If your expected family contribution is 0  will you definitely get federal grants?Will you get any grants?
152593
What you're eligible for will be determined by your total income. The fact you're getting nothing from your family suggests it will be based on your annual income alone. Unless you're making very good money, I'd be surprised if you weren't eligible for some grant money. The amount will be determined by the financial aid office at the college or university you're applying to. You'll likely have options on both grants and loans, but be careful to remember that while the grants have no strings attached, the loans must be repaid at some point (with interest). So try to take out as little in loan money as you possibly can. Good luck!
422888
Did you at least get *something?*  If you got something and it simply wasn't enough, there are any number of reasons why you didn't get enough.\n\n1.  Loan/grant limits.  It is possible that, even if you have been given everything they have to give, the funding just doesn't exist.  Every federal program has limits.  Pell grants are capped at $4050 for full-time students; Stafford loans are capped at $2625 for Freshmen; Perkins loans and SEO Grants are capped at $4,000 for undergrads (and not all schools can offer Perkins or SEOG, and those who CAN often don't have enough of it to give the maximum).\n\n2.  Dependency status.  If you are an undergrad, are under 24, are unmarried (without kids), and are not a veteran or an orphan, you have to include your parents information on your FAFSA.  Your EFC, which is used to determine your eligibility for aid, is based on the income and assets of both you and your parents.  If your EFC exceeds the cost of your attendance, you probably aren't eligible for much more than an Unsub. Stafford Loan.  To find out what your EFC is, check your FAFSA results (on the SAR or "Student Aid Report" that you would have received after you filed the FAFSA) or call your Financial Aid Office.\n\n3.  Your enrollment status.  Many financial aid programs are limited to half-time or full-time students.  If you're not taking enough credits, you might be eligible for a lot less than a student taking a full credit load.\n\n4.  Accreditation.  It's possible that your school isn't allowed to administer student aid programs, or that they are only allowed to administer *some* of those programs, like Pell and Stafford only.\n\n5.  You might have made an error on your FAFSA that makes you look more wealthy than you are.  This happens a lot but can be corrected.  Go over your FAFSA results carefully to make sure that you didn't add in any numbers that shouldn't be there.\n\nNot every school has the means to meet every student's financial need. You or your parents can borrow a PLUS loan or a private loan to cover what your Federal and institutional financial aid package does not cover.  Visit this site for a list of reputable education loan lenders: http://www.finaid.org/loans/privatestudentloans.phtml
507707
I got several federal grants, but they are not personally but for the non profits that I worked with. My business got a grant but it was for a project where we gave various seminars (how to start a home business; online business; ebay business) to low-income minorities.\n\nNote that the government is NOT in the business of giving away free money for the sake of giving away money. Grants are free, but it means OBLIGATION. You will be obligated to do as the grant sets out to do. Grants have objectives, and your purpose must fit the objective of the grant.\n\nFor one, you have to write the grant application and the grant application is not a simple document - you have to explain how your purpose for applying for the grant fits well with the objectives set out by the grant.\n\nThere there is a stringent review process through a committee. You will compete with other applicants for the grant money, and this grant review committee will evaluate the merits of each proposal. Only those that they feel exemplifies the objective of the grant will be approved. The approval process depend on the grant; some can be approved within 2 months while others can take as long as 6 months or more.\n\nYou can go to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) http://www.cfda.gov and Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov - these are two sites created by the federal government to provide transparency and information on grants. Browse through the listings and see if you can find any grant that would support your purposes.\n\nEven if you buy books on "how to get grants" or list that supposedly has information on grants -- all of them are mere rehash of what CFDA has, albeit packaged differently.\n\nNote though that these grants generally support non-profit organizations, intermediary lending institutions, and state and local governments. Most of the federal grants are given to specific target groups with specific requirements (e.g. minority business owners involved in transportation related contracts emanating from DOT - Grant#20.905 Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Short Term Lending Program. Individuals especially for personal purposes are not eligible for federal grants. \n\nGrants are also often given to non profit groups or organizations involved in training or other similar activities (grant 59.043 Women's Business Ownership Assistance that are given to those who will create women's business center that will train women entrepreneurs
206347
I recieved the very same offer. I was scammed this time last year by a company named First Costal Systems offering the same type of grant. They passed the account information out to others, if you decide to accept the offer. Be aware that there is a checking account required, they will tell you that. They may also require a fee for processing the grant application.
