ScholarShips and Grants

Finding a grant is easy but finding one that is easy to get can be difficult. Most grants require that you either fill certain obligations or submit a long essay with no promise of reward. However; there are plenty of no essay scholarships out there for people who hate essays. No essay means easy scholarship in most cases which is great because it lets you spend more time focused on preparing for college instead of writing essays.

Scholarships for Working Adults

Scholarships for Working Adults is a program that requires a simple registration in order to be eligible. Registration deadline is February 29^th of the year you wish to study. Students will be randomly selected for award and will be notified via mail. You must be 18 years or older and have a high school diploma or equivalent.

Free Military Scholarships

Free Military Scholarships is a program that is available to U.S. citizens in the Military as well as their family and spouses. The scholarship can be used to pay for GED coursework, online college or tuition at a traditional college and can even be shared with a family member or spouse. Deadline is February 29 as the scholarship is an extension of free scholarships.

Scholarships For Moms

Scholarships for Moms is another great site that offers a $10,000 scholarship that doesn’t require an essay. You have to be a mother and you should already know what program you are interested in but other than that, there are pretty much no limitations. Remember to apply by February of the year you wish to apply. You will have to submit your name, location and contact info. However; you will not have to submit school information until you have won a scholarship.

No matter what you are trying to study, there is a scholarship program for you. Remember that in order to win a scholarship, even a no essay scholarship, you have to apply. Use search words and remember that if anything asks you to pay money, it is a scam and you should avoid it. Good luck and enjoy your scholarship money.

Whether you’re already attending college or are planning to start this year than you should be interested in applying for a grant or scholarship. An easy grant is obviously one that can be acquired without much trouble and is widely available for a lot of people. This blog goes over the top five easy grants for 2012. You should keep in mind that most of these require you to apply by either May or June so get cracking and

Federal Pell Grant

The Federal Pell grant is perhaps the easiest and most common grant for any student to receive. The Pell grant can be applied to through the FAFSA (Free Application for Student Aid) and offers students up to $5,550 for the year of 2012. The Federal Pell grant is a need based grant which means that you will be given as much money (up to the maximum) as you need for college. High need students will receive the maximum and low need students may receive as little as $500. You may receive the Federal Pell Grant for each year that you attend college, however; you will be required to re-apply for each year that you wish to receive it as eligibility status will often change from year to year.

State Grants

State grants are another, relatively easy, grant to get. While these do differ from state to state, on average, you will be able to receive around $2,000 in need based aid from your state and for no other reason than that you are from that state! In most cases you only have to have lived in the state for a minimum of one or two years in order to be eligible.

Minority Scholarships

Minority scholarships are a scholarship that is given to minority students. These include African Americans, especially women, native Americas, Asians and anyone with a disability. This type of grant can greatly range according to location and the institution giving it and in some cases will cover the entire cost of college while in others it only covers a few hundred dollars. To find this type of grant, simply look for associations that support your minority group in your area.

Study Grant

A Study grant is a grant that is given to you because you are studying a specific thing. This can be anything from teaching with the Federal TEACH grant or something to benefit sheep with a grant from the National Sheep Preservation Society.  This type of grant is for pretty much anyone so get online and do a little bit of research on what you want to study and if there are any study grants available for it. As a special note to aid your search, a lot of colleges have grants available for students who study a specific subject.

Special Achievement Grant  

A Special Achievement Grant is a grant that you win or receive due to winning a competition or receiving especially good grades in high school. Examples of this include the Patrick Kerr Skateboard competition that awards up to $10,000 to a skateboarding student or one of many grants that provide college money to high school students with exceptionally high grades.

With a falling economy, rising bills and college tuition, it has become more important than ever for low income students to receive college aid. While there are many types of grants, scholarships, loans and forgiveness programs out there, one of the most easily overlooked is the state grant program. What is a state grant? A state grant is a grant given by a state to students who are citizens of that state! In most cases, there are little to no other qualifications except that you are planning to attend a college and have a GPA of 2.7 or higher.

