EDUCATION GRANTS

Education grants are sums of money awarded to students based on their financial need. The money you receive from a grant is truly a gift, meaning it does not have to be repaid. Pell grants are the most common education grant awarded. They are available only to undergraduate students and the maximum amount you can receive in 2012 is $5,550 per year. Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants (FSEOG) are university-based federal government grants that are based on financial necessity and provide amounts from $100 up to $4,000 per year.
Good advice isn’t always expensive. In fact sometimes it’s free. Click here to get help choosing the right degree, and to learn about the grants and student loans available to you.

SCHOLARSHIPS

If you have an exceptional academic record, or are extremely talented in a specific extracurricular activity such as a sport, music, art, poetry, drama, debate, chess, public speaking, etc. you may want to consider applying for scholarships. Scholarships are awarded to students based on outside-the-classroom skills and have nothing to do with how much money the student’s family has. This means even if your family is very well off financially you can still receive free money to go to school through scholarships. The idea behind these programs is that exceptional skill deserves recognition inside and outside the classroom, and regardless of income. There are thousands of scholarships awarded every year by thousands of private, non-profit organizations, such as the Bill Gates Foundation, however scholarships only make up about 5% of the total financial aid given out each year.

ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIPS

Often times colleges want specific players to play for their team and they make this happen by offering scholarships to athletes with exceptional talent. Unfortunately these scholarships are quite rare, and very hard to get – harder than many high school coaches allow student athletes and their parents to believe. Scholarships are well publicized, so people always hear about them, but the truth is very few people get them. That’s not to say you shouldn’t go for an athletic scholarship if you have the skills, it just means you should be realistic about how likely it is, and certainly shouldn’t rely on it as your primary means of financing your education.

MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS

Scholarships are usually given to well-rounded students with numerous skills, but if you have a specific talent, such as playing the guitar, you may be able to find a college that will pay for a part or all of your education by awarding you with what’s called a merit-based scholarship. These scholarships award students based on exceptional skills as well as other personal qualifications which vary for each scholarship. There are still more athletic scholarships given out each year in comparison to merit scholarships but the number is slowly increasing. The truth of the matter is it’s hard to get any kind of scholarship, and colleges consider multiple variables when they consider you for a scholarship such as your grade point average (GPA), areas you may excel in such as music or sports, and whether or not you have demonstrated leadership qualities, or other qualities deserving of attention.

LOW-INTEREST LOANS

Federal student loans are the most common way students pay for college. The loans do have to be repaid, and there is interest, but the terms are better than most other loans you can get at a bank. Repayment for a student loan doesn’t usually start until after you’ve graduated from college. Also, the interest rates are very low, and the loans aren’t based on your credit history.

FEDERAL DIRECT LOAN PROGRAM

Most colleges nowadays participate in the Federal Direct Loan Program. These are considered “direct” because the schools rather than banks act as the lending institution and the money is provided by the federal government directly. The process is faster and simpler than the traditional Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) and therefore some students prefer these Federal Direct Loans.

FAMILY EDUCATION LOANS

The lion share of federal government student loans come from the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP). Unlike the Federal Direct Loan Program where the college is the lender, in the FFELP private lenders such as banks and credit unions provide, manage, and profit, by funding these loans. However the federal government uses tax dollars to guarantee the loans, which keeps the interest rates low because the loans are basically carrying zero risk – if the borrower ends up being unable to repay the loan the government will end up repaying the loan for them. (When this happens the borrower’s credit record is still damaged).

STAFFORD LOANS

Both subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford Loans are available through the loan programs mentioned above, the FFELP and Federal Direct Loan Program. A subsidized Stafford loan means that the government will pay the interest that accrues on the loan until the student (the borrower) graduates. An unsubsidized Stafford loan means the student is responsible for paying the interest for the life of the loan, including before graduation. Your eligibility for a subsidized Stafford loan in based on your financial need. The amount of money you can borrow depends on whether or not you are a dependent, or independent student. If you are a dependent student you can borrow up to $5,500 each year. Independent students can borrow up to $10,500.

