bachelors’ Degree, ownership of a High School Diploma or GED, and a qualifying family income to family member ratio. Generally students coming from families with at least two children and an income of less than $20,000 per year are the most qualified for the Federal Pell Grant.

Can I Receive Additional Grant Money Other Than The Federal Pell Grant?

Because the Pell Grant has a maximum award status of $5,550 per year (minimum of $650), many students will find that it does not cover the entire cost of lodging/supplies and education.  Additional Federal supplement grants are available depending upon the school you attend and can often equal the amount awarded in the Pell Grant. A few of these are the FSEOG for students with extreme financial need. This grant is awarded to any student; however, Pell Grant receivers take priority. The TEACH Grant is designed for students willing to teach 4 years in a high need low pay school after graduation and awards up to $16,000 per year. (This must be paid back with interest if the student does not complete the graduate course or does not complete the 4 years of teaching). The Federal Work study allows students to work on a federal education job while studying and earn their tuition money. There is no minimum/maximum per year and this type of additional funding can be earned by anyone.

Applying to the Federal Pell Grant

Applying to the Federal Pell Grant requires going to the FAFSA website and submit information such as SSN, ID, Diploma or GED, Birthdate and full legal name.

Students will then be required to apply for an FAFSA pin which they can use to access their applications as well as to edit them and digitally sign them.

After receiving a pin, students may apply for a Federal Grant per academic year. This must be reapplied for each year that you would like to receive federal aid.

Applications for a fall semester course should generally be submitted by June of the same year in order to receive the Grant on time.  Students who do not apply before this deadline may still apply in order to receive funding for a summer course the following year.

The FAFSA will contact the student either via their school or via mail to alert them of their financial options and eligibility status.

Student Aid Information

Student Aid Information

Any students interested in attending an online degree course should be interested in any available student aid information.  This post includes a brief overview of most of what any student will need to know before applying for aid.

Types of Student Aid

There are several different types of student aid and in many cases this can be confusing.  It is important to understand the type of student aid you would like to apply for so that you understand what materials are required of you and whether or not you will have to pay money back. First, there are multiple types of student aid givers. Federal, State, Scholarly and Private, the first two are run by the government, the third is run by schools and usually relies upon public donations and the last is dependent upon a wealthy benefactor.

• Scholarship_ A scholarship is a type of grant that covers full tuition costs but little else.  Scholarships are usually offered by scholarly or private foundations who wish to see talented people educated properly. This type of aid does not require money back but does require the student to have a certain grade or achievement level in order to continue the scholarship.

 

• Grant – A Grant is generally a federal or state student aid that does not require reimbursement.  Grants are usually given for one study year but do not generally cover the entire cost of tuition.

 

 

• Loan- A loan can be offered by almost any student aid organization and usually must be paid back with interest. This can be quite costly if you do not study for a very high paying job. Very general rules usually state that the student has between 15-30 years to pay the tuition back.

 

• Working Tuition- Working tuition, also known as employer paid tuition is study that is being paid for by the students’ employer. Generally this requires that the student continue to work full time and achieve a certain grade level.  It should be noted that employers will only pay for education that will benefit their establishment.

 

• Military – Military student aid requires that the student have applied for and served in the military. Most military aid programs will pay all or most of the students’ tuition as well as help the student locate a job and/or lodging for the duration.

 

Who Qualifies for Student Aid

Students studying at a distance education program are often under the mistaken impression that they are not qualified for student aid. However, most legally accredited online colleges qualify for student aid.  Students qualify for student aid when they are

• 18 years or older
• US Citizen
• Have a valid SSN
• Have adequate school grades
• Show qualification by either the pending receiving of or ownership of a High School Diploma, G.E.D. or equivalent.

And believe it or not, that’s it!

 

How to Apply for Student Aid

Apply Online – In most cases student aid applications can be sent online through either the University or College website or through the student aid program website. Students wishing to apply online should consider verifying the student aid program in order to avoid scams.

Apply at Physical Location – Application through a physical location such as on-Campus, the Human Rights building in your town or if applicable the office of the student aid program you wish to apply for is generally the least time consuming method of application. Students should bring ID verification as well as diploma or equivalent as well as any other relevant documents.

Apply Through Mail – While in many cases snail mail has been replaced with e-mail, mail applications are usually preferred over internet ones.  To submit an application in this manner, simply locate necessary documents via the aid programs online website and mail them to the address listed on the website. Remember to put a return address on the envelope as well as money for return shipping should you require your documents to be returned.