Earning Your Degree Is Possible
If someone were to offer you $6,195 a year so that you could go back to school and finish your degree, would that make earning your degree seem more possible and realistic?
You'll be excited to learn that a wide range of federal education grants, at amounts up to $6,195, are available to help you do just that.
What Is A Federal Pell Grant?
Federal Pell Grants are funds provided to undergraduate students in amounts of up to $6,195 each school year. Unlike loans, these federal pell grants for education are awarded based on the needs and qualifications of the student and do not have to be repaid*. Students must be attending an approved four-year colleges or universities, community colleges, or career schools to qualify.
What Can You Use This Grant Money For?
Pell grant money can be spent on useful education-related costs like tuition, books, housing, and even child or dependent care.
Can I Use It To Go To An Online School?
Yes, pell grant money can go toward an accredited online school and degree. If you've been putting off getting your degree because of the associated high cost or your long list of competing priorities, now's the time to reconsider. With a potential of $6,195 in federal aid and the flexible option of accredited online degree programs, you may never get a better time to finish your degree.
The beautiful thing about this is, not only are accredited online degree programs just as credible as on-campus accredited degree programs, they also offer a great deal of flexibility. Because of their online nature, you can fit your class work around your job, family, and other responsibilities. With online degree programs, you may even have the option to start taking your classes whenever you're ready rather than wait for the beginning of a new semester or term.
As you're trying to find the ideal school and degree for you, take a look at ClassesAndCareers.com. Their degree finder can help you find a degree program at an online or on-campus school that works for you. A school representative will then help direct you toward getting the greatest amount of financial aid possible, based upon your qualifications.
Why Aren't Others Getting Grants?
Although many Americans may qualify for these $6,195 pell grants, few are taking advantage of them. Why?
Americans don't apply for federal pell grants for one of three reasons: 1) they don't know they exist, 2) they believe it has to be repaid and don't want to have debt, or 3) or they don't think they will qualify.
So here's the simple secret you need to know - take 30-60 minutes and apply already! Pell grants do exist, they do not need to be repaid, and there is a good chance you could qualify for a free $6,195 grant and get back on the road to finishing your degree soon.
How Do You Qualify?
Pell Grant qualifications are awarded based upon the following:
- your financial need,
- your cost of attendance at your school,
- your status as a full-time or part-time student,
- your school is accepted by the Department of Education as a participating school,
- whether or not you've finished a bachelor's or professional degree, and
- your plans to attend school for a full academic year or less.
Pell Grant qualifications are not awarded based upon:
- your age - students of any age can apply,
- your grades,
- any other student aid for which you qualify,
- your credit score - no credit check is required.
Applying for financial aid is relatively simple. If you're still not convinced that applying is worth it, you can get a fairly accurate estimate of your potential award using the FAFSA4caster tool. Of course, to find out the exact amount of award you may qualify to receive, you will need to submit a FAFSA application. The schools you list on your application will then use your FAFSA information to evaluate your financial need and decide how much aid you are eligible to receive. The schools may also use your information to determine any school-sponsored aid.
Contact a school of your choice through this free online school and degree tool and let an academic advisor help you through the admission and financial aid process.
Financial Aid Recap
Here are some simplified steps for getting financial aid:
1a). Determine the degree programs and schools that will best fit your career goals. Use free and quick online degree and school filtering tools like the one offered by ClassesAndCareers.com, here.
1b). Talk to advisors from the schools of your choice to find which school best fits you, then apply for admission.
2). Fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid form online and submit it for a share of the $150 billion given out to US students each year.
Don't put off your earning your degree any longer! See what kind of financial aid you can qualify for by finding a school and degree program that meet your career goals, and then apply for a financial aid grant.
Get information about different schools and degree programs today on ClassesAndCareers.com.
Sources and Notes:
- https://www.bls.gov/emp/chart-unemployment-earnings-education.htm
- https://www.bls.gov/ooh/occupation-finder.htm
- *Grants do not have to be repaid unless, for example, you are awarded funds incorrectly, you withdraw from school before the planned end of a term, or if you have a TEACH Grant you do not meet the terms of your service obligation.
- Median earnings of bachelor's degree recipients working full-time year-round are $24,336 more than median earnings of high school graduates. Source: https://www.bls.gov/emp/chart-unemployment-earnings-education.htm.
- Undergraduate students who are in need financially, who have not earned a bachelor's or a professional degree, and who meet other qualifications can qualify for up to $6,195 in funding annually. Source: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/sites/default/files/federal-grant-programs.pdf.
- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data that was last updated in September 2018, persons with a bachelor's degree earned a median salary 64% higher than those with only a high school diploma. Source: https://www.bls.gov/emp/chart-unemployment-earnings-education.htm.
- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data that was last updated in March 2018, median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers age 25 and older with less than a high school diploma were $533. The median for workers with a high school diploma only (no college) was $730 per week, and the median for those with at least a bachelor's degree was $1,198 per week. Source: https://www.bls.gov/emp/chart-unemployment-earnings-education.htm.