PARENT LOANS

Also available through the FFELP and Federal Direct Loan Program are PLUS loans, which stands for Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students. Basically your parents can borrow up to the total amount of your education costs, less the amount of any financial aid you have received. Unlike other student loans, PLUS loans require a credit check and approval is not guaranteed. The lender, either the government for direct loans, or the bank for FFELP loans, must be willing to lend your parents the money based on their credit rating and ability to repay the loan.

PERKINS LOANS

If you are an undergraduate student or graduate student that demonstrates great financial need you can take advantage of a Perkins Loan, which is a campus-based loan where the school functions as the lender. A portion of the funds come from the college and the remainder comes from the federal government. The maximum annual loan amounts are $4,000 for undergrads and $6,000 for graduate students.

WORK-STUDY PROGRAMS

Work-study programs are basically part-time jobs available to students, but the money you’re being paid for working comes from the federal government. The typical time commitment is 15 to 20 hours per week. The jobs always pay minimum wage or higher. Sometimes the job will be related to your field of study, and sometimes it will be completely unrelated. For example you might be able to get a job driving a golf cart around campus to deliver the school newspaper. In order to qualify for a work-study program job you’ll have to be enrolled at least part time in an undergraduate or graduate program, and you will have to demonstrate financial need. The jobs available are usually on campus, but not always – sometimes they are off-campus jobs available through community service programs. Work-study programs are great because it allows you to earn money on campus, which is convenient, and unlike a loan the money will never have to be repaid. It’s possible that your college won’t allow freshman to participate in work-study programs so you’ll have to check with your school’s financial aid officer about what’s available.

There is no arguing the fact that applying for government education grants and loans can feel like a huge process, and an exhausting one, but it’s honestly not that bad. Just go over the information on this page a few times and speak to your Financial Aid Advisor (FAA) if you have any questions… Before you know it the process will start to make a lot more sense.

Step 1: Filling Out The Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Sometime between January 1 and March 1 you and your parents should fill out and submit the FAFSA so that you will be able to qualify for financial aid funding in September of the same year. All you really need is basic information about yourself, as well as your parents TAX RETURN from the following year in order to fill out the application. Your parents’ cut-off date for filing their tax return is April 15, but you will want to make sure that they don’t wait that long in order to file their return because it will be too late. You have to submit your FAFSA by March 1st at the latest so talk to your parents way before then and be sure they get their return filed in February at the latest.

Step 2: Going Over the Student Aid Report
Four to six weeks after submitting the FAFSA you will receive your Student Aid Report (SAR), which will tell you what your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is, and let you know whether or not you qualify for a Pell grant. Your EFC is calculated based on a number of variables such as your family’s household income, the size of your family, the number of siblings you have that are or will be attending college, assets, and whether you are a dependent or independent. Because the cost of attendance (COA) is different for every college your EFC will be different for each college.

Step 3: Count Your Chickens
The next step is to go over the letter(s) you will receive from the college(s) you’ve applied to or are already attending, which will tell you how much financial aid you qualify for. If you initially receive a rejection letter from the college you want to go to you can still negotiate an offer.

NOTE: Remember that income is only one of the criteria that colleges base your need for financial aid on. One of the biggest misconceptions is that you have to be “poor” in order to qualify for aid. Most of the time if a college’s COA is higher than whatever your family can pay (based on your EFC) you will qualify for financial aid to some degree.

NOTE: Don’t believe rumors that the amount of financial aid being made available to students is dwindling. Every year more and more tax payer money is being made available to pay for education.

The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is the amount of money that you and your family are expected to contribute towards the cost of your education per year. The standard formula mentioned above calculates your family’s EFC taking income, assets and expenses into calculation. Because the formula each school uses is the same your EFC should remain the same from school to school. You then subtract your EFC from the total cost of attending their college and that number is the estimated “need”. So the amount of need will vary from school to school based on the cost of tuition.

The standard formula also take into consideration the family’s equity in their home, the value of any family-owned businesses, savings, stock holdings, and other assets that might be sources of funds for education when determining a family’s or student’s need. And if any brothers and sisters of the student are in college and requiring the family’s financial support that will be taken into consideration as well. Remember that the lower your EFC is the higher your need will be and the more financial aid you can receive.
Merit-based financial assistance is money that’s given out to students who perform exceptionally well. Many colleges are against merit-based financial aid and therefore only provide need-based assistance. The argument for this is that merit-based assistance takes money away from students who truly need it and would have no chance of going to college without financial aid. To determine your eligibility for need-based aid simply subtract your Expected Family Contribution from the total cost of attending a specific college. The total cost is more than just the cost of tuition – it’s the cost of all related expenses such as books, supplies and room and board if you live on campus. If you don’t live on campus and you’ll be commuting to school then the cost of transportation is included as well.

