Hani Zeini says some college-bound students possess financial resources for paying for their post-secondary education entirely out of pocket. Students with good college savings plans typically discover that they have sizeable amounts of needs that are unmet. A college education is indeed a costly proposition, with all indications that these costs are likely to increase. With college education costs continuing to rise, most students will require considering different forms of financial assistance.
It is not uncommon for students’ college funds to be of a combination of students’ loans, grants, scholarships, family contributions, and personal savings. While preparing college funds, one must ignore any form of financial resource. Education grants are a prevalent and valuable source of financial help for college students. Students, through the help of the right grant, can fulfill their dreams of education a reality.
Difference between Grants, Student Loans, and Scholarships according to Hani Zeini
College grants, unlike student loans, do not need repayment. It is akin to a scholarship, with the only difference being the former is typically need-based while the latter may be merit-based or need-based. All that students need to do is fill a FAFSA for checking if they are eligible for a federal grant program.
A college grant is primarily an award of free money that does not need any recipient’s repayment. So they can use it for specific educational expenses, general-purpose, or particular educational reasons. As opposed to scholarships awarded based on academic achievement or extracurricular performance, or athletic, a grant is a financial need, says Hani Zeini.
These grants for college students get support through various sources including,
- Professional Associations
- Private and Public Organizations
- Colleges and Universities
- State and Federal Governments
Irrespective of the grant source, the purpose will stay the same. It will make college education highly accessible to students by offering the necessary supplemental funds to cover their total college costs.
Grants for Women
About 50% of the US population comprises women, but they are still a minority. They are under-represented on maximum mainstream college campuses all over the country. The private colleges for women have a history of offering good education focusing on career self-sufficiency. Yet, the requirement for higher diversity at mainstream universities and colleges continues to remain, so there is a need to diversify the American workforce. Most organizations, advocacy groups, and professional associations have created several grants to assist women in taking their rightful place in the hall of higher education in America.
Women grant programs aim to encourage female students to pursue careers and degrees in different fields, especially where they have been under-represented. These grants usually focus on disciplines requiring greater diversity like business, technology, mathematics, and science.
Grants play a vital role as they offer students the much-required support and from different backgrounds. For some, these grants mean the difference between attaining college dreams and getting these dreams deferred. Thus students should make their search for grants a priority while preparing for college.