Location State Grants

Locations state grants are exactly that, grants that give you money because of your location. Some state programs offer as much as $2,000 per year to a citizen (resident of 2 years or more) of their state who is attending a college in that state. Other examples include local country grants which offer anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand to students studying in their area. This type of grant is often used to promote the education in a specific area and to promote schools in that area.

Minority State Grants

Minority state grants are grants offered by the state towards student bodies who are minorities in that state. Some common examples include Asians, African American women and Native Americans. This type of grant is usually need based and will generally be somewhere between $200 and $2,000 per year!

Special Education – Disability Grants

Most states have funds set aside to help educate students who either require special education or have a disability which might prevent them from earning money to put themselves through college. Depending upon the fund, this type of grant can supply anywhere from the full amount of tuition to a few hundred dollars.

Learning Grants

A learning grant is one that is given by the state to an exceptional student in the area. This might be because they are especially intelligent, have achieved good grades or because they have excelled in athletics or etc. However; this type of grant can usually only be earned with recommendations from high school teachers.

If you are planning on attending a college this semester than you are probably looking for any and all student aid that you qualify for. After applying to the FAFSA and any local state grants you might qualify for, where else do you have to turn? Your school!

Did you know that many colleges offer scholarships, grants, loans and even tuition rebate or reimbursement to needy students? Here are a few schools with student aid programs!

Vilanovo University Pennsylvania

The Vilanovo University of Pennsylvania offers need based grants to students who qualify for the Federal Pell grant. This grant money will usually be around $1,300 per year and can only be used for tuition fees! If you wish to apply for this grant than you must attend the Vilanovo University and you must also have a passable GDA of 2.7 or higher.

State University of New York

The State University of New York offers a tuition program for needy students that depending upon the need of the student will range from $500 per year to full tuition coverage. This student aid is only available to students who study at the University of New York and who are eligible for the Federal Pell grant and the Federal Supplemental Grant.

Texas State University

The Texas State University offers scholarships per department and these can range from a few hundred dollars per year to a full scholarship coverage depending upon merit, need and a few other considerations by the school. To inquire about this type of scholarship, you should contact your school advisor when applying to the college!

All Florida Colleges

Did you know that if you attend any Florida college than you are eligible for up to $64,000 in prize money? Each year the Florida Association of Colleges and Schools selects ten of the best students of the year and then chooses one winner! $64,000 is usually enough money to cover a large portion of your college tuition!

University of Iowa

If you are interested in accounting and are planning to attend the University of Iowa than you are probably eligible for the Henry Tippings Scholarship which grants money to students who are attending an accounting degree as a freshman. The monetary amount varies per student but is usually a minimum of $200.

If you are interested in attending an online college or school but aren’t sure about how the Pell grant applies to your case, here is some information that might be helpful for you.

What is the Federal Pell Grant?

The Federal Pell Grant is a grant of several million dollars that has been set aside to help needy students to attend college.  This means that the money is set aside to give money to anyone going to college no matter what they choose to study.

Can I use the Federal Pell Grant to attend an Online School?

Until 2008 the Federal Pell grant as only available for courses that were a minimum of 30% in classroom. However, recent changes in law state that any college that has been accredited by a regional accreditation body with good quality courses is eligible for the Federal Pell grant. This means that you can use the Federal Pell grant to attend an online college or course!

How much Money can I Get from the Federal Pell Grant?

The amount given to a Federal Pell Grant applicant will vary per the needs of that person; however the minimum amount for the 2012 period is $600 per student per year and the maximum amount is $5,000 per student per year.  This is $1000 higher than the maximum of the Pell Grant for 2010 which means that student aid amounts are steadily rising! Pell Grant money may be used for tuition and tuition related costs and nothing else.

Who is Eligible for the Federal Pell Grant?             