If your family owns a home, has savings and assets, etc. it doesn’t mean that you won’t qualify for financial aid. It is a very common misconception that financial aid will only be offered to you when your family’s resources are completely used up. That is not the case. You will still most likely qualify for assistance because income is the major factor in determining the EFC. Only 6% of the parents’ assets are included in any given year.

Don’t decide not to explore a university or college just because it’s expensive. Colleges and universities that seem more expensive may actually have more money available to give towards financial aid, so you should always look into every college that interests you based on the assumption that you will receive financial aid if you apply for it. There are no guarantees that the college will be able to meet your need for financial assistance but it’s better to assume the money is available. Some colleges will pay the full need of some of the students who apply and other colleges will pay only a part of the need of every student who applies. It just depends on the college and there are never any guarantees.

When determining your Expected Family Contribution (the amount you are expected to pay) there are three basic family income groups… Low income families, middle income families, and wealthy families. You are definitely eligible for college financial assistance if your family’s income is under $25,000. If you are a parent and you consider yourself to be low income it is a good idea to explain to your children that they will be able to qualify for financial aid so that they don’t go through high school assuming that they can’t afford to go to college.

It’s important for middle income families to grasp where they stand in comparison to other families when applying for financial aid. This is especially true because a family’s household income isn’t necessarily the most telling number. The number of siblings in the family, number of children going to college, unusual expenses, savings and other assets CAN (not necessarily will be) taken into consideration. Nowadays 3 out of 5 families in the U.S. are considered middle income with incomes between $25,000 and $70,000. They will qualify for financial assistance from most colleges, but they are generally required to make a fairly large EFC.

20 percent of the population in the United States is considered “wealthy” and have household incomes above $70,000. Obviously these families are in the best position to make the largest EFC and for that reason it’s important to start planning and saving for college as early as possible if you fall in that category.

Coming up with the money to pay for education is normally not such a fun topic. But it’s a very important one. Too many students end up with inadequate college choices due to the lack of financial planning for college. The only way to be prepared for the future is gain as much understanding as possible regarding what it costs to go to college and what financial aid programs are available to you.

Basically, financial aid makes up the difference between what you or your family can afford to pay for college and what the total cost is for you to attend the college of your choice. The basic idea behind financial aid is that students who cannot afford to cover the full cost of their education should still be able to go. In the past, financial aid basically meant grants and scholarships, which are still very common, however nowadays government and private education loans are the main source of financial aid. This recent change in financial aid from grants to loans has resulted in some confusion and concern, mainly because college graduates end up having to pay off their education loans for years after graduating. And it’s not only the students. Even parents are borrowing money to help pay for their kids’ education needs.

If you’re trying to figure out how you’re going to pay for your education you probably have a lot of questions. Is there money for everyone? Is there money for me? Where does it come from? The largest source of money for education comes from… Uncle Sam – the U.S. Federal government. This is called need-based aid because the more you need it the more you will qualify for. The money comes from tax dollars and majority of the money is made available by the Department of Education. Because the Federal government is the largest provider of student financial aid it will be hugely beneficial for you to know as much as possible about all of its financial aid programs.

The department of Education provides aid primarily through grant programs (free money that doesn’t have to be paid back). The money can be used for tuition, or for federally subsidized low-interest loans. The amount of money available for grants has decreased in recent years, and the amount of money available for loans has risen. However, one of the few things politicians agree on these days is that we need to continue increasing spending on education programs. Every year all of the government’s financial aid programs are listed and explained in a publication called The Student’s Guide: Federal Financial Aid Programs. You can have a copy sent to you by calling 1-800-4-FEDAID (1-800-433-3243). There is no fee to receive the guide. Keep in mind that the eligibility for these programs can change every year, so just because you didn’t qualify for program in the past doesn’t mean you won’t qualify this year.