449410
Not sure what exactly you mean, but you don't necessarily even qualify for pell grants each year.  You fill out the paperwork annually & they look at your/your parents tax returns to determine if you qualify.\n\nSince you do just fill it out once per year, I would think that the amount you receive is set for the year & is most likely divided between the semesters you plan to enroll, or is applied to the full year in advance.
942656
NO -- you don't have to pay for information on how to get grants\n\nYou can go to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) http://www.cfda.gov and Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov - these are two FREE sites created by the federal government to provide transparency and information on grants. Browse through the listings and see if you can find any grant that would support your purposes.\n\nEven if you buy books on "how to get grants" or list that supposedly has information on grants -- all of them are mere rehash of what CFDA has, albeit packaged differently.\n\nNote though that these grants generally support non-profit organizations, intermediary lending institutions, and state and local governments. Most of the federal grants are given to specific target groups with specific requirements (e.g. minority business owners involved in transportation related contracts emanating from DOT - Grant#20.905 Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Short Term Lending Program. Individuals especially for personal purposes are not eligible for federal grants. \n\nGrants are also often given to non profit groups or organizations involved in training or other similar activities (grant 59.043 Women's Business Ownership Assistance that are given to those who will create women's business center that will train women entrepreneurs \n\nThe government is NOT in the business of giving away free money for the sake of giving away money. There are no grants for paying bills, for getting out of debt or for buying a car. Grants are free, but it means OBLIGATION. You will be obligated to do as the grant sets out to do. Grants have objectives, and your purpose must fit the objective of the grant.\n\nFor one, you have to write the grant application and the grant application is not a simple document - you have to explain how your purpose for applying for the grant fits well with the objectives set out by the grant. Grants have objectives, and the grant applications that best captures the grant's objectives are approved.\n\nThere is a stringent review process through a committee composed of federal employees and selected experts in the field. You will compete with other applicants for the grant money, and this grant review committee will evaluate the merits of each proposal. Only those that they feel exemplifies the objective of the grant will be approved.
1044774
Your eligibility for Financial Aid is determined not by your income (exactly) but by something called an Expected Family Contribution (or "EFC"). Parent income is only ONE of MANY factors taken into consideration in this calculation.  Other factors include parent/student assets, the number of people in  your household, the number of college students in your home, your untaxed income, and so on... For example, some families have $0 in income but a lot of retirement savings or perhaps social security benefits and, as a result, are sometimes ineligible for federal grant aid. Because of this, I would highly recommend getting an estimate of your EFC. To do so, check out the following website: http://www.finaid.org/calculators/finaidestimate.phtml\n\nThat said, technically, just about any income level can receive at least SOME financial aid.  People with millions of dollars and EFCs of $99,999 (which is as high as it gets) can still receive Unsubsidized Stafford Loans and PLUS loans, which aren't need-based.  \n\nIn order to be eligible to obtain a Pell Grant, your EFC must be $3,850 or lower. If all your parents have is $37,000 in income (if they have no assets) and you, the student, don't have any income/assets either, you should be right on the cusp of Pell eligibility, which means you'd probably get a small Pell Grant and any other need-based aid that your school has to offer (such as Stafford Loans, Perkins Loans, FWS, and SEOG, if they have an allocation of campus-based aid).\n\nIf you really want to be prepared, do the following;\n1. Browse this site -- http://www.finaid.org -- it offers a wealth of Financial Aid knowledge\n2. Estimate your EFC\n3. Contact prospective schools to see (a) what types of federal aid they administer [since not all schools can adminsiter all types of aid] and (b) whether they also offer merit- and/or need-based scholarships/grants of their own\n\nFar too many students assume that, just because they show a lot of financial need, their education will be financed by the government or by their school.  This CAN be true but often isn't.  The same student can apply to several schools and receive very different aid packages.  So, once you know what types of aid are available to you, you will know what else you need to do to make higher education possible.
