College Scholarships and Grants

College Scholarships and Grants.org (CSG) is considered by many as the #1 Authority Site for connecting students with the correct scholarship programs.

As a pioneer and proven leader in the education field, CSG has helped more than 11 million students get the financial aid needed to continue their education with the proper college scholarship and grant programs.

There is literally millions of dollars given away each year in the form of college scholarships and grants. Finding the program that fits a certain individuals needs can seem a little overwhelming at times and for good reason.

College scholarships and grants come in all shapes and sizes. Each program is structured differently and each has their own eligibility requirements. Here is a brief overview of some of the more popular financial aid programs that are available.

Federal Pell Grant – The Federal Pell Grant is probably the most well known out of all the financial aid programs. This program is a post-secondary, educational federal grant program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and is usually awarded to undergraduate students that haven’t earned a bachelor’s or graduate degree.

The maximum grant amount for the 2008-2009 year is $4,731 and will increase to $5,400 by 2012. Students who require smaller amounts will receive less. Pell Grant money can be used for tuition, fees and educational expenses such as textbooks and materials for school.

Unlike loans, the Pell Grant is not repaid unless, for example, you are awarded funds incorrectly or you withdraw from school prior to the end of term.

Federal Supplemental Educational OpportunityProgram (FSEOG) – The FSEOG program provides need-based grants to low-income undergraduate students to promote access to postsecondary education.  FSEOG awards range from $100 to $4000 a year. This amount is determined by the school’s financial aid office. However, not all schools participate in the FSEOG Program.

National Merit Scholarship Program – For over a half a century, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation has been a leader in identifying scholastically talented young women and men a supporting their educational goals. High school students enter the National Merit Program by taking the preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship qualifying test.

National SMART Grant - The SMART grant program is for full-time undergraduate students who are enrolled in the third or fourth year of undergraduate study.

The award is for up to $4,000 for each of the third and fourth years.

To receive a National SMART Grant, you must

• be Pell Grant-eligible during the same award year;

• be enrolled at least half-time;*

• be in the third or fourth year* of an undergraduate

   degree program (or fifth year of a five-year program);

• be pursuing a major with at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA in

   physical, life, or computer sciences, mathematics, technology,

   engineering or a critical foreign language; or non-major single

    liberal arts programs, and

• have at least a 3.0 GPA as of the end of the second award year

   and continue to maintain a 3.0 GPA that must be checked

   prior to the beginning of each payment period (e.g., semester).

There are literally thousands of college scholarships and grants available to aspiring students for continuing education. The key is knowing where to look for these college scholarships and grants and HOW to apply.