Get Financial Aid To Help Finish College!
While it seems like it’s hard enough just getting accepted into a college, what freshmen don’t realize is the pressure doesn’t really start to escalate until they get into their junior or later years. Some of those pressures aren’t even academic. Financial pressure, due mainly to the seemingly annual rising cost of tuition, can really put a burden on a student. This affects those attending both traditional and online schools.
That’s one of the key reasons the U.S. has been busy creating supplemental grants to keep more students in institutions of higher learning, whether on campus or at an online college. Proof is the Science & Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (aka SMART) grant. Created in 2006, the SMART Grant is awarded based on need, much like the Pell. As such, a FASFA form must be completed in order to get one. One of the benefits is the same FASFA form can be used for both grants. It is awarded in addition to the student’s Pell Grant award. If you are interested in getting more information about university courses online research the internet.
This grant is only available to students who are majoring in physical, life, computer sciences, mathematics, technology, engineering, a critical foreign language, or non-major single liberal arts programs. The website of the Board of Education details exactly what curricula are considered allowable. Also, applicants must be enrolled in the courses necessary to complete their selected degree program. Not surprisingly, the student must attain and keep a grade point average of at least 3.0 in course work required for the major.
To be eligible, the student must also be a U.S. citizen or legal resident. The grant will provide up to $4,000 for each of the third through fifth years of undergraduate study. The amount, when combined with a Pell Grant, may not exceed the student’s cost of attendance. For any additional information about pell grant application check the internet.
Being enrolled in degree-applicable courses is an important proviso. There must be at least one such course in every semester. A senior who had fulfilled all his degree-appropriate courses first, planning to just coast on non-appropriate electives during the last semester is NOT qualified for a SMART Grant. As such, grant beneficiaries are advised to take another curriculum-appropriate class, even if it’s not needed to graduate, to maintain qualification.
It is critical to stay up to date with this program. It is reviewed every year, often with modifications made to it. For instance, when the grant was first created, it did not recognize “home-schooled” or overseas students. Now it does. Further changes would not be unexpected. For an abundance of information about college grant check out the web.
Applicants should get in contact with their selected school’s financial aid officer about this program. Of course, asking about any other programs one might qualify for is a given. It’s the officer’s job to learn about these programs, be aware of changes to any and all of them, and help each student find their way through the complicated maze. The U.S. Board of Education is a good place for the student to do a little exploration on their own.
What is really important is there is extra aid in addition to the standard Pell Grant, especially for students about to enter those critical final years. Whether you plan a traditional college course or are attending one of many online schools, a SMART Grant can take the financial pressure off. Exploring grants online is also a smart “homework” move.
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