918937
You will get a state pension, no idea how much it is though but you wont be living the high life put it that way.
1171983
The Government has created a portal to help individuals who need benefits because of life events. Visit http://www.govbenefits.gov\n\nUse the drop down button\nDO YOU NEED BENEFITS BECAUSE OF A LIFE EVENT?\nChoose the life situation best applicable to you and then see if you qualify for the available government assistance.\n\nForget grant money - there's hardly any money for individuals. The government is NOT in the business of giving away free money for the sake of giving away money. Grants are free, but it means OBLIGATION. You will be obligated to do as the grant sets out to do. Grants have objectives, and your purpose must fit the objective of the grant.\n\nFor one, you have to write the grant application and the grant application is not a simple document - you have to explain how your purpose for applying for the grant fits well with the objectives set out by the grant.\n\nThere there is a stringent review process through a committee. You will compete with other applicants for the grant money, and this grant review committee will evaluate the merits of each proposal. Only those that they feel exemplifies the objective of the grant will be approved.\n\nYou can go to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) http://www.cfda.gov and Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov - these are two sites created by the federal government to provide transparency and information on grants. Browse through the listings and see if you can find any grant that would support your purposes.\n\nEven if you buy books on "how to get grants" or list that supposedly has information on grants -- all of them are mere rehash of what CFDA has, albeit packaged differently.\n\nNote though that these grants generally support non-profit organizations, intermediary lending institutions, and state and local governments. Most of the federal grants are given to specific target groups with specific requirements (e.g. minority business owners involved in transportation related contracts emanating from DOT - Grant#20.905 Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Short Term Lending Program. Individuals especially for personal purposes are not eligible for federal grants. \n\nGrants are also often given to non profit groups or organizations involved in training or other similar activities (grant 59.043 Women's Business Ownership Assistance that are given to those who will create women's business center that will train women entrepreneurs
1124719
Your Expected Family Contribution is the amount that the government has determined you are *able* to pay for college in a given year.  However, it should be emphasized that this is NOT necessarily the amount that you will be *required* to pay -- you might pay less or you might have to pay much, much more.  \n\nTo phrase it another way, having a $42 EFC doesn't mean that all your educational costs (less $42) will be paid for by another source. Many FAFSA applicants mistakenly believe that a very low EFC means that the school or the government will cover the remainder. This, unfortunately, is not the case. Most colleges do not have the means to meet all their students' full need through scholarships, and almost all of the Federal awards have limits that often fall short of tuition costs. \n\nYour low EFC *probably* means that you are eligible for most of the aid that your school has to offer for students in your program, including a Pell grant (if you are an undergrad), a Stafford Loan, a Perkins loan, an SEOG, Work-Study. Depending on where you live, you may also receive some aid from your state.\n\nMany of these funds (except Pell -- the amounts for which are set by a specific table that compares your Cost of Attendance to your EFC) are allotted at the school's discretion. These days, there is never enough SEOG, Perkins, and FWS to go around, so it is uncommon for schools to award students to their maximum eligibility -- even to full-need students.