There has been a lot in the news lately about how there are various grants available today. However, the process of applying for a grant for college successfully is not as well-known. With the many different scholarship programs out there, how can you know which ones to apply for, or even which ones you may be eligible for?

Unfortunately, unless you are eligible for the grant you are applying for and submit it perfectly you will not receive any grant money from the government. So how do you know where to find grants that you may even qualify for?

 

There are literally hundreds of grants out there to apply for from both the federal and state governments, as well as private organizations. To better understand them all, I will split them into two categories: Large & Small.

The large grants are the ones everybody knows about and everybody applies for, such as the FAFSA, the Pell Grant etc. These college student grants can be tricky to apply for, as the applications can be long and confusing. Not to mention that you are competing with thousands of other potential grantees for just a few places.

With the lesser-known grants, eligibility can play a large role in your success as they will often have quirky restrictions on who can apply as they have been set up for a specific purpose. Make sure that you are eligible! It may seem like a no-brainer, but read the criteria for application carefully. You are pretty much wasting your time by applying for a grant for college that you don’t match the criteria for.

That said, how do you find grants that fit your circumstances? The kind of education grants to look for specifically:

Private Grants

Many corporations have programs offering a grant for college to those who apply, sort of like getting sponsored through college. Please make sure you read the terms and conditions of these carefully, as some private grants force you to participate in public events held by the corporation so that they can get the most out of the money they spend on you.

School Grants

There are many colleges and schools, both online and offline, that offer the chance to earn your degree through a financial aid program. Depending on the school, some will help you apply for a grant for college to use with for your degree with the school, others will just about do all the paperwork for you!

This last option can be extremely useful, especially if you are finding the whole application process a painful endeavor.