Getting enough financial aid to pay for all of your education-related expenses isn’t easy, and if your Pell Grant award wasn’t as high as you thought it should be, or you simply need additional funding to pay for your living expenses, or even your tuition, there are still more federal grants available to students that exemplify the appropriate credentials beyond the Pell Grant.
Most of these grants can be applied for by filling out the FAFSA, and many can be used in conjunction with the Pell Grant. Remember that federal education grants are monies that don’t have to ever be paid back under normal circumstances, and should therefore always be considered when appropriate. The following is a brief rundown of some of the most popular federal grants that may be available to you.
National SMART Grant
The National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant, or National SMART Grant, is a federal education grant that can give students up to 4,000 dollars during their third, and fourth year of academic study. The two main requirements for this award have to do with the major, or degree program you are enrolled in, and your academic performance in that particular area of study.
You therefore need to be taking an accepted body of coursework, and the majors that are most often awarded with SMART Grant funds include various science programs, as well as an assortment of engineering, mathematics, and technology programs. You must be getting an appropriate grade point average in one of these areas of study if you want to qualify for the SMART Grant, as only students who achieve academically are able to receive this award.
Academic Competitiveness Grant
The ACG Grant is focused on providing students who have completed a rigorous set of coursework aid to continue their higher education. The primary qualification has to do with your grade point average, as this grant is only given to students who have demonstrated the ability to achieve academically. If you are able to satisfy this requirement you can receive up to 750 dollars during your freshman year of undergraduate study, and up to 1,300 dollars during your second year of undergraduate study.
TEACH Grant
The Teach Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant Program, or TEACH Grant, is a federal award that is geared towards the provision of aid to undergraduate students who make a commitment to the teaching of children that come from lower-income families upon graduation.
If you are willing to make such a commitment, you may be able to receive up to 4,000 dollars per year while you are completing your bachelor’s degree. You will also need to perform academically to receive this award, as it required that you maintain a grade point average that is above the appropriate set threshold for that particular school year.
Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant
The FSEOG Grant is a fabulous federal education award that is very similar to the Pell Grant in that it is based mostly upon a student’s financial need. It is provided mainly to students that have an extreme financial need for aid, and in this respect it is very similar to the Pell Grant. Need for the FSEOG Grant is evaluated via the same mechanism as it is for the Pell, and is therefore focused mainly on EFC.
To receive this award you need to have an EFC that is very close to, or at zero. Most FSEOG Grants are given to students who have EFC values of zero, as this grant is designed to benefit students that have the highest financial need the most. If you are able to demonstrate this level of need to the federal government, you can get between 100, and 4,000 dollars of aid per year from the Federal Supplementary Opportunity Grant.