Here is current DMV contact information for all 50 states:

Alabama Department of Public Safety
500 Dexter Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36104
(334) 242-4400

Alaska DMV – Dept. of Motor Vehicles
2150 E. Dowling Road
Anchorage, AK 99507
(907) 269-5551

Arizona Department of Transportation
Motor Vehicles Division
P. O. Box 2100
Mail Drop 500M
Phoenix, AZ 85001-2100
(602) 255-8152

Arkansas Office of Driver Services
7th & Wolfe Street
Joel Ledbedder Building, Room 126
Little Rock, AR 72203
(501) 682-7060

California DMV – Department of Motor Vehicles
2415 First Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95818
(916) 657-7677

Colorado Dept. of Revenue
Motor Vehicle Division
1881 Pierce Street
Lakewood, CO 80214
(303) 205-5600

Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles
60 State Street
Wethersfield, CT 06161
(860) 566-4710

Delaware Dept. of Public Safety
Motor Vehicle Division
P.O. Box 698
Dover, DE 19903
(302) 739-2500

Columbia (District of Columbia)
Bureau of Motor Vehicle Services
301 “C” Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001-2100
(202) 727-1159

Florida DMV – Dept. of Motor Vehicles
Driver Privacy Protection Act Requests
2900 Apalache Pkwy, Room B435
Neil Kirkman Bldg
Tallahassee, FL 32399
(850) 414-2426

Georgia Department of Public Safety
Driver Services Division
959 East Confederate Avenue SE
Atlanta, GA 30316
(404) 657-9300

Hawaii Motor Vehicle Safety Office
1505 Dillingham Boulevard
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 832-5820

Idaho Transportation Department
Division of Motor Vehicles
P. O. Box 7129
Boise, ID 83707-1129
(208) 334-8000

Illinois Motorist Services
Vehicle Services Department
Record Inquiry Section
501 South 2nd Street
Springfield, IL 62756
(217) 782-6992

Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles
100 North Senate Avenue
Room N440
Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 233-2349

Iowa Department of Transportation
Motor Vehicle Division
P. O. Box 9204
Des Moines, IA 50306-9204
(515) 237-3202

Kansas Department of Revenue
Division of Motor Vehicles
Sheila Walker
Topeka, KS 66626-0001
(913) 296-3660

Kentucky Division of Vehicle Licensing
Title Branch
P.O. Box 2014
Frankfort, KY 40602
(502) 564-5301

Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles
P. O. Box 64886
Baton Rouge, LA 70896
(504) 925-6335

Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles
Secretary of State
29 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0029
(207) 287-9006

Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration
6601 Ritchie Highway
Glen Burnie, MD 21062
(410) 768-7274

Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles
P.O. Box 199100
Boston, MA 02119-9100
(617) 351-4500

Michigan Department of State
Driver and Vehicle Records
7064 Crowner Drive
Lansing, MI 48918
(517) 322-1000

Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Driver and Vehicle Services
445 Minnesota Street
St. Paul, MN 55101
(612) 296-9525

Mississippi Driver Services Bureau
P. O. Box 958
Jackson, MS 39205
(601) 987-1200

Missouri Department of Motor Vehicles
P. O. Box 629
Jefferson City, MO 65105
(573) 751-4509

Montana Motor Vehicle Division
P. O. Box 201430
303 North Roberts
Helena, MT 59620-1430
(406) 444-4536

Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles
301 Centennial Mall South
Lincoln, NE 68509
(402) 471-2281
TDD: (402) 471-4154

Nevada DMV – Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety
555 Wright Way
Carson City, NV 89711-0400
(702) 687-5505

New Hampshire Department of Safety
Division of Motor Vehicles
James H. Hayes Bldg
Ten Hazen Drive
Concord, NH 03305
(603) 271-2589

New Jersey Motor Vehicle Services
225 East State Street
CN 160
Trenton, NJ 08666
1-888-486-3339
TDD: (609) 292-5120

New Mexico Taxation & Revenue Dept.
Motor Vehicle Division
P. O. Box 1028
Joseph Montoya Building
Santa Fe, NM 87504-1028
1-888-MVD-INFO

New York State Dept. of Motor Vehicles
6 Empire State Plaza
Albany, NY 12228
Upstate: 1-800-CALL-DMV
516, 914 area: 1-800-DIAL-DMV
212 area 645-5550, Spanish: 645-4465
718 area 966-6155, Spanish: 966-6230

