Many families have struggled for years to make ends meet and sometimes these families feel that there is no way they can afford to send their children to college. Fortunately, many grant programs offered through private organizations and state and federal government can help take the financial burden off of families and allow students to pursue the college education they need and deserve.

Students who think they qualify for financial need grants will need to fill out FAFSA forms and will likely be required to submit their last year’s tax records as proof of income. Additional low income grants may be available to students who are female or of a minority groups, as these students are often at an additional disadvantage educationally.

The federal government is one of the largest providers of low income grants to students through it’s Pell Grant and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant programs. These grant programs base their funding entirely on financial need by analyzing the records of both the student and their family to see if paying for education would provide too much of a financial hardship for them.

Individual colleges also offer grant programs for students in need. Students should check with the schools they have applied to see if there are any grant programs available that they may qualify for. This can help reduce the cost of education by a substantial amount and can help many attend college who would not otherwise be able to do so.

Low Income College Grants

• College Bound Last-Dollar Grant: $400 to $3,000 awarded each year to 90-250 undergraduate students attending a Maryland college.
• Part-time Instructional Grant: Varied amount awarded to undergraduate students based on financial need to attend Ohio college.
• Federal Pell Grant Program: Varied amounts to students who can demonstrate financial need.