College tuition presents recurring obstacles for families. It’s way too expensive to get an education, and yet every high-paying profession requires a good educational background. Getting a degree comes with a hefty price tag specifically if you are a middle class citizen.

Those who qualify for the Pell Grant and other need-based grants don’t have to pay as much out of pocket. However, there are tons of other grant opportunities out there for students to take advantage of.

Even if you thought it was impossible to study in France, there are financial aid grants will help you take the trip, and there are financial aid awards based on your minority, gender, disability, and state residency. It’s all about how motivated and dedicated you are to researching grants, but if you have the knowledge, you can apply for some of these grants today.

Study Abroad Grants

Want to head out of the country this summer but don’t know what to study or how to pay for the trip? Study abroad grants help thousands of students study overseas every summer, winter and spring break. There are plenty of awards that are available through your own college. The David L. Boren Undergraduate Program for Study Abroad also offers assistance to undergraduate students who travel to study languages and cultures. The Benjamin Gilman Award is also available for students who are studying abroad and meet certain criteria. You have to have a Pell Grant to qualify for this grant.

State-Specific Grants

There are also plenty of grants available for financial aid through your state. These are very specific grants, but you can mostly find these online or through your college. Most states have a higher education website where you can also look up state-funded grant programs. There are also community programs which will sponsor women, minorities, disabled, and military families for specific award programs. Try talking to your local civic center, church, or college aid office for more information. You can also use site like EducationGrantsforSchool.com to find college grants in your specific area.

College-Sponsored Grants

Colleges also have scholarships, grants and fellowships specifically for their own students. You can usually find these through your financial aid office or college department office. The University of California at Santa Cruz has annual awards through the STEPS Institute Grants that support environmental and scientific research. Programs like this one may be available at your college. Many research departments will have scholarship programs and other financial awards to help exceptional students. These grants may be merit-based or need-based, so you don’t necessarily have to have a 4.0 to get one either.

Profession Grants

What do you want to do when you graduate? By doing some research on your career field, you can come up with some amazing grant opportunity. From A to Z, there are a bunch of different grants available for agriculture, business, music, journalism and music. You simply just need to pick a path and there’s guaranteed to be a bunch of grants specifically for that major or profession. You can find the American Hotel and Lodging Education Foundation gives away multiple grants per year to hospitality and tourism students, or the Electronic Document Systems Foundation which gives away awards to computer science majors.

Minority-Specific Grants

If you’re an ethnic minority, female, or even have a disability, there are grants specifically made for your special case. Saludos Business Grants give away thousands to Hispanic students, and women have tons of opportunities, including grants through the World Bank and American Association of University Women. The Casey Martin Award is sponsored by Nike and provides awards to athletes with disabilities or severe social disadvantages. You can find plenty of grants like this one by doing some research online or talking to your financial aid advisor.

If you are looking for student aid and forms of financial assistance to go to college then school and education grants can offer a stress-free means of helping to pay for your educational needs. As the cost of tuition and related expenses for schooling goes up students are coming to realize that they need help in paying for their post-secondary education.

Some of the best sources for school and education grants are available through the state and federal government. Some public and private companies also make grants available to students as do a selection of organizations. Many colleges and universities also have their own grants that they make available to a specific number of students who enroll in their school. [Read more...]

Living in Washington, DC and going to school there can offer up lots of experiences that will be yours to treasure for years to come. It can be very upsetting however to want to attend a postsecondary institution but to have no idea how you are going to pay for it. One thing that can make your life easier is to apply for a grant (or to apply for more than one). Grants are analogous to free money which means to say that you do not have to pay them back. Here we take a look at Washington, DC school grants for the year 2012. It is the State Education Office in the District of Columbia that dispenses school grants.

National Osteoporosis Foundation Student Fellowship Grant

This fellowship grant is open to students who possess an undergraduate degree and have serious plans to pursue an equivalent degree, a PhD or MD. A post-doctoral fellowship is in some instances awarded to individuals who have received doctoral degrees that have taken place under a special set of circumstances. To be eligible for these grant money applicants must be attending a college, university or some other type of postsecondary institution on a part-time or full-time basis.

NLAPW Virginia Liebeler Grants for Mature Women

The NLAPW Virginia Liebeler Grants for Mature Women are one time grants in even-numbered years to female art students who are mature, which is to say 35 years of age and older. These women must be permanent American citizens and the grant money must be able to further the creative purposes of the recipients of the grant. To apply the individual must submit three 4 x 6 or larger color prints of work in any media. Applicants are required to submit statements for the purpose of the grant and also the person needs to mention how he/she heard of the grant.

