EDUCATION GRANTS- FUNDING FOR STUDENTS

Educational grants are given by federal, state and local governments as well as philanthropic organizations and do not have to be paid back. There are different levels of grants for education including federal Pell grants offered to low income college students given on a needs basis to students who are either intending to or are currently attending a post secondary educational institution. Individuals who have demonstrated exceptional skills in a particular area or who wish to study in a particular area as well as students who work full time and/or have a family may also be eligible for educational grants. Discretionary educational grants vary and are made available by Congress who enact grant programs legislation and through annual appropriations budget approvals for research and development in science, technology, medicine, arts, media, minorities, children, disabilities, and other programs. Educational grants provided to teachers and educators enable them to improve their teaching and student performances. Educator grant categories generally range from arts, music, physical education, language, math, science, world studies, and history.

Educational Grant Application Process

You should first narrow down the specifics of what type of educational grant you need and the amount of funding needed. If you are searching for federal educational grants, you can search the Department of Education grant programs by category and subject matter at their website at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/gtep/index.html to find educational grants that meet your criteria. You will need to register on the grants.gov website at http://grants.gov/ in order to apply for a specific grant. States also get educational funding from the federal government. If you are looking for state specific educational grants as well as private grants, they can be found through various philanthropical organization newsletters and websites, by visiting your state’s website or going directly to the funder’s website. Links are generally provided to take you directly to the application and guidelines so you can complete the application and proposal. It is important to read the funder’s guidelines carefully, to submit your application prior to the due date and to attach supporting documentation required by the funder to increase your chances of being awarded the grant funds.

For instance, if you are a college student applying for a Pell grant, you need to inquire from your school’s financial aid office the deadline to apply in order to meet both the school and government Pell application deadlines. Keep in mind that you are competing with many other students so you will also need to demonstrate your financial needs to make sure you are eligible for the Pell grant by completing the government FASA application and providing income tax and other financial information. Awards are paid directly to the school, and any excess funds are returned to the student. So if your award is for $5,000, and your tuition is $4,500, $500 would be returned directly to you in the form of a check or by direct deposit to your bank account. When you are applying for funding for research, a specific program or for improving teaching and educator performances, you need to provide a purpose statement about your program and your skills by attaching the necessary information about your program, an operating budget and other financial information.

The government and private organizations support educational grants because they help the overall community, state and nation prosper by having educated citizens. It is universally recognized that education improves the quality and stand of living of people, countries and the world.