North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles
1100 New Bern Avenue
Raleigh, NC 27697
(919) 715-7000

North Dakota Driver’s License and Traffic
Safety Division
608 East Boulevard Avenue
Bismark, ND 58505-0700
(701) 328-2725

Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles
1970 West Broad Street
Columbus, Ohio 43223
(614) 752-7600
TDD: (614) 752-7681

Oklahoma Department of Public Safety
Accident Records Division
3600 North Martin Luther King Boulevard
Oklahoma City, OK 73111
(405) 425-2000

Oregon DMV – Driver & Motor Vehicle Services Branch
1905 Lana Avenue
Salem, OR 97314
(503) 945-5000

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
Driver and Vehicle Services
1101-1125 South Front Street
Harrisburg, PA 17104
(717) 391-6190
1-800-932-4600
TDD: 1-800-228-0676

Rhode Island Motor Vehicles
286 Main Street
Pawtucket, RI 02860
(401) 277-2970, ext. 2039

South Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles
P. O. Box 1498
Columbia, SC 29216
(803) 737-1654
1-800-442-1DMV

South Dakota Department of Revenue
Division of Motor Vehicles
445 East Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501-3185
(605) 773-5335

Tennessee Department of Safety
Driver License Issuance Division
1150 Foster Avenue
Nashville, Tennessee 37249-1000
(615) 741-3954
TDD: (615) 532-2281

Texas Department of Transportation
Correspondence Section
P. O. Box 12098
Austin, TX 78711-2098
(512) 465-7611

The Utah Driver License Division
4501 South 2700 West
Salt Lake City, Utah 84119
(801) 965-4437
(801) 965-4496 (fax)

Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles
State Office Building, 120 State Street
Montpelier, Vermont 05601
(802) 828-2000

Virginia DMV – Department of Motor Vehicles
P. O. Box 27412
Richmond, VA 23269
(866) 368-5463 (Richmond & vicinity)
(757) 461-1919 (Tidewater)
(804) 309-1500 (Western Virginia)
(703) 761-4655 (Northern Virginia)

West Virginia DMV – Division of Motor Vehicles
1800 Kanawha Boulevard East
Charleston, WV 25317
1-800-642-9066
(304) 558-3900

Washington Department of Licensing
1125 Washington Street, SE
P. O. Box 9020
Olympia, WA 98507-9020
(360) 902-3600
TDD (360) 664-8885

West Virginia DMV – Division of Motor Vehicles
1800 Kanawha Boulevard East
Charleston, WV 25317
1-800-642-9066
(304) 558-3900

Wisconsin DMV – Division of Motor Vehicles
P.O. Box 7918
Madison, WI 53707-7918
(608) 266-1466

Wyoming Department of Transportation
Driver Services Division
P. O. Box 1708
Cheyenne, WY 82003-1708
(307) 777-4800

DMV History:

The DMV has come a long way since the beginning. There used to be very few vehicles, no license plates, and almost no rules of the road. State statutes of 1901 gave local city and county governments the authority to license bicycles, tricycles, automobile carriages, carts, and similar wheeled vehicles. In 1905 the Secretary of State was given the responsibility of the DMV and therefore had the jurisdiction to register and license automobiles. This was the first time a statewide system was put in place. Back then if you owned a vehicle you had to pay a $2.00 fee to get it registered, no matter what vehicle you owned. You would then be issued a small round tag which had to be placed on your vehicle in an obvious place. You would also have to display your license number on the backside of the vehicle, but not with a license plate. Instead you would simply paint 3 inch tall black letters and numbers over a white background. Some owners also painted their license number on the front headlight lenses. The DMV only required that any vehicle being registered had working headlights, brakes and some type of horn or bell for honking…

Updated DMV Info On Cell Phone Driving Laws:

5 states (California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Washington), the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands have enacted jurisdiction-wide cell phone laws prohibiting driving while talking on hand held cell phones. Driving with a headset remains legal. Many other states ban cell phone use in specific situations. The DMV does not make or enforce laws regarding cell phone use while driving, or any other rules of the road.

