Needy yet deserving students- try for the Pell Grant
The U.S. department of education sponsors an education grant program called the Pell Grant. Eligible students can apply for this grant for financing the expenses of their education and it does not require any sort of repayment. It is a free grant bestowed on deserving students by the government in order to fulfill their wish for higher education. The ‘Free Education Guide’ offers further information on this subject.
Meanwhile, some of the criteria which are required for eligibility for the Pell Grant are:
The aid is given on the basis of need; hence, in their application students must show that they are in need of the grant as their family income cannot support their studies. The students whose family income is less than $20000 are often granted the Pell Grant.
Students must also prove that the program or the tuition which they have earmarked for themselves are beneficial for them.
A high school diploma is essential to avail the grant.
US citizenship or permanent residency of USA with a valid social security number is mandatory.
To avail of the Pell Grant, the students must be in an approved course and working towards their first degree.
If the students meet all the above-mentioned criteria then they can apply for the grant by filling up the FAFSA form which can be done online. Students can also try www.FAFSA.Com or FAFSA.Gov for a FAFSA free application. The FAFSA questions must be answered intelligently and truthfully. The government then matches the information on the application form and informs the students of the subsequent submission of other documents for processing the grant application.
The relevant documents may be bank statements, investment details, mortgage information if any, tax returns, business records, W-2 information etc. The filling up the FAFSA application form certifies that the Pell Grant is going to be used solely for educational purposes by the student. A document declaring that the student does not owe any credit to the federal government in relation to any sort of financial aid or grant has also to be given.
The results are out within three to four weeks and if the student qualifies, he is eligible for the Pell Grant ranging from $400 to $4050 per year. The amount of grant for the first year is lesser than that for the subsequent years.