\n\nNonetheless, you should take your EFC as a sign that plenty of people out there feel that you show a good deal of need. Search for need-based (and merit-based, if you have done well in school) scholarships anywhere you can: libraries, your former high school, your future college, clubs/associations near you, and the internet:\n\nhttp://www.finaid.org/scholarships/other.phtml\nhttp://www.fastweb.com\nhttp://www.srnexpress.com\nhttp://www.scholarships.com\nhttp://www.scholarships101.com\nhttp://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/welcome.jsp\nhttp://services.princetonreview.com/default.asp?RUN=%2Fcollege%2Ffinance%2Fscholar%2FscholInterview%2Easp&RCN=auth&RDN=7&ALD=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eprincetonreview%2Ecom\nhttp://www.collegeanswer.com/paying/content/pay_free_money.jsp\n\nYou will probably need to cull funding from a number of sources as scholarships (small and large) are very competitive. Please be wary of scholarship scams, not the least of which is the claim that that there are "tons of unclaimed scholarships" just floating around out there. For information on this myth (and other scams), try reading these pages: \n\nhttp://www.finaid.org/scholarships/unclaimedaid.phtml\nhttp://www.finaid.org/scholarships/protecting.phtml\nhttp://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/ouchalrt.htm
585428
Technically, the government allows a family to borrow financial aid (PLUS loans, for example) up to the student's cost of attendance.  Although it is not "free money," it is financial aid.\n\nBut, yes, the federal government expects the student and parent to play the primary role in paying for that student's college education. Federal grant aid is reserved for the families with the highest amount of financial need.  In order to qualify for a Pell grant, your EFC must be $3,850 or lower. Certainly, parents with $4000 EFCs are needy as well, but there isn't nearly enough funding to make the cutoff much higher than it is.\n\nWhen the government calculates your Expected Family Contribution, the formula they use assumes that you are living a modest lifestyle -- it does not take into account any consumer debt that you may have or the cost of living in the state in which you reside.  As a result, most families do not believe that their EFC accurately reflects their ability to pay for their child's schooling -- and this may be the case.\n\nMost schools will allow you to appeal your financial aid package.  Before doing so, I would encourage you to read the following advice: http://www.finaid.org/fafsa/negotiation.phtml
415688
Married people can still earn Pell Grants.  You have to fill out the FAFSA to be eligible and the form will ask you for your financial information.  Generally, the lower your family income and the smaller your savings, the smaller your EFC (Expected Family Contribution) will be.  Students whose EFC approaches zero are eligible for Pell Grants.  It's hard to pinpoint what income level would make you eligible, because a lot more than just income is taken into consideration.  Rent, however, is not one of those things.\n\nEven if you do not receive a Pell Grant you may be eligible for other need-based federal or state aid, or even need-based assistance from your university.  Filing the FAFSA is always a good idea!
498939
Unlike the myths that some perpetuate, federal government and even private foundations hardly ever give grant money for just any reason, especially to individuals. If you are a non-profit orgainization, that would be different.\n\nIf you're willing to waste a lot of time, send out a lot of letters, and do a lot of paperwork, with only a small possibility of anything in return, who knows, might happen.\n\nYou can go to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) http://www.cfda.gov and Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov - these are two sites created by the federal government to provide information on grants. \n\nBut the Fed is going to be a waste of your time. The one you really want is here:\n\nhttp://www.cyonic-nemeton.com/infokit1.html\n\nThis one will tell you to write to Philantrhopists and CEO's and millionaires who want to help individuals. Non-profit organizations and foundations only deal with other non-profits.\n\nThe problem here is that you're trying to get something for nothing, and you're in competition with a growing segment of a lazy population with no priorities, values, or morals; basically meaningless people. Who in their right mind would want to help them be lazy and insignificant?\n\nAnyway, here's some of the people you can write to:\n\nPercy Ross, c/o "Thanks A Million," 5151 Edina Industrial Blvd., Minneapolis, MN  55439-3013 \nPeter Lynch, 27 State Street, Boston, MA  02109 \nAnthony Robbins Foundation, 9191 Towne Center Drive, Suite 600, San Diego, CA  92122 \nDave Thomas, c/o Wendy's International, Columbus, OH  43216 \nTruett Cathy Winshape Foundation, c/o Camp Winshape, Mt. Berry, GA  30149 \nHerman Cain, 9140 W. Dodge Road, Suite 300, Omaha, NE  63114 \nThe Milton Hershey Foundation, c/o Hershey Chocolate U.S.A., Hershey, PA  17033-0815 \nMicrosoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA  98052-6399 \nTom Monaghan, 30 Frank Loyd Wright Drive, Ann Arbor, MI  48105 \nAmway Corporation, 7575 Fulton Street, Ada, MI  49355 \nMacArthur Fellowship, 4444 Lawrence Avenue, Chicago, IL  60630 \nWarren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway Inc., 1440 Kiewit Plaza, Omaha, NE  68131 \nSheri Poe, Ryka Rose Foundation, Norwood, MA  02062 \nWelch Trust, P.O. Box 244, Walla Walla, WA  99362
