| Today, trying to get ahead in the business world is a | | | | assistance can get a job to help pay for their |
| fact of life. With the economy still struggling to | | | | educational expenses. |
| recover from the events of the last two years, | | | | Since the FAFSA collects information regarding a |
| many people know that in order to get a well-paying | | | | student's family income and assets, most other |
| and challenging job, more than just a willingness to | | | | institutions and private organizations that offer grants |
| show up and get to work is required. An education | | | | and scholarships use it to determine which students |
| may be just the leg up that workers need to either | | | | are eligible to receive those grants and scholarships. |
| get that dream job or to get to the next level in | | | | For example, many colleges and universities offer |
| their career. | | | | institutional grants that can help a student cover |
| Whether or not someone is a first time student, or | | | | costs that a family can't. Some of these grants may |
| going back to complete a master's degree or even | | | | be based on a student's particular area of study, |
| to learn a new skill set, receiving help to pay for | | | | such as engineering or teaching, to help ensure that |
| college can be the difference between dreaming of | | | | more students enter these critical fields. Some other |
| an education and actually completing a degree | | | | types of institutional grants are known as merit |
| program. There's no getting around the fact that an | | | | scholarships, and are usually based on a student's |
| education can be expensive, and that's why it's | | | | prior academic achievement. A merit scholarship may |
| important for students to take advantage of every | | | | or may not take into account a student's financial |
| opportunity to obtain financial aid. Whether it's in the | | | | need. |
| form of a grant or scholarship, opportunities are | | | | However, FAFSA applicants should be sure to |
| plentiful for students who apply to FAFSA. | | | | research all areas of scholarship opportunity. There |
| FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is | | | | are federally-funded grant programs that relate to |
| an application that is available to all U.S. citizens, U.S. | | | | many areas of academic study. For example the |
| nationals, and even some eligible non-citizens, to start | | | | National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain |
| the qualification process for need-based financial aid. | | | | Talent Grant (National SMART Grant) is intended to |
| The program is run by the U.S. Department of | | | | assist students who are majoring in many fields of |
| Education, and the application is available for free, | | | | mathematics and the sciences and are in their third |
| online. The information on the FAFSA form helps the | | | | and fourth year of an undergraduate program (or the |
| Department of Education to determine which | | | | last year of a five-year program). The National |
| students are eligible for financial assistance. There are | | | | SMART grant can be awarded to students who have |
| literally hundreds of FAFSA scholarship opportunities | | | | also been awarded the Pell Grant, and who have a |
| available for applicants. | | | | minimum of a 3.0 GPA. |
| Some of the scholarship opportunities that are | | | | Fortunately, once a student has completed the |
| available include the Pell Grant, which is a grant | | | | FAFSA, it can be used for most other scholarship or |
| program that is run by the U.S. Department of | | | | grant opportunities. Whether the grant or scholarship |
| Education. A grant is a type of financial aid that does | | | | is privately funded or funded at the state or federal |
| not need to be repaid and can be applied to | | | | level, the information gathered can help determine |
| educational expenses such as tuition, fees, and | | | | how much financial aid a student can receive. It is |
| books. Another form of financial aid that is available | | | | possible to receive more than one type of financial |
| to students through the FAFSA application is the | | | | aid at a time. For example, if a student is awarded a |
| Federal Work Study (FWS) program. This program | | | | type of merit scholarship that doesn't cover the |
| allows qualifying students to work in jobs at | | | | entire cost of tuition, fees, and books, they may |
| institutions like universities and colleges that are | | | | qualify for certain types of government funded |
| funded by the FWS. The FWS program ensures that | | | | student loans in addition to their scholarship or grant. |
| students who have a financial need for tuition | | | | |