Affordable Education for Everyone

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Federal Pell Grant

This is a commonly awarded grant and is aimed at facilitating access to post-secondary education. It is issued based on financial need, awarding the largest sums to those with the greatest need. In order to apply, it is imperative that the interested student fills out a ‘Free Application for Federal Student Aid’ form. This is most often referred to as a FAFSA form. If a student is interested in applying for the Federal Pell Grant, the FAFSA form must be handed in some time preceding the first school-year of your post-secondary studies. It is available on the first, at the beginning of each year.

Who Is Eligible?

Only people with a low income are eligible for this grant. Students coming out of high-school and those coming out of university can both be eligible. As mentioned before, you may only apply to this grant (as well as many others) after completing a FAFSA form, which is a report of your income.Once this process has been completed, you can access online resources explaining your eligibility for various federal scholarships. Usually, students coming from families that collectively make less than twenty thousand dollars per annum are issued the Federal Pell Grant. However, you will still be considered if your family’s annual income a bit above that (up to fifty-thousand dollars). This grant is available graduates as well as to those pursuing undergraduate studies, on a full-time or part-time basis. If you are attending or planning to attend teacher’s college or to complete a teaching certificate, this grant is available to you, with the requirement that you be registered for the relevant classes during your application. For more information on this variant can be found on the Fullerton website.

Grant Money Available

People pursuing teaching careers can receive up to $5550 towards their education. Undergraduate students looking to fund their post-secondary career can receive a similar sum, of a few dollars more. The amount of grant money available to you depends not only on your eligibility, but also on the overall cost of your studies. The amount will factor in whether the student is pursuing a full-time or part-time education and if they have applied at the beginning or at the end of their educational career.

Federal Pell Grant2

Grant money from this award can be applied for once per year and only if you are registered at a single post-secondary institution. The grant will be issued either via check, or the sum will be forwarded to your college or university billing account. Check your college or university-issued e-mail account as you will be contacted with all relevant payment information via e-mail.

Benefits

The Federal Pell Grant makes higher-education more attainable for many U.S. citizens. Furthermore, the grant targets both those looking to start their undergraduate career in university or college, as well as those looking to continue on in teaching, as young professionals. This two-tiered approach allows a larger proportion of people to be targeted for and eligible for the grant. Applying for the Federal Pell Grant and a combination of other grants is a very good idea if you are wondering how to finance your post-secondary education without going into debt. After completing the necessary income-assessing questionnaires required by your post-secondary institution, you will be able to assess your eligibility for these. The financial aid office at your institution will be able to explain the benefits attainable through grants, scholarships, awards and work-study programs.