How To Apply For Education Grants In 2014

Apply Online

You can apply for a Pell Grant by filling out a FAFSA online, which stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Do it well in advance of the start of the semester, as there are federal and state deadlines for applying. Check with fafsa.ed.gov for the deadlines in your state.

The application asks for personal information such as your name, social security number, birth day and contact details. You’ll also have to provide information about your income or, if you’re a dependent, your parents’ income. How much money you can receive will depend on the amount the government calculates you’re able to contribute to your own education. Once you’ve finished the application, choose the schools you want your results sent to. Having this information sent doesn’t obligate you to attend these schools, it simply makes the information available to them in case you do attend.

Follow Up

You’ll receive an email once your application for federal aid is processed and another one when the information is sent to the schools on your list. After you’ve chosen a school and enrolled, check frequently with the financial aid office to make sure they don’t need any additional information from you. Financial aid is greatly slowed down by missing paperwork and incomplete applications.

The most you can receive in education grants 2014 is $5,730, according to the U.S. Department of Education. You can use it to pay for your tuition and materials. Any money left over can go towards paying whatever you need, such as rent, gas, food and transportation expenses. As of 2012, the federal government put a 12-semester limit on receiving Pell Grants, or approximately six years, says the U.S. Department of Education.

Check Additional Sources

Your school can then let you know what other sources of free money you qualify for. You may be able to receive an award from your state’s lottery, for example, or from a private fund. Private sources of financial aid that you don’t have to pay back usually have very strict criteria. Check with your school for specific details.