All You Need To Know About Single Parent Grants
Soon the kids will be leaving the nest and it will be time for you as a single parent to finally continue your own educational dreams. You have heard about the government offering money and grants for single parents but you don’t know anything about them. If you have ever wanted to know more about single parent grants then this article is a good place to start.
What is Single Parent Grants?
Single parent grants unlike loans do not have to be paid back. This is money for education and other expenses that the government gives to deserving single parents who wants to continue their education. There are very different types of single parent grants available. The list below is just a partial sample of grants for single parents to help you get started.
Federal Pell Grants
This is the first stop of for anyone looking to apply for a single parent grant. The Pell Grant program is normally awarded to undergraduate students (people attending 2-year or 4-year college programs). Considered to be the base or foundation in any federal or local financial aid package, you should obtain a Pell grant before you seek to get any other grants for single parents.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
This grant is for single parents and other student with exceptional financial need. Money from the FSEOG programs is only given to single parents who have already applied and qualified a Pell Grant.
This single parent grant is usually awarded to the Pell applicant with the lowest expected family contributions. EFC (expected family contributions) are the amount of money you or your family can afford to put in towards your education. And like their big brother these grants for single parents don’t have to paid back.
The Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG).
The Academic Competitiveness program offers single parents, grants if they are enrolled as first or second year student in a college or university course of study that is a “Recognized Rigorous Secondary School Programs of Study”. This kind of college track is based on more stringent academic requirements than other secondary school courses. This grant is only awarded as an addition to a single parent’s Pell Grant.
Institutional Grants
Individual colleges and universities all have their own system of private programs as well as public packages for financial aid. Many colleges, especially technical science or business related schools offer various single parent grants to make up the difference between federal and family earnings.
Colleges provide institutional grants to help make up the difference between college costs and what a family can be expected to contribute through income, savings, loans, and student earnings.
