Government Grant Opportunities for Women

Women have been able to achieve their goals and dreams with the help of government grants for education and business. The federal, state and local governments provide grants to women to help them in business, research, development, to further their education and for health care and housing. The government has over 99.7 billion dollars available for grants for women. Money is available for women who are out of work, want to start a small business, a health care facility, child or senior care facility, to remodel an old building, make a home energy efficient, to develop a new technology or service. There are a variety of grants available for women who need money to start a business, make a career change, get a college education or return back to school to get retrained in order to compete in the job market. However, there is a lot of competition for free government grant money as well.

Government Education Grants

There are many women who are in college and universities or wish to return to college and receive bachelors, masters and doctorate degrees in all areas of studies. Grants are available to pay for tuition, books, living expenses, transportation and other expenses related to their education. Grants for women’s education range from $500 to $5,500. Government Pell grants are available to women and other students on a financial needs basis. There are also minority grants for African American women or Hispanic women. You should visit the grants.gov website to find out about the education grants that you may be eligible for and also check your local State website.

Government Small Business Grants and Loans

Women who are interested in going into business may also receive government grants for start up costs, research, development and training. The Small Business Administration (SBA) gives grants and loans to women to help them start a business or develop a product to increase jobs and stimulate the economy. However, unlike grants, loans need to be repaid. State and local agencies also have grant funds available for women to help them with starting a business.

Federal Grants

There are approximately 26 agencies that are involved in making grants to women including the following major agencies:

• Department of Agriculture
• Department of Commerce
• Department of Defense
• Department of Education
• Department of Energy
• Department of Health and Human Services
• Department of Housing and Urban Development
• Environmental Protection Agency
• National Endowment for the Arts
• National Endowment for the Humanities
• National Science Foundation

Federal funds are also given to state and local agencies. Grants are provided for the following areas:

• Agriculture
• Arts
• Community development
• Business
• Commerce
• Consumer protection and environment
• Disabled persons
• Education
• Employment
• Energy
• Food and Nutrition
• Health
• Housing
• Humanities
• Information and statistics
• Law, justice, legal services
• Math
• Medicine
• Nursing
• Science
• Social services
• Technology

Requirements and Eligibility

Government grants have requirements that must be met by the grantee in order to receive the funds. When applying for a grant, you should pay attention to the funder’s requirements, making sure you are eligible for the grant. Also, be sure to submit required documents and always submit our application early. Grant funds are limited and there is a lot of competition for government grants for women.