Generally, state cell phone driving laws are based on issues specific to each state. For example, many states have decided that using a hand held cell phone while driving, especially by inexperienced drivers, is a serious safety problem and have thus made it illegal. In some states, localities restrict cell phone use through local ordinances or policies. Other states prohibit localities from implementing such ordinances. These are known as “Preemption Laws.”

DMV Frequently Asked Questions:

Do insurance companies always have the right to check my DMV record?
Yes. If you apply for car insurance, the insurance company can check your DMV record.

What shows on my DMV driving record if I get a ticket in a different state?
If you get a ticket for a moving violation in another state it only affects your DMV records in your home state. It shows up on your DMV record as though you go the ticket in your home state. However, there are two exceptions to this rule; Michigan and Wisconsin. These states do not participate in a non-resident violator compact agreement. In any of the other 48 states, a traffic violation will show up on your DMV records as though you got the ticket in your home state.

How many days do I have to transfer ownership of a vehicle I purchase or sell?
Buyer
In most states, if you purchase or acquire a vehicle from a private party, you have 10 days from the date of sale to report the change of ownership to the DMV. Transfer fees must be paid to DMV within 30 days of the purchase date, even if you do not have all of the required documents. Failure to pay your fees to DMV within 30 days will result in transfer and use tax penalties.

Seller
In most states if you sell or transfer ownership of a vehicle to another party, you have 5 days to report the transfer to DMV. You do this by completing a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability.

The most widely available and largest of the government grants for college is the Federal Pell Grant, which helps millions of college students afford college tuition every year. However, a Pell Grant will normally only provide a portion of your college tab. Regardless of how much money you need for tuition, books, etc., the Pell Grant will only help you with a grant of up to approximately $4,000 per year. Often times that amount is not enough for everything. When the academic advisers working with you on your financial aid tell you that you can’t have any more grant money, they also invariably say, “…but you can get a student loan to cover the rest”. Perhaps what they should be saying is “Go find some more grants”.

Unfortunately there have also been a large number of scandals where students were guided towards student loans offered by private banks on terms that were less than ideal for students, especially in comparison to other grants and student loans the government offers. The scandals have been a result of conflicts of interest within student financial aid offices. “When you strip away the ivy, you have a business,” says Kalman Chany, author of Paying for College Without Going Broke. School aid officers make decisions based not only on what is best for students but on their schools’ own bottom lines, he says.

Doing your own research can be a very good thing. If you’re not sure who to trust, a direct, non-biased source of information about government grants, students loans, etc. is the government’s own Free Application For Student Aid website.

The Federal government has almost 500 grant programs for college and occupational school students. It pays out over $30 BILLION every year to people trying to better themselves by increasing their level of education. And no matter what anyone tells you, it does not matter how old you are. One expert on the subject provides a number of examples such as these: As a senior citizen you can get grant money to learn everything from painting to cosmic physics. If you want to be a Federal agent, or a police officer, or work in the DNA forensic lab, then the Justice Department has career training programs to pay for your four year college degree as long as you promise to get a job doing something in law enforcement and stay with it for a certain number of years. If you want to be a librarian you can get $5,000 from the Department of Education to study library science. Over at the Department of Housing and Urban Development they will give you $11,000 to study community planning because HUD needs more community planners. Or you can get almost a thousand dollars from the Department of Energy if you are an engineer and attend certain conferences. They will even pay your air fare. The Department of Defense spends billions of dollars on education grants so that you and other people like you can study a variety of subjects spanning from foreign languages to mathematics. The Department of Health and Human Services has grant money for people who want to go to nursing school. Some of these grants can total out to $30,000.

The bottom line is that no matter who you are, where you are in your life, or what you want to do, there are education grants, government backed student loans (on good terms) and many other programs that can help you. Don’t be too quick to take out the first student loan you’re offered – be sure you’ve thoroughly explored all of the grants and other programs available for your area of study.

You may also be interested in the article: Finding Grants and Free Money You Qualify For

As the program titles suggest, rural home repair grants and loans specifically help rural home owners with very low incomes and that live in homes needing repairs. The money received through these programs can be used for repairs, improvements, modernizations, or to remove health and safety hazards.

To be eligible to obtain a home repair grant or loan you must 1) live in a rural area, 2) be unable to get affordable credit elsewhere and 3) you must have a very low income. In this case, a very low income is defined as no more than 50 percent of the median income for the rural area you live in.

