What is a Pell Grant?

Pell grants are a financial resource for getting through college provided by the federal government. Becoming a recipient of these funds is a matter of applying on time and meeting the requirements to be awarded the money.  Student loans are a huge burden on people striving for a higher education.  This stress can demotivate people and leave them stuck with huge debt.  As a student you should be focused on school and not focused on your financial situation caused by student loans.  Instead of taking loan money, it will benefit to use the resource of Pell grant money instead.

The biggest question of concern is if you are even qualified for these grants.  Most prospective students are eligible if you’ve served in the military or if you are part of a minority group.  It can be based on a religious preference or even on ethnicity.  If there is a special craft that you have perfected and can use in your school endeavors, Pell grant or free money can also be awarded to you.

Some grants are sponsored by certain industries and some grants are also offered by the state.  The state in which you reside wants to keep you there so they offer a grant as incentive or a way of saying thank you for being a part of their society.  By using state awarded Pell grants, you are giving back to the state by using their education system which benefits all state residents.  If you are thinking about applying for any grants whether it’s state or Pell grants, you must complete the online application known as FAFSA.  This is required for you to even be considered as a recipient, and if you don’t act upon this process you are losing out on a stress free education when it comes to paying tuition since Pell grants don’ have to be paid back like student loans.

Most awarded funds are given to the student in good faith that they will stay enrolled in class, and use the money given to them for educational purposes.  If students abuse the privilege of grant money on things out side of the education system they may be required to pay back the funds. When the money is released from the government to the school, the school pays the tuition fees, books and other student expenses and gives the remaining funding to the student.  The student can cash a check from the school financial aid department and make purchases for school supplies or even support themselves with utilities while staying in student dorms and other expenses.

The money is available for students to use.  It’s up to you as the student to apply and follow up on the application to make sure due diligence is done on your part and the schools part.  Sometimes the application can become neglected and the money never makes it to your admissions office.  So it’s wise to follow up every week or so after the application has been processed.  This will help with any unforeseen financial situations.

If you want to learn how to apply to the Pell Grant, click here: https://thepell.com/pell-grant-application-process/