National Public Radio recently broadcasted a story about one young student, Ken Ilgunas. In order to afford going to Duke University, Ilgunas lives in a beat-up Econovan. He lives on a diet primarily of oatmeal, peanut butter and pasta. It\’s a quarter mile hike if he has to relieve himself. It makes one wonder how much research he did on financial aid. There\’s a lot more than most people know.
The simple truth is there are virtually millions, if not billions, of dollars in college grant for online school if you do your homework. With the aid of a computer, whether at home or at your local FREE public library, one can find hundreds of thousands of grants out there, and there\’s no better time to find them like now. Here\’s five solid ways one can do this.
Pell Grants – This is money provided by the Federal government. As it is a grant the recipient doesn\’t have to pay it back. You must fill out a Free Application for Free Student Aid (FAFSA Grant) to determine one\’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC). It\’s based on needs, but recent reports say families earning $20,000 or less have over a 50% chance of getting one. If qualified, the applicant usually get near $5,000. Not enough probably pay all the costs, but a good start.
University Grants – A lot of schools have trust funds. They are set up to provide student online education. The best thing to do is to consult your target institute of education. You\’d be surprised how quickly they\’ll point you to the money. After all, they don\’t get tuitions if the student doesn\’t get the aid.
Corporate Grants – There are a number of companies out there who have also set up their own trust funds. They figure taking the financial burden off a higher education is a good way to recruit a higher quality work force. A good place to start sourcing these grants is Scholarship America. It\’s best known for two particular programs, Dollars for Scholars and the Scholarship Management Services. You\’d also be surprised who coughs up the money. For instance, Disney finances the California Institute of the Arts, which in turn has become a great source for their animators.
The Armed Services – The military also provides assistance. After graduation, applicants are obligated to do military service, but that also looks quite good on a resume. How effective is this program? 56% of the Army, Navy and Air Force graduate from each armed service\’s respective Reserve Office Training Corps (ROTC).
The Private Sector – Simply go to Google and type in \”scholarship programs.\” The engine will spit out nearly 2.5 million different entries for online programs. That\’s a virtual ton of educational programs, and will no doubt involve some sort of advance searching to refine that 2.5 million to your specific needs. Still, with a clear objective in mind and some time, one can no doubt come up with more than a few private organizations that will be glad to help.
So, the picture most definitely isn\’t as bleak as some might lead you to believe for going to an online college. Again, a little time, a clear objective, and student loans and grants can be yours.