If you are 62 years old or older you can receive a grant of up to $7,500.00 and a loan of up to $20,000.00. In order to receive a grant you must be unable to repay a Section 504 Loan. If you are under 62 years old you cannot receive a grant, but you can receive a home repair loan of up to $20,000. Loans are for up to 20 years at 1 percent interest. A real estate mortgage and full title services are required for loans of $7,500 or more. If you receive a grant, the funds may be recaptured if the property is sold in less than 3 years. Grant funds can only be used to pay for repairs and improvements that result in the removal of health and safety hazards. A grant/loan combination is made if the applicant can repay part of the cost. Loans and grants can be combined for up to $27,500 in assistance.

Repaired properties do not need to meet other HCFP code requirements, but the installation of water and waste systems and related fixtures must meet local health department requirements. Water supply and sewage disposal systems should normally meet HCFP requirements. Not all the health and safety hazards in a home must be removed with Section 504 funds, provided that major health and safety hazards are removed. All work must meet local codes and standards.

Rural Development should make a decision on a complete application within 30 to 60 days of applying.

Basic Instruction: 7 CFR Part 3550 and HB1-3550
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/sfh/brief_repairloan.htm

Here is the Rural Development contact info for all 50 states:
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/recd_map.html

Some publishers and advertisers today will swear to you that you can get free grant money from “secret sources” inside the government and then use that money for “almost any purpose”. Is it true? In a word – no. There is no category of grant programs called “money for any purpose” or “money to go to Las Vegas, baby! Veegaaassss!!!!!”. However, some grant recipients are able to spend portions of their funding on items that seem like they would fall under the category “any purpose” if there were such a category. The following article explains how this is possible and will help you fully understand the small grain of truth many advertisers are taking and twisting into an over-hyped sales pitch on their websites, TV spots, etc.

When you receive a grant you are almost always receiving it for a specific purpose, project, or to accomplish a goal, which the government, or other funding agency, would also like to see accomplished. For this reason, basically everything you end up using the money for is going to be related to the original purpose of the grant. And when you show the funding agency what the grant money was spent on, you may have to justify how some of your purchases were necessary and fit into the picture. If you can’t do this you may have to give some of the money back.

While using your funding to accomplish your goal you may be able to purchase things that seem like they would fall under the category of “any purpose” as long as you can reasonably justify that the purchases tie into the big picture. For example, there is a woman living in Maryland who received a $4,000 grant to open and run an after school tutoring service out of her house. She got the grant because she was able to demonstrate a need for this service in her area. She wrote a thoughtful, well prepared grant proposal and was given the opportunity to launch her school tutoring service. In doing so she purchased a new television and stereo system for the purpose of showing educational videos to her students. Now, there is no grant program anywhere inviting you to apply for free tax payer dollars to upgrade your home entertainment system. But this woman was able to do exactly that simply because it’s easy to justify how those purchases were needed.

A well known author on the subject of grants, Matthew Lesko, points out that there is a female inventor, also living in Maryland, who got $200,000 in free money from the government to develop a rodent repellent. This example is one of the rare cases where a person was able to get grant money to launch a for-profit business because her invention happened to be something the government was also interested in. If, as part of creating her product, she had needed to purchase a vehicle, she could have easily done that as long as she could show that she needed one in order to create her product and operate her business. There is no government grant program or agency that will tell you they have money laying around for you to buy a new car, but this woman could have done that by making it fit into her rodent repellent project.

A California web site designer got a $50,000 grant to build a website about hiking trails. In doing so he could easily justify the purchase of a laptop computer and digital camera. There are no grant programs providing funds specifically for people to go on shopping sprees at Circuit City, but in this case the purchases are clearly linked to creating the website about hiking trails – the original purpose of the grant.

Here is the bottom line for you as you search for grant programs and sources of funding for your own needs: Just because you can’t seem to find a program that specifically talks about something you need to buy, such as a new vehicle, or ten computers, that doesn’t mean you can’t pull it off. You may just have to survey your needs thoroughly and figure out how to plug that information into the right grant programs. That’s how people get free grant money and use it for almost any purpose.