American Historical Association Grant

The American Historical Association Grant is open to students in Washington, DC who are also AHA members. This grant is designed for research in American colonial history. In particular the research must focus on interculture aspects of American and European relations. The amount of money awarded from this grant is $800.

Living in Oklahoma is a great place to be because there are many colleges and universities with a wide variety of grants and other financial aid to match.  Among the Federal Grant programs and school grants in Oklahoma available to students are: the Federal Pell Grant; the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG); the Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG); and the National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART) Grant. The Oklahoma State Grants include: the Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant (OTAG), and the Oklahoma Tuition Equalization Grant (OTEG).

The award amount of a Pell Grant is as much as $4,050 per year in Oklahoma. To apply for a Pell Grant in Oklahoma, you need to fill out the FAFSA. Federal Pell Grants are need-based, and they often provide a foundation to which other financial aid may be added. Pell grants do not need to be repaid, and they are disbursed by your college in Oklahoma. To be eligible for a Pell Grant, you must be seeking your first bachelor’s degree or professional degree (such as medicine or dentistry, etc.). You may be eligible to receive a Pell Grant when seeking a post BA teacher certification.To apply for the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) in Oklahoma, you also need to fill out the FAFSA.

The Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) is available to freshman and sophomore students who are also receiving Federal Pell Grants in Oklahoma. Freshman can get up to $750 per year with the ACG grant, and sophomore can get up to $1,300 per year with the ACG grant. Sophomore students must have a 3.0 GPA from their freshman year in college to obtain the ACG grant.

Junior and Senior students in Oklahoma who are also receiving a Pell Grant can receive the National SMART Grant in the amount of a maximum of $4,000 per year in addition to the student’s Pell Grant. To get the National Smart Grant in Oklahoma, you must have a GPA of 3.0 or above. Additionally, you need to major in one of these fields of study: math, science, technology, engineering, or a critical foreign language (Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Russian, etc.).

The Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant Program (OTAG) is for undergraduate students who show financial need. You apply for this grant by filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). The maximum annual award for the OTAG grant is the lesser of 75 percent of enrollment costs or $1,000 for students attending public colleges, universities or career technology centers, and $1,300 for students attending eligible private colleges or universities in Oklahoma.

You may be eligible to receive $2,000 per academic year in grant money in Oklahoma from the Oklahoma Tuition Equalization Grant (OTEG). This is a need-based grant program, and you can apply by filling out the FAFSA. For more information about this grant, you can call: Oklahoma Tuition Equalization Grant Program: (877) 662-6231.In summary, with all the Federal and State grants available in Oklahoma; your college costs will practically be covered. So this is good news for students in Oklahoma

Grants in Oklahoma for 2012

The state of Oklahoma offers plenty of opportunities for students to gain an education.  For those students who are short on money for their education there are a couple of grant opportunities in 2012 worth investigating further. Here we look at those:

Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant (OTAG): This is a state need-based grant that is open to both full-time as well as part-time students who wish to earn their undergraduate degree. The maximum amount of money awarded for every academic year is $1300. Eligibility for the OTAG is limited to those students who have a 1700 Expected Family Contribution (EFC) or lower. Please note that undocumented immigrants who are able to meet certain requirements may be considered for this grant. You must fill out a FAFSA form to apply for this grant. That is only the form you will need to fill out to apply for this state funded grant opportunity.

Oklahoma Tuition Equalization Grant (OTEG):  Just like the Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant this state grant is need-based. The maximum amount of money made available to students is $2000 per academic year. This grant is only open to full-time students (not part-time students) and for those working towards their first Bachelor’s degree.  Applicants must have a family income of $50,000 annually or less. Students must fill out a FAFSA form to apply. There are no other applications needed.

Please note- due to limiting funding, students are encouraged to apply early for both the OTAG as well as the OTEG. It is often a case of first come, first served. .

Osage Higher Education Grant

The Osage Higher Education Grant is a newer grant in Oklahoma state that is available to those who can prove that they are of Osage Indian descent. The applicant must also be able to show that they require financial help from this grant. Applicant must be American Indian/ Alaska Native. Those who are eligible to apply for this grant must be enrolled either on a full-time or part-time basis at a two year or four year college, university or technical school. When applying the individual must submit a completed application form, school transcripts and a financial need analysis. The applicant must also submit a copy of CDIB, proof of Osage Indian descent and verification of enrollment.

Oklahoma Higher Education Grant

If some of the other grants in the state are not right for you then this one might be. The Oklahoma Higher Education Grant is suitable for those students who have a financial need and can demonstrate such. Applicants must meet the minimum admission requirements at the school they wish to attend. Applicants must also make satisfactory academic progress in terms of the policy of the college or university for its financial aid recipients.