The 3 Best Places To Start Looking For College Grants

The excitement of graduating from college and starting your professional career can only be ruined by one thing: Student debt. Depending on how much debt you accumulate, you could find yourself paying a considerable portion of your newly acquired salary just to pay it off. This can add stress to your life and put you in a financial bind for years until everything is finally paid off.
Should student loans that put you in debt be avoided at all costs? Not necessarily, as they can prevent you from putting your college dream on hold while financing your education. You should try to find other forms of funding, however, to limit your debt. And one of the best ways to do this is by getting college grants.

The Primary Benefit of College Grants

A student loan can give you the cash you need to pay for tuition and other education-related expenses right now. You’ll have to pay that money back, however. Even if you get a great interest rate, the thought of owing money is never nice, which is why getting free money via grants is even better.
Yes, a grant is free money because it does not have to be paid back. Isn’t a scholarship the same? Somewhat, with the main difference being that scholarships can be harder to get since many are linked to merit-based qualifications.
So, if you want a scholarship to help bring down college costs, you may need an impressive resume that lists:

• High test scores
• Excellent grades
• Extracurricular achievements

The scholarship may even factor in need amongst applicants. A grant, on the other hand, usually focuses on need instead of merit. In short, the list of qualifications is often a lot shorter, making grants more attainable.

The Three Top College Grant Resources

If you started searching for student loans and scholarships, reading the above has probably motivated you to shift that search towards college grants. Where should you begin? Here are the three top spots:

1. The Federal Government

You can begin your grant search by aiming for the biggest source of free college money, which is the federal government. You can get Pell Grants, Academic Competitiveness Grants, and more by merely completing your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and seeing if you qualify.
What this does is gives colleges a glimpse into whether or not you truly need financial aid. Since most grants are based on need, determining yours then gives colleges the green light to send you information on what you can qualify for.
Once your FAFSA application is finished, keep your eyes peeled for those college letters. Each one could be filled with free money in the form of grants. The quicker you respond, the better your chances of getting complimentary, debt-free funding before other students with similar needs.

2. The State

With FAFSA and the federal government finished, you can turn to your state next to see what grants it has to offer. You can do this by selecting your state here and contacting your local agency.

3. The College

Are the federal government and states the only sources of college grants? Of course not, as your college may have some too. Give your university’s financial aid office a call and let them know you’re looking for grants.