There are two exceptions to the point being made in this article. Charities and foundations will sometimes provide people with small amounts of “free money” and no restrictions are imposed on how the money is spent. This is usually for emergency living expenses such as food, shelter, clothing, etc. and is only given to individuals in dire need – as in literally on the verge of death. Also, government cash benefits such as social security, unemployment benefits, disability, welfare, etc. can be used for anything legal. These financial assistance programs are called “direct payments with unspecified use” and they are not grants.

You may also be interested in the recent article: Finding Grants and Free Money You Qualify For

1) Start-up, which is the tough part of trying to get the business rolling when you have no cash flow and need resource to begin.
2) Development, which is when you have the office doors open, but again you still do not have the cash flow you need to keep growing.
3) Commercialization, which is when you take the product you have developed and put it in the marketplace to make a profit.

The SBIRC devotes its attention to technical innovations that might otherwise not get support. You can get more information about their list of opportunities if you are pursuing technology innovation by calling 202-205-6450 in Washington DC or on the web at www.sba.gov/sbir/indexsbir-sttr.html.

Almost right next door to the SBIRC is the Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR) which is also administrated by the Office of Technology at SBA and intended to fast-track small business start-ups with new technology innovations. The STTR also provides assistance and free business grant money for non-profit research institutions. Again, all SBA connected programs are constructed in such a way that not only do you get access to business grant money but you also get free advisory support for the growth of your business.

The government can provide you with free grant money if you have an idea or an invention that saves energy. The Depart of Energy, Inventions and Innovations Program can be reached at 202-586-2212 or www.eere.energy.gov/inventions
Sometimes the money that comes through this program is challenging to acquire, but when successful, an applicant will also get strong support in development and commercialization of their product, which means the government will benefit and so do you.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology sponsors a program called ATP or Advanced Technology Program which helps provide business grant money for high risk technology development which in turn is used for product development. The ATP can be very aggressive in support of radical innovation and can be reached for more information at 800-287-3863.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) sponsors a number of grant programs designed to increase energy efficiency. Called the National Industrial Competitiveness through Energy or NICE program, it is intended to give money to state and industry partnerships for developing new ways to be more energy efficient, or develop what is called ‘clean production’ technology. This is what happens when, for example, a small dry cleaner upgrades their workplace equipment. For more information on the specifics of how to qualify for this program, call the Department of Energy in Denver at 303-275-4824.

California CalWORKs (TANF)

Program Description
CalWORKs is a financial assistance program that gives money and services to eligible families who live anywhere in the State of California. If a family has little or no cash and needs housing, food, utilities, clothing, medical services, etc., it may be eligible to receive immediate financial help from this program. Usually the money and services are only provided for a short-term basis, however some families that apply can qualify for ongoing assistance and can receive money every month.

General Program Requirements
In order to qualify for this benefit, you must be a resident of the State of California, be responsible for at least one child under 19 years of age (or be pregnant), you must be a U.S. national, citizen, legal alien, or permanent resident, have low or very low income, and be either under-employed (working for very low wages), unemployed, or about to become unemployed.

Program Contact Information
There are welfare offices located in each of the 58 California counties. Families may apply for CalWORKs at any welfare office located in the county where they live.

Click here to find the website for your county in California

California Healthy Families (SCHIP)

Program Description
Healthy Families is a California state benefit that provides very low cost medical insurance to California children and teens. It provides health, dental and vision coverage to children who do not have insurance and do not qualify for free Medi-Cal.

General Program Requirements
In order to qualify for this benefit program, you must be a resident of California, under 19 years of age or be a primary care giver with a children under the age of 19 or be pregnant, not covered by health insurance (including Medicaid), a US national, citizen, legal alien, or permanent resident, and you must have an annual household income before taxes of less than $23,276 if one person lives in the household; $31,226 if two people live in the household; $39,176 if three people live in the household; $47,126 if four people live in the household; $55,076 if five people live in the household; $63,026 if six people live in the household; $70,976 if seven people live in the household; $78,926 if eight people live in the household; $86,876 if nine people live in the household; $94,826 if 10 people live in the household; $102,776 if 11 people live in the household; $110,726 if 12 people live in the household; and $118,676 if more than 12 people live in the household.

Program Contact Information
Here you can learn more about the California Healthy Families program