Scholarship Grants or Financial Aid?

By Owen Jones

What is the real cost of a college education and is there a financing scheme available? Well, lets face reality - a college education is very expensive, causing a lot of parents to do a double take when their children are looking at attending a community college or a state university.

There are a lot of things that go to make up the total cost of a college education and the tuition fees are just a rather small part of the whole story of going to college. Some everyday expenditures include meals, transport, housing, spending money and other miscellaneous fees, which, when added up can create a significant portion when financing a college education.

These days, a lot of families, even those who belong to the upper class, consider applying for financial assistance. College grants and scholarships are an excellent kind of financial help. Grant and scholarship programs do not require the students or even their families to pay back the monies given.

Scholarships and grants are of two basic kinds: (i) scholarships awarded based on financial need, depending on the financial inability of the student and their families to pay for the college education, and (ii) scholarships based on merit, for example the talent of the student in football is the deciding factor. A students academic prowess comes under the merit-based college grant and scholarship system as well.

Sometimes, college grants and scholarships combine the merit and need criteria to make the whole financial aid process simpler. Many students and their families are on the look-out for this kind of financial aid. However, college grants and scholarships are quite limited in number despite the fact that there is a growing number of students year after year.

Those students who qualify can get federal and a number of state scholarships, some of which are listed below:

Federal or National Pell Grants " this is a program, available nationwide, which is meant to provide financial aid to qualified undergraduate learner following post-secondary schooling. Grants and scholarships of this sort are awarded to students who have not yet finished a baccalaureate degree.

The value of the grant varies every year and will depend largely on the financial needs of the student, the expenses that will be incurred whilst attending the chosen university or college, and the availability of funding from the national government. This sort of grant will open up an opportunity for students to succeed in securing financial aid from the national government.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) " this is a programme for ongoing undergraduate students with dire monetary needs. However, not all students qualify for this type of grant. It will depend on the eligibility of the student and the amount of finances at the school concerned.

Another kind of financial aid that students and families can turn to is student loans. However, this type of financial assistance must be repaid. The financial needs of the family should be considered thoroughly to avoid paying higher interest rates.

It is also a must to understand all the terms of the lending agencies such as the schedule of repayment and interest rates, before signing up.

Work study is another form of financial assistance which calls for students to work to keep themselves during their college education. Work study is commonly done on campus and is the most typical form of financial aid in all of the universities and colleges in the USA. Usually, the students will render service to schools for ten to fifteen hours per week.

Scholarships, grants and other kinds of financial aid to acquire a college education is really multi-faceted, confusing at times, and even down-right exasperating. However, the good thing is that a college education is a non-refundable and non-toxic sort of investment - it is in aid of the student's future!

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