Grants to Continue Education

[mamaloveseee]

I would love to go back to school. My husband and I have been discussing this for two years now. Our yearly income is only $32,000 for a family of five. We cannot afford to take out a loan. Does anyone know of any grants I could apply for? Thanks

[PenelopeJune]

Have you tried a Pell grant? My brother had a scholarship through band that paid for all of his tuition, but Pell gave him money that he could spend how he wanted. He used it for books, gas, stuff like that.

My mom went to cosmetology school back in the early '90s and got a Pell grant that covered her entire schooling plus extra money she could use however she wanted.

http://www.ed.gov/programs/fpg/index.html

[loitering]

I've had luck through the student union of my university, and the government agency that provides rental assistance here. Do lots of googling - don't just stick to the usual scholarship sites.

Good luck!

[MamaChel]

first thing you can do is work on the FAFSA. That will give you a good idea about your family's expected contribution for your education. Some states have grant programs for adults (particularly women) to return to school after 26 or so. I'm not sure about Pell grant eligibility, you income has to be pretty low for that. There are state grants and institutional grants that may be need or merit based, depending on the funding source.

The best way to get an idea of what you may or may not qualify for re: grant aid is to contact the school you're thinking of attending and speak to someone in financial aid. They probably cannot give you an idea without the FAFSA but they may have some more info on available aid in your state.