The Two Main Sources of Grant Information
Grants are free, and therefore there is no need to pay for the information. A lot of people come to quick conclusions that in order to get a grant they need to pay for the information. There is no need to pay for information on grants when grants themselves are free!
The first place one should look is the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA). This is the place to go for federal grants. Basically, it shows the budget of the US for each fiscal year starting in October. Use this database to locate a program you are interested in. Using the information provided you can see who you need to contact for an application. Do not contact the CFDA people directly, for they cannot help you. It is your job to see who the applicant of this money is. This is the party you need to contact.
Second place is the Foundation Center. These guys awesome, and they only charge a $10 fee for access to their grants for individuals database. This includes grants and scholarships for college students. Basically, the reason why I recommend these people is because they hand select grant opportunities and include descriptions on the grant offer. Keep in mind they have to go out and find the people and organizations making these public grants available. It's not like the people that create these small grant gifts spend a lot of time going out to all the websites and directories out there to advertise their grant award. Some college websites will post information on local private grants, but they work primarily with federal grants and loans. The Foundation Center is by far your best choice when it comes to finding private grants.
Well, that's the main information of this article. Just to add a little more information on grants and how grants work. There are two types of grants that one can find. There are what I like to call direct grants as well as indirect grants. Both benefit individuals, but only in different ways.
Let's say a grantmaker makes available a grant for college students in his or her area. This money is usually awarded directly to the beneficiary in the form of a check. This is how a simple grant program would work.
A more complicated grant program would be an indirect grant. These indirect grants usually come from the federal level. An example, let's say a small business person is struggling in his niche and needs some consultation on how to improve his business. There are grant programs available to help people like him, only the grant is not going to go to him directly in the form of a check. Instead, the money will go to the applicant who will then use the money to provide free consultation to the business man. This applicant can be the small business administration, or a variety of other firms.
A lot of people have come to the assumption that all grants are awarded in the form of a check and go directly to the beneficiary. Although technically true for some instances, it is not so for the majority. If you want to get a grant or partake in a grant program you will have to do some work. Yes, there are other avenues you can take, but the two recommended here are what we suggest. This is one of those chores you will have to do on your own to get it done the right way.
One more thing before I finish this report. There is no guarantee that your college will find you a job after you get a degree with them! This word of caution comes from a personal experience with the financial aid industry I had when I was 18 years old. When you sit down at a schools financial aid office you have to remember that these people will do and say anything to convince you to get funding, mainly loans. As stated above, these people do not work a whole lot with private sources of grants and scholarships, but mainly work with federal sources. If you do not feel comfortable going into debt to pay for college, then don't do it!
You have your whole life ahead of you. Take some time and search for some grants and scholarships from the private sector. Otherwise, if you can only find a loan, I personally suggest you go to a community college and get your basic pre-requisite classes out of the way. Make sure the credits will transfer to the expensive college you want to attend. Once you get your basic classes out of the way, see what the job market is like for your industry or trade you want to learn|work in. Unless it is the nursing industry, there is no guarantee that you will find a job when you graduate! Any financial aid officer that guarantees they will find you a job once you graduate from their school is lying to you! Getting strapped with $50,000 - $100,000 worth of debt and not getting into the industry you wanted will set you back a lifetime!
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College Grant and Scholarship Resources:
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