College grants ; complete details

College grants are monetary gift aid, typically based on financial need, that can assist students in paying for tuition, fees, and other school-based expenses that generally do not need to be paid back. Grants lessen the amount students need to borrow in loans and, in some cases, replace loans altogether. Many states offer grants to help students pay for college.

• FAFSA: Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can be a good starting point when seeking a grant to help pay for education.

Federal Grants

The federal government has four grants for college and graduate students that can be found through the Department of Education.

• Pell Grant

State Grants

State grants are typically need-based and determined by FAFSA results. Many states exclude applicants who have defaulted on a student loan.

• Alabama  The Alabama Commission on Higher Education offers two grants that require residency and are awarded based on financial need. The Assistance Program Grant awards between $300 and $5,000 per student, and the Alabama Student Grant awards up to $1,200 per year.

• Alaska  The Alaska Education Grant awards undergraduates between $500 and $4,000. The state’s legislature prioritizes students with the most financial need first and then works its way down to students who can contribute more to their education until the funds are exhausted. Recipients could receive as much as $16,000 during their undergraduate education.

• Arkansas  The state’s education department has grants for three kinds of students: Future Grant, Health Education Grant, and Teacher Opportunity Program.

• California  California awards more grant aid to low-income students than its federal Pell Grant expenditure. Aside from Cal Grant Programs, the state also offers the California Chafee Grant Program, targeted toward youth in foster care. Additionally, the state provides funds for students in financial need via the California Dream Act.

• Colorado  Colorado has two grants for undergraduate and graduate students who demonstrate financial need via the FAFSA. They also offer tuition assistance to the families of military members and public servants.

• Connecticut  Via the state’s Roberta B. Willis Need-Based Grant Program, high school seniors and graduates could receive up to $4,500 for study at a public or private nonprofit two- or four-year school in the state. To qualify, Connecticut residents must have an expected family contribution within the state’s allowable range.

• Delaware  The Delaware Department of Education’s Higher Education Office offers the Scholarship Incentive Program, which gifts undergraduate and graduate students who have performed high but also have financial need with $1,000 awards. There is a minimum grade point average requirement of 2.5. There is a second grant for Delaware residents on offer, established for the children of deceased veterans of the military, state police, or Department of Transportation.

• District of Columbia  The nation’s capital offers the DC Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG) in the form of two annual awards. The grants are restricted to undergraduates 26 or younger who are attending qualifying schools. The DC Mayor’s Scholars Undergraduate Program also awards up to $4,000 per student annually. However, it serves as a last-dollar award, meaning that it would cover any gap in your cost of attendance after all other financial aid is accounted for.

• Indiana offers the Frank O’Bannon Grant, Adult Student Grant, and Workforce Ready Grant.

• Iowa  The Iowa College Student Aid Commission manages a handful of assistance programs for residents, including three grants with varying purposes: the Iowa Tuition Grant, Iowa Vocational-Technical Grant, and Kibbie Grant (Iowa Skilled Workforce Shortage Tuition Grant).

• Kansas  Kansas has two grants for different groups of students: the Kansas Career Technical Workforce Grant and the Kansas Comprehensive Grant.

• Kentucky  Kentucky’s Higher Education Assistance Authority provides two grant opportunities: the College Access Program Grant ($2,000) and the Tuition Grant ($3,000).

• Louisiana  Louisiana has one grant opportunity for its residents: the GO Grant. The individual grant awards range from $300 to $3,000 per year. Students must receive a federal Pell Grant to be eligible for the GO Grant.

• Maryland offers the Guaranteed Access Grant, Educational Assistance Grant, Campus-Based Educational Assistance Grant, Part-Time Grant, Foster Child Grant, MASSGrant, Gilbert Matching Student Grant, Cash Grant, Part-Time Grant, and Public Service Grant.