Apply for tuition assistance

Apply for tuition assistance

Apply for tuition assistance : Multi-thousand tips to make your life easier.

When you break down the total cost of obtaining a high-quality education, you will find that the largest portion of the money required is for tuition, i.e., admission and annual fees, which may or may not include the cost of textbooks, library membership, etc. Fortunately, federal and state funding, in addition to private loans, scholarships, and grants, is available for students interested in higher education. Several tuition assistance programs are available in the US, and this article discusses how you can apply for them.

At a glance

Federal and state government tuition assistance programs that are available are listed here; some of these are grants, which means no repayment is required.

• Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• Grants: Pell, SMART, FSEOG, ACG and TEACH
• Loans: Stafford, Perkins and PLUS

Application process

A brief summary of how you can apply for tuition assistance under the above-mentioned programs is provided below.

FAFSA

Federal Student Aid (FSA) is available to US citizens and eligible non-citizens who are 18 years of age, have a valid Social Security number, and have a high school diploma or GED or other qualifications approved by the Department of Education. Candidates should also have secured admission to, or be enrolled in, a valid degree or other approved educational program. You should not have been convicted of any drug-related offense while receiving FSA, and you must not owe any loans or have defaulted on payments on previously received federal student aid.

The process in brief: (a) Gather the required paperwork – SSN, tax returns, bank statements, ID proof, etc.; (b) Complete the FAFSA worksheet online and the signature process – apply for a PIN to sign electronically; and (c) submit the completed paperwork before the prescribed deadlines.

Grants

1. Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) & Pell Grant: Paid to recipients of the Pell Grant who are in the first or second year of an approved 2-4 year degree program and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the end of the first year of graduate study. The same application completed for FAFSA is used for Pell and ACG. Notification of eligibility will be sent, and students should then submit documentary evidence of completion of a thorough high school program to the institution at which they are enrolled.
2. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG): Paid to students in extreme financial need; you are automatically considered for eligibility once a FAFSA is submitted and you apply for Federal Work-Study aid or a Perkins loan.
3. National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (SMART): For students eligible for Pell Grants and enrolled in the third and fourth years of a degree program in math, science, technology, or engineering. The admitting institution will decide students' eligibility to receive this grant based on the FAFSA application.
4. Teacher Education Assistance for College & Higher Education (TEACH): For candidates who undertake teaching after completing their degree at a private or public elementary/secondary school, specifically directed toward providing education to low-income or poor students.

Loans

1. Perkins loans: Low-interest loans provided to financially strapped students pursuing higher education. The funding is provided to participating educational institutions, which decide individual eligibility based on information provided in the FAFSA.
2. Stafford loans: Fixed-interest-rate loans for undergraduate and graduate study. Eligibility criteria and loan information are available at staffordloan.com.
3. PLUS loans: A loan program targeted at parents with a good credit rating to fund education costs for their children, covering tuition and other assistance.
4. Further information on applying for tuition assistance is available from all participating schools/colleges as well as the US Department of Education at studentaid.ed.gov.