Make College More Affordable With Grants From The Government
Every student thinking of going to college has heard of the Pell Grant. It cuts the cost considerably for those who are pursuing traditional and online degrees. At the same time, even though President Obama pushed through a raise on the Pell, it’s currently only good for less than $6,000 at max, and that might not cover the entire cost of tuition, much less living expenses.
What many students don’t know is there’s another federal program, one that’s been around longer than even the Pell. Entitled the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, or the SEOG, it was introduced back in 1966. It can give a student as much as an additional $4,000 towards tuition and fees. In fact, this year the U.S. will give out over $700 million through the SEOG, making it the second largest grant program in the country. If you need more information about grants for college, look on the internet.
Like the Pell, the first thing that must be determined is entitlement. The FASFA is the primary instrument to decide that. One must give out their financial situation in incredible detail, although it might soon be replaced with one’s IRS filing. The thing is the document can be used to determine both the Pell and the SEOG.
There are other important qualifications for the SEOG. First, the student must be a born or naturalized American citizen. Next, even if one gets the Pell Grant there must still be a negative difference between everything else one gets and the school’s cost. It should also be noted the SEOG is only for Associate’s or Bachelor’s degrees, not vocational programs or post-grad. The student must also have and maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or better before and during their academic career.
If the student somehow manages to be overpaid by the Pell, then he/she automatically loses the SEOG. On the other hand, if a student drops out for a time, he can still get SEOG money if deciding to go back. Another way to lose the SEOG is, after dropping out, the student winds up in default of any college loans they may have had.
Another thing is the money never goes directly to the student. Instead, the college sets up an account where the check is deposited. Where it gets fancy is when a term (whether it’s a semester or trimester) starts, the Board of Education issues a check through the college. Upon receipt, the applicant goes to the school’s bursar office and signs over the check. It is deposited to the account and provides the tuition payment in this manner. There is an abundance of information about pell grant application on the web.
One important tip about all this is it’s a good idea to do all this with the assistance of a financial aid officer. They can help a student navigate through the maze of paperwork and bylaws, making it easier to obtain the desired money. It’s their job after all.
What’s important is when the Pell Grant doesn’t meet your educational needs; there is another grant program that can be an incredible supplement towards obtaining on campus or distance learning programs. Of course, just because the SEOG is there with the federal Pell grant for college doesn’t mean one shouldn’t look for more.
