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If you are planning to go to college or university but know that you would never be able to afford it on your own, or with the help of your family for that matter, one of the first places you need to look in order to find financial aid is the United States Department Of Education. Acting to try and lift the educational level of the masses and to provide a brighter future for its citizens, the government’s federal aid packages can really help to fulfil your hopes and dreams and make education affordable. There is so much help available out there via federal grants that there is no reason at all why an individual with talent should not go to university.

Financial circumstances can indeed prevent some of America’s brightest sparks from fulfilling their potential and going to university or college. Families with a low income may not be able to afford to lose a wage, a single parent may have children to look after and cannot give up his or her source of income or a family may not be able to afford to send their child to college for fear of draining the finances they need to look after the second and third children. Whatever the reason, federal grants are designed to ensure that these factors do not play a part in major decisions and that the university spot can be filled if an individual does want to go.

It might not come as a surprise to find out that the majority of the funding given to students all over America is provided by the federal government. It now has the power as the largest student aid source on the continent to ensure that individuals from lower class families can afford to send their children to school. In truth, it adds up to over $80 billion a year in aid at the moment and that looks set to rise into the future because there are actually more grants added to the list every single year. However, it is not just the grants they offer that can help out poorer families, it is also the work-study assistance payments that are made to single parent families and those that cannot afford to drop a wage but live just above the poverty line. Whatever the situation, there is a way to help individuals in need that do want to fulfil their potential.

The beauty of federal aid is that it does not charge an individual to apply for funding. If you wanted to apply for a scholarship, for example, then you would have to pay an administration fee that does not even guarantee that your application gets read. However, if you do apply for federal aid funding then you do not have to pay a single penny and you application will always be reviewed before you are informed of the decision. You will always get a reason why too, which makes a nice refreshing change!

By going to the website at http://studentaid.ed.gov, you can check whether you are eligible for federal aid yourself. There is a calculator on there with complete instructions that pertain to how to use it. By inputting your personal or family income figures, you can see just how much you may be entitled to. Of course, it has to be properly assessed first, but at least you will know before sending off an application and hoping for the best!

The federal aid website is an excellent resource for any student looking to go to university or college. Not only is there a wealth of information on the federal grants available, such as the low income grants, there is also an entire section of the website dedicated to other sources of funding so that an individual can browse through at his or her leisure. It comes complete with instructions on how to apply for all of them so that you can really take a good look at what is out there for you to grasp! All in all, it is the complete website as far as financial aid is concerned and every student should take the time to look at it for inspiration and a little guidance!

Anybody who has looked into the possibility of getting a grant before will know that there are two distinct types of grant application. The first is a grant application concerning funding for undergraduate degrees. For example, an individual coming from a family 200% below the poverty line will most likely attempt to obtain a grant to make life a little easier whilst attending college. In this instance, the student will most likely be sent a form to fill in asking for the annual income, personal details, dependent details, a quick summary of what the student intends to study an other similar information. This is pretty straightforward and requires very little effort because the federal government education department will do the calculations for you. You are not asking for a specific amount of money, just a little help.

The other king of grant proposal and application is at the opposite end of the spectrum to a hardship grant. These grants are usually requested by individual students, or those intending to be students to fund research or invention. Certain schools and colleges accept certain grant proposals for different things, for example, one college may accept an application for an archaeological dig, whereas another may only look at scientific research and inventions. This is of course down to the discretion of the school and the size of the budget. If you do happen to be a Masters or PhD student and want to make a difference, then you can apply for a grant, but you would have to make it unique so that it catches the eye of the individual in charge of grants and stands a better chance of approval.

To help your grant proposal stand out from the crowd then always remember to do the following:

* Include a comprehensive research proposal – This must be in plain English with a little jargon for effective, but easy to understand and laid out really well so that the professor will not scan the first page and throw it away. If it is cluttered or messy, or even too long, then he will. 6 pages, no more and no less, double spaced and in 12 point font is the standards layout, but do not use a fancy font because it will look as though you are trying to make up for something.
* Put forward a well-reasoned and logical argument – never back track or try to argue against yourself because you will seem uncertain of what it is that you are trying to discover. Make sure the aims are clearly defined, preferably in bullet points, and demonstrate that you have already started basic research.
* Plan out your time – Break your work down into manageable sections that show you have thought out what it is you are to do and have set reasonable goals. When you get to the analysis and fieldwork, make sure that it is clear how you will reach your conclusion and highlight any unique issues that you expect to come up during your investigation and analysis.
* Include the extra material that gives you credibility as a researcher – This should include a recommendation from a respected member of the faculty who will supervise your throughout. He or she should clearly state how they will become involved, what his or her function is and exactly how much of the workload her or she will be taking on. You should also include a resume for yourself, which should be no more than two pages long.
* Finally, the all-important budget – lay out your sums effectively so they show that some thought has gone into them. You will have covered all angles and probable costs, even those that it may take to get your research back on track if something goes wrong. This is the one page that most grant applicants for get to include. It need only be a side of A4, but enough to show the college just how committed you are!
* Finally, never ever try to jazz the proposal up too much because it will look as if a monkey completed it! Make sure that it is all your own work and is delivered in the traditional, plenty of white paper layout! This will impress them more because it shows professionalism, and thus it will appeal to them!

The best feeling in the world for a mother is to see her son or daughter off to university and feel inordinately proud of him or her, upset and yet knowing that they will be fine as they embark on their new lives! However, can you imagine the opposite feeling? A mother seeing her children off to university, proud as anyone could be, and yet worried to death that they are going to face the hardship and struggle that all college students should be spared from, not knowing when the next meal is coming and taking on two jobs as well as their studies just to make ends meet. This is not the case for the vast majority of students, at least not to that extent. However, the poor mother must feel so helpless consider she does her best to make sure that this scenario never happens. With scholarships and grants, the latter need not be an issue!

Scholarships and grants have been put in place to try and help individuals to make ends meet whilst at university, regardless of the financial situation of the family in question. Believe it or not, scholarships and grants can involve the whole family too. Obviously they would not pay for anything other than the college education of one member of the family, but in terms of confidence. Most parents feel that it is their responsibility to send their children to college and nobody else’s. However, this is not always possible. I have read stories of parents resenting their children because they happen to be funding themselves instead of being provided for by the parents. This is extremely rare, but it does happen and can cast a cloud on the whole experience. They may feel as if you no longer need them and they are being cast aside, and so involving them would make it seem like they were actually contributing to a college education.

In fact, when it comes to finding and applying for a college scholarship, it is never a bad idea to have all hands on deck! The amount of scholarships there are out there really can send the whole process of researching them into chaos if you only have a limited time to research them and compile the details before the closing date. By involving your family, they are part of your big adventure and it can really be of benefit to you as well. There is absolutely nothing wrong with involving them in your plans, even though some may think otherwise. Although it is your experience, they are lending a helping hand.

Your family may not be able to afford the best in college education for you, but if they are on the poverty line or below it then they can help you by providing the details you need in order to claim a grant. If you plan to claim as a low-income household then you will be able to get a certain amount of help from the government to get you through college. You will need to include salary before and after tax, other expenses and dependents and a variety of other information on the application form. The only way you will get all of the necessary information is if your parents are willing to help you. In effect, their struggle to make ends meet can actually improve your chances of finding funding! Although this is of no comfort to them, they do not have to struggle to put you through college, and that should give them peace of mind.