Finding Free College Grants
NRC Chairman Klein Presents Grant Money to University of Illinois (Photo credit: NRCgov)
When money in the household gets tight, we diligently search for ways to stretch the dollars that we do have in order to meet the needs of the family. We clip coupons, shop yard sales and thrift stores, and switch to generic brand household products and prescriptions. While all of these are excellent ways to save immediately, most people soon realize that the only true solution to a money shortage is to obtain a position that pays well enough to make ends meet.
To get this type of job often requires going back to school, and most people who are short on cash think that this is impossible. Fortunately, those willing to search for and apply for grant money can get specialized training with very little cash on hand. Check out the following opportunities for free money to go back to school:
Federal Assistance Programs
Whether a person is married or single, young or old, a veteran or a widow, the U.S. Government has a grant that provides free college money to aid them in job training. The following are just a few of the programs currently available:
• Federal Pell Grants for low-income undergraduate students
• TEACH Grants for those who have a degree but are currently working toward a teaching certificate and are willing to teach at specified schools after obtaining their degree
• Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants for the children of military personnel who died while serving the United States in these two countries
Information and application forms for all of these grants and several others can be found athttp://www.fafsa.ed.gov/.
Privately Funded Grant Programs
Because providing people with educational opportunities is one of the best ways to break the cycle of poverty, many private foundations sponsor grants to help potential workers increase their skills. A thorough web search will reveal hundreds of these smaller grant opportunities, but the following are a few of the best:
• Lydia Donaldson Tutt-Jones Memorial Research Grant: This money is awarded to researchers who delve into ways that African Americans can achieve greater academic success.
• NEA Foundation: This organization offers close to 200 grants per year, ranging in value from $2,000 to $5,000, to those going into the field of education.
• The Harry S. Truman Foundation sponsors grants for college juniors to continue their education in public service or government.
• ASET Foundation Grants: This neurodiagnostic society funds several educational grants for students upgrading skills or pursuing a degree in this field.
Besides federal grants for college and tuition grants offered by private foundations, men and women looking for grant money should check the websites of all major corporations. These large companies want a highly skilled workforce and funnel money into educational grants to encourage men and women to continue their education. Individual states also provide some funding for people wishing to return to school or to get a degree in a field that is currently in high demand.
This post has been contributed by Michelle Williams on behalf of CollegeGrant.net, a site that provides lots of information about finding grants for college.
Category: Education
