If you are planning to go to college or university but know that you would never be able to afford it on your own, or with the help of your family for that matter, one of the first places you need to look in order to find financial aid is the United States Department Of Education. Acting to try and lift the educational level of the masses and to provide a brighter future for its citizens, the government's federal aid packages can really help to fulfil your hopes and dreams and make education affordable. There is so much help available out there via federal grants that there is no reason at all why an individual with talent should not go to university.
Financial circumstances can indeed prevent some of America's brightest sparks from fulfilling their potential and going to university or college. Families with a low income may not be able to afford to lose a wage, a single parent may have children to look after and cannot give up his or her source of income or a family may not be able to afford to send their child to college for fear of draining the finances they need to look after the second and third children. Whatever the reason, federal grants are designed to ensure that these factors do not play a part in major decisions and that the university spot can be filled if an individual does want to go.
It might not come as a surprise to find out that the majority of the funding given to students all over America is provided by the federal government. It now has the power as the largest student aid source on the continent to ensure that individuals from lower class families can afford to send their children to school. In truth, it adds up to over $80 billion a year in aid at the moment and that looks set to rise into the future because there are actually more grants added to the list every single year. However, it is not just the grants they offer that can help out poorer families, it is also the work-study assistance payments that are made to single parent families and those that cannot afford to drop a wage but live just above the poverty line. Whatever the situation, there is a way to help individuals in need that do want to fulfil their potential.
The beauty of federal aid is that it does not charge an individual to apply for funding. If you wanted to apply for a scholarship, for example, then you would have to pay an administration fee that does not even guarantee that your application gets read. However, if you do apply for federal aid funding then you do not have to pay a single penny and you application will always be reviewed before you are informed of the decision. You will always get a reason why too, which makes a nice refreshing change!
By going to the website at http://studentaid.ed.gov, you can check whether you are eligible for federal aid yourself. There is a calculator on there with complete instructions that pertain to how to use it. By inputting your personal or family income figures, you can see just how much you may be entitled to. Of course, it has to be properly assessed first, but at least you will know before sending off an application and hoping for the best!
The federal aid website is an excellent resource for any student looking to go to university or college. Not only is there a wealth of information on the federal grants available, such as the low income grants, there is also an entire section of the website dedicated to other sources of funding so that an individual can browse through at his or her leisure. It comes complete with instructions on how to apply for all of them so that you can really take a good look at what is out there for you to grasp! All in all, it is the complete website as far as financial aid is concerned and every student should take the time to look at it for inspiration and a little guidance!