If you wish to be eligible for the Federal Pell grant than you should come from a family with a yearly household income of $30,000 or less (qualifies as needy) and be enrolled or have applied to a school. You must also be over the age of 16 and either have graduated from high school or will graduate before the college semester starts.

How do I apply to the Federal Pell Grant?

Applying to the Federal Pell Grant is as easy as collecting your tax returns, personal information, tax data and school information and going to FAFSA to submit your data.  Your information will be reviewed and a government representative will either call, email or snail mail you with the amount of money you are eligible for along with what grants you are eligible for. It should be noted that you are required to apply for the Federal Pell grant for each consecutive year you wish to earn the grant.

If you are looking for scholarships and grants for your physical characteristics you might be in luck! Believe it or not, there are actually several organizations, education foundations and colleges that give money to prospective students for no other reason than that they show a certain physical trait. This is basically free money for your college tuition!

Juaniata Left Handed Scholarship

A left handed scholarship is considered a minority scholarship. The Juaniata Left Handed Scholarship offers up to $1,000 towards college tuition at Juaniata College for any left handed students who wish to apply. This is a standing scholarship and can be applied to for each year that you wish to attend the school. While this scholarship is a great way to earn free money for college it is very limited due to the fact that it is only applicable for Juaniata College students.

Little People of America Scholarship

The Little People of America Scholarship is aimed to help any students who are 4’10” high or less. The organization provides information and aid to height disadvantaged people and their families. These include medical aids for dwarf related medical problems and very limited, need based aid to students who wish to attend a college. All applications should be submitted by April 22^nd of the year you wish to attend school and applications should be accompanied by letters of recommendation.

Tall Clubs Scholarship

The Tall Clubs International offers a scholarship of up to $1,000 for men or women who are unusually tall (over 5’10” for women and over 6’2” for men). Students must be under the age of 21 and planning to attend their first year of college in the fall of the year they apply. Should you wish to qualify for this award, it is helpful to be a member of the Tall Clubs International. You will require a sponsor which can be found at the Tall Clubs that is closest to you.

No matter what physical characteristic you have, it is highly possible that there is a scholarship for it. With literally hundreds of scholarships available to students, especially those just out of high school, you are sure to find the financial and scholarship aid you need

This list of scholarships for high school seniors is designed to help you find the scholarship you need to help pay for your college tuition. Whether you have already enrolled in college or are planning to, this guide will give you a heads up on all of the ways you can find a little extra cash to pay for it.

Scholarship Competitions

Scholarship competitions are the easiest way to earn money (if you have a skill) because for nothing more than winning or taking second or third place, you can get as much as a few thousand towards your college education. A few of these include the Patrick Kerr Skateboard Scholarship which offers up to $10,000 to the winner of their competition.

Essay Scholarships

Believe it or not, there are a lot of programs out there that are willing to give you money for nothing more than a well written essay. These include the Being an American Essay Contest which offers $1,000 to 15 students, the Lady Liberty Essay Contest which offers $5,000 to 2 students and the Young Patriots Essay Contest which offers $2,000 and media coverage to 3 winners.

Study Scholarships

In some cases you can get money just because you are studying something that will benefit a particular organization. For example, if you plan to study veterinary health or anything that could relate to the benefit or study of sheep, you could be eligible for up to $1,500per academic year from the American Sheep Industry Association, the same association offers a make it with wool contest.  Not interested in sheep? Don’t worry; there are plenty of other scholarships for high school students in the fields of teaching, nursing and etc.

Scholarships for Exceptional Students

Scholarships for exceptional students are generally directed to those who have unusually high grades or are unusually skilled in a particular area. These include the National Civil War Challenge which offers up to $15,000 in scholarship funds to a student who is especially knowledgeable about the Civil War. There are many of this type of scholarships for high school students so look around!

Minority Scholarships

There are literally hundreds of minority scholarships available which offer anywhere from $100 to several thousand to minority students. This type of scholarship will generally offer aid to African Americans, Women, Asian students, Native Americans, Alaskan Natives and etc.

