Places to find money for college

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By VICKI BROWN

For many students, finding money for college is a frustrating experience. Most just usually apply for loans and end it there. But after college graduation, reality sets in and the loan bill comes due. It can be as expensive as a car loan payment or an apartment rental.

Grants and scholarships are so much better and they don’t have to be paid back. But when is the right time to apply?

Typically, students who plan to attend a college or university in the fall of 2022, should begin the search for college funding in the fall of 2021. Cut off dates are usually January through May, with awards being given in June through July. But due to Covid, some schools are postponing their scholarship and grant award deadlines. This is the time for all students to mump on the opportunity to get money for college.

Here are a few ideas for students to think about.

The Government offers grants and loans for college. Federally, the Pell Grant program provides need-based grants to students. To qualify for a Pell Grant and other federal financial aid, a student will need to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). IFor a career in teaching, there are the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) grants, and Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants for members of the military. The military also offers help for students, and contacting a recruiting officer can give insight into the opportunities for education and a career. ROTC is one example.

South Carolina grants and scholarships are the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship, LIFE Scholarship, South Carolina HOPE Scholarship, South Carolina Need-based Grant, Lottery Tuition Assistance, South Carolina National Guard College Assistance Program (SC NG CAP), South Carolina Workforce & Industry Needs Scholarship (SC WINS).

Locally it would help to contact various clubs and organizations such as Elks, Rotary, Lions, Clemson Club, Citadel Club, Civitans, sororities and fraternities, a local bank or credit union, and the VFW just to name a few. Some churches or religious groups offer scholarships as well as volunteer organizations that might offer