While there may not be as many undergraduate student grants available as there are for first time students, there are still quite a few good ones that an undergraduate student can take advantage of.
Federal Assistance
The Pell Grant is an extremely helpful undergraduate student grant that is available to assist with financing the college education. For a college student who has not yet earned a degree, $4300 is awarded yearly through this program. For undergraduate students, their eligibility is based in part on the amount of money that the family will be able to contribute, or Expected Family Contribution. The FAFSA, or Free Application for Student Aid forms will calculate the amount of grant money based on how much, if any, monies will be coming from the family.
The Academic Competitiveness Grant
This grant, which is also called the ACG grant, is funded by the US Department of Education under the Federal Student Aid program. It is a grant that is available for undergraduate students who are in their first or second year of college studies. The amount of financial aid is $750 for the first year student and $1300 for a student attending the second year. To obtain this funding, the undergraduate student must also be eligible for the Pell Grant to qualify.
The SMART Grant
The National SMART Grant program, or the National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent is specifically for undergraduate students who are in their third or fourth year of study at college, and up to $4000 may be awarded for each of the third and fourth years. The undergraduate students must attend college full time to be eligible for the SMART Grant. As with the ACG grant, they must also be eligible for the Pell Grant, and undergraduate student grants are available for any full-time enrolled student who meets the qualifications.
Undergraduate Study Abroad
National security has become one subject that many American undergraduate students have expressed an interest in learning more about through college. The National Security Education Program or NSEP offers the Boren Scholarship to students who wish to complete their studies in another country. The student must be able to show that their study program will have a positive impact on national security, and how this education can contribute to the future safety and security to the U.S. This grant offers amounts up to $20,000 for each academic year abroad.
Undergraduate Eligibility
The eligibility of an undergraduate student to obtain financial aid for college is essentially the same as it is for any student applying for aid. The Free Application for Student Aid form will list all the requirements needed to be able to receive grant money, and how much can be obtained. The application is available online and should be filled out completely and submitted to determine eligibility.
Searching for and obtaining financial aid is made easy with the use of the Internet options available. The websites are numerous, the application steps are explained in detail, and the process is much faster than it once was.