Program & Club Scholarships

In some cases, your high school will give you a scholarship to help attend college. Cases like this include the Dell Scholar program which offers up to $20,000 to needy students who wish to attend college or the Key Club International Scholarship Program which offers scholarships to club members of at least two years with good grades and good club standing. There are a great deal of scholarships like this out there so if you still have 2 or more years of high school left, start enrolling in clubs!!

If you are an online student at Phoenix University online or perhaps Kaplan University and you have heard of the Windham Foundation, you might have wondered what it was.

First, the Windham Foundation is generally only beneficial to students who are from Vermont and especially those from Windham County.

Second, the institution provides grants, scholarships and other student aid to needy and gifted students studying in the area in order to promote academic study and excellence among the citizens of Vermont.

The Windham Foundation was founded in 1963 by Dean Mathey as a cultural preservation society and has since given out several million in aid to local students. The foundation strives to support local art, history, education and community through donations, volunteer work and other useful acts.

For students, the Windham Foundation offers an average of $1,000 towards the tuition cost. The Windham foundation pays this money directly to each student’s institution of study rather than to the student. (This is to make sure the funds are used towards tuition).  Students may re-apply for this fund for each consecutive year that they are studying. Amounts will differ per year; however the average is generally $1,000. The Windham Foundation does grant higher and lower amounts of money depending upon student need; however the amount awarded is completely at the discretion of the foundation.

Students who wish to apply for aid from the Windham foundation should visit their website and follow through the application form or send them an email.  Students should fill out all required information; provide contact information, school contact information as well as financial information and anything else required in the application form.  The Windham foundation also requires that all students apply for the Vermont Grant Application as well as have submitted for FAFSA. Deadline for application is March 1’st (this is the deadline for when applications should arrive at the Windham Foundation.

The application form should be printed, filled out and mailed to the foundations contact address as they do not yet have an online submissions platform.

The Windham Foundation
P.O. Box 70
Grafton, VT 05146

Contact emails can be sent to scholarships@windham-foundation.org

The Federal Pell Grant is one of the most common grants given by the federal government to students. It is a very basic form of aid that is given to students simply because they have financial need and is therefore one of the easiest grants to earn.

Students who qualify for Federal Pell Grant

First, it does not matter if you attend a traditional on campus school or if you go to an online school, the Federal Pell Grant aims to help financially needy students achieve a higher education that they would not otherwise be able to afford.

A student who wishes to receive the Federal Pell grant should calculate their families expected income for the year and their EFC (Expected Family Contribution). Students should also figure out the yearly cost of tuition at their school and subtract their EFC from the COF (Cost of Attendance).  Generally, any students with an EFC of 5,700 or less will receive some aid as long as the COF is higher than the EFC. The greater the difference, the more money the student will receive.

How to Apply for the Federal Pell Grant

No matter what you’ve heard about the Pell Grant being hard to apply for, it’s not! It’s actually very easy to apply for the Federal Pell Grant and any other Federal Grants you might qualify for. All you have to do is go to the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) website and fill out your information. Be sure to have your tax info, identification, address and personal contact information handy because they will ask you for it. A few weeks later you will get a reply either by email or snail mail and you will know what Federal aid you qualify for.

Generally deadlines for application for the Federal Pell Grant lie between June and September first of the year you wish to attend school. You should check for your individual state as it is different for each state and most deadlines are within the first few weeks of June!

Amount of Money Awarded by the Federal Pell Grant

The Federal Pell Grant awards what is known as need based aid towards students. Depending upon your expected family income and your cost of attendance you will receive somewhere between $500 – $4650 for 2011 and an expected $500 – $5,500 for 2012.

Other Information on the Federal Pell Grant

If you want to apply for the Federal Pell Grant you should probably know that you will have to apply again for each year that you would like to receive the Pell Grant. Also, your eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant may change from year to year so apply again even if you were not eligible for your first year of college!