565780
SCAM. Rip off the card you received and throw it in the trash.\n\nThe government is NOT in the business of giving away free money for the sake of giving away money. Grants are free, but it means OBLIGATION. You will be obligated to do as the grant sets out to do. Grants have objectives, and your purpose must fit the objective of the grant.\n\nFor one, you have to write the grant application and the grant application is not a simple document - you have to explain how your purpose for applying for the grant fits well with the objectives set out by the grant.\n\nThere there is a stringent review process through a committee. You will compete with other applicants for the grant money, and this grant review committee will evaluate the merits of each proposal. Only those that they feel exemplifies the objective of the grant will be approved.\n\nYou can go to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) http://www.cfda.gov and Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov - these are two sites created by the federal government to provide transparency and information on grants. Browse through the listings and see if you can find any grant that would support your purposes.\n\nEven if you buy books on "how to get grants" or list that supposedly has information on grants -- all of them are mere rehash of what CFDA has, albeit packaged differently.\n\nNote though that these grants generally support non-profit organizations, intermediary lending institutions, and state and local governments. Most of the federal grants are given to specific target groups with specific requirements (e.g. minority business owners involved in transportation related contracts emanating from DOT - Grant#20.905 Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Short Term Lending Program. Individuals especially for personal purposes are not eligible for federal grants. \n\nGrants are also often given to non profit groups or organizations involved in training or other similar activities (grant 59.043 Women's Business Ownership Assistance that are given to those who will create women's business center that will train women entrepreneurs \n\nOrganizations such as Potomac Fidelity Group are just out to scam you and get your money without giving you anything in return.
1159661
Definitely not. \n\nThese companies simply are looking for ways to get your money. They can either ask for your bank account number and tell you they need the number so the grant monies can be sent to you; or they will ask you for fee to supposedly get the grant for you.\n\nForget about them.
293522
Nothing specific but most grants which you don't have to pay back, are based on financial need, disabilities, and if your in some minority group which often includes mental disabilities and maybe drug abuse.
929277
Yes - first go to fafsa.ed.gov and fill out information for Financial Aid.  This is money you will have to pay back after you get your degree, but it will help you get it.  Depending on your EFC - expected family contribution - the school you want to attend may have programs for those in need.  The school will also be able to find out for you how much you can get from a Pell Grant.  Pell grants do not need to be paid back.  They vary in amount, and generally are enough to cover one to two course credits per year.\n\nFastweb.com is a site where you can apply for scholarships - some are essay's but worth the effort.\n\nAnother thought is by signing up yourself, your friends and family on UPromise.   You all can earn certain percentages for college  with purchases made....even some utility bills.\n\nFill out any and all forms for assistance that you can.  If you attend a college in your state, often the state has grant programs for single mothers.  Check your state's website.\n\nLook around the sites listed and you will get a better feel for what's out there for you.\n\nThere are links on the fafsa website that you can use for guides on obtaining funds to attend.\n\nSome student loans are available as well.  You can pay after you get your degree. National City, GM, Bank of America...etc.   Some offer full deferment, and some you can pay the interest while you attend.  \n\nGood Luck!!!!