Education is the most efficient and valuable investment of all times. You can lose your property and money, real estate and securities can depreciate, while your knowledge and experience are always with you. The knowledge that you get in college gives an opportunity to find a good job or start a business. Surely, education may become outdated too, so it is crucial to select the reputable college or university.
What are the Main Types of Grants?
Education in American college or university can cost you a fortune, and it is far not affordable for everyone. Luckily, there is a wide range of opportunities for students to find the financing for education in the United States. There are two major types of grants that students can get: state grants and private donations. There is a wide variety of private grants, and the conditions of obtaining them vary a lot so that we can’t point them all in this article. The situation with state grants is different. There is one federal program, and usually, it is a different program in each state.
Federal Student Financial Aid (FAFSA)
It is the most ambitious program that offers grants in the United States. It covers not only public or private colleges and universities but career or vocational schools too. If you want to try it to get the grant for your college or university, you should do such steps.
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Before everything else, you must determine whether or not you are eligible for the federal student aid.
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Confirm the deadlines before submitting your request. You should understand that federal and state programs have different deadlines in FAFSA.
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If everything is ok, start submitting your FAFSA here.
Before you start counting a new budget, find out how many chances of getting the federal educational aid you have. If you are a US citizen, you have much more chances to get the grant in the US. However, foreigners have several opportunities to get a federal college aid too.
Here are some basic requirements to a person who applies for the FASFA:
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In the most cases, a student has to demonstrate his financial need. However, sometimes students get the FASFA without it.
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A valid Social Security number is required in the most cases (except students from Palau, Marshall Islands or Micronesia). Moreover, you have to show your high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) certificate (or other recognized equivalent.)
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Male students should register for the Selective Service between the ages of 18 and 25 (it is only for US citizens.)
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You must show good results in college. A student should also be accepted for enrollment as a regular student in an eligible degree.
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Finally, you must demonstrate that you have no obligations on the federal student loan or grant by now and that you will spend your FASFA only for your education.
As you can see, these requirements are pretty strict. However, it is still possible to get the federal aid for your college. Moreover, thousands of students do that to build their career. As it was already mentioned above, some noncitizens can also be determined as eligible for the FASFA.
Which Noncitizens Are Eligible for Getting FASFA?
There are five options while noncitizens can apply for FASFA:
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If they are US nationals (for example, natives of American Samoa or Swains Island) or US permanent residents (with “green card,” etc.)
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If they have a status of a “Refugee,” “Asylum Granted,” “Cuban-Haitian Entrant” or “Conditional Entrant.”
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People who have the T nonimmigrant status (“T-visa”) or their parents hold such status (for victims of human trafficking.) Same is of the “battered immigrant-qualified alien” status.
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Citizens of Palau, Marshall Islands or Micronesia are also eligible for the FASFA.
You can read about these options in details on the official website.
What are the Alternatives of FASFA?
Students can achieve three types of financial help due to their FASFA, such as loans, grants, and work-study. While students get grants for free, loans must be returned with interest. However, such loans always have better interests than in private banks. The work-study program basically is a self-sponsoring with state support. Self-sponsoring is something that becomes quite popular nowadays. The reason is simple – grants are not for everyone, while significant loans give wide obligations. Not everyone is ready to work for the next thirty years to return the federal student loan. Thus, self-sponsoring looks attractive for many students.
Useful Tips to Lower the Cost of College
College is something that costs a lot but can give much more. Knowledge gives you a variety of opportunities so that it makes sense to find the money for college. Here are several useful tips on how to lower the cost of college.
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Learn more about budgeting and set your budget for college.
Stick to it because only this way you will find a balance between your potential income, college expenses, and financial aid.
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Find the best college based on your both needs: academic and financial.
To the point, you may find useful tips on how to write one of the most popular academic papers for college called essay in this blog post.
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If it is possible, try to finish the program earlier.
Sometimes you can do everything in three years with a combined program. This way you will spend less and earlier start loan repayment.
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Try to reduce the housing costs
It is easy if you are sharing a house with your friends. You can also cut tuition costs via several programs if you work in a residence hall.
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You can get a discount in college in some cases
For example, someone in your family also goes to this college.
As you can see, it is not so easy to find money for college in the US. However, it is possible for those who stick to their goals. Thus, it doesn’t matter what way you will choose, don’t be afraid of it. Find a perfect college for you, and somehow you will find the possibility to go there. We sincerely hope that this article will help you to get funding for education in the USA.
