The US government invests on the power of the youth through educational grants awarded to students who meet the eligibility requirements. It recognizes that education is the best way to guarantee a great future for the populace and the country in general. Sponsoring the education of students who show potential as contributors to the future of society in one way or another are given aid in the form of scholarship grants.

Tertiary education has been regarded as a luxury because of the high tuition fee rates. The good news is that the federal government provides financial aid for tertiary education though different programs. These free grants are thought to be especially for financially needy students, but the truth is that any student who meets the eligibility can apply. Even if you can afford a college education, there’s no denying that a free scholarship grant can ease the burden of paying for tuition fees.

The US federal government provides these scholarships to students from a wide variety of educational institutions, including educational programs, universities, small arts colleges, technical schools, vocational programs, trade schools and even community colleges. A total of $67 billion is allotted for this purpose alone. This amount is distributed in the form of loans, grants and campus-based aid. The educational institutions involved are thus thrust with the duty of screening applicants, and bestowing these grants to deserving students. The awarding of these grants can be annual, semi-annual or per term.

The Federal Pell Grant is just one of the many grants that comprise this charitable practice of giving financial aid to students. There’s no need to repay this grant in any way. The amount given to each student varies, according to the financial need of the person. A full scholarship, however, is possible, but it can only be given to one individual. The task of choosing the recipient is given to the congress annually.

Free grants are also available as campus-based aid programs. Some examples are the Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Work-Study (FWS) and Federal Perkins Loan programs. These grants are under the management of the financial aid office.

Students must meet eligibility criteria to avail of these grants. A face-to-face interview may also be necessary. The beneficiary has to be a US citizen or an eligible non-citizen. A valid social security number must be supplied, as well as a high school diploma or a General Education Development certificate. In some cases, the applicant must undergo a special test for ‘ability to benefit’.

Usually, a student needs to enrol as a regular student and apply for the grant on a later date. Drug use history is also taken into account during the selection process.