Should You Use Scholarship Grants or Financial Aid?
Just what is the real cost of a college education and is there a financing scheme available? Well, lets be honest about it – a college education is mind-numbingly costly, causing most parents alarm when their kids are looking at attending a community college or a state university.
There are a lot of items that go to make up the total cost of a college education and the tuition fees are only a rather small part of the big picture of getting into college. Some everyday expenditures include meals, transport, housing, pocket money and other sundry fees, which, when added up can create a significant portion when financing a college education.
These days, many families, even those belonging to the upper class, consider applying for financial assistance. College grants and scholarships are an excellent method of financial assistance. Grant and scholarship programmes do not ask the students or even their families to repay the amount 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 tennis is the main consideration. A students academic prowess falls under the merit-based college grant and scholarship system too.
Sometimes, college grants and scholarships combine the merit and need criteria to ease the whole financial aid process. Many students and their families are on the look-out for this type of financial aid. However, college grants and scholarships are limited in number although there is a growing number of students year after year.
Those students who qualify can get federal or / and a number of state scholarships, some of which are listed here:
Federal or National Pell Grants ” this is a program, funded nationwide, which is intended to give assistance to any qualified undergraduate student pursuing post-secondary schooling. Grants and scholarships of this kind are given to those who have not yet finished a baccalaureate degree.
The value of the grant varies every year and will depend a lot on the financial needs of the student, the expenses that will be incurred while 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 or FSEOG ” this is a scholarship for ongoing undergraduate students who have dire financial needs, but not all students qualify for this type of grant. It will depend on the eligibility of the student and the availability of finances at the school concerned.
Another form of financial assistance that students and families can get is student loans. However, this form of financial assistance must be repaid. The financial needs of the family must be considered thoroughly to avoid paying very high 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 sustain themselves during their college stay. Work study is most often carried out 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 forms 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 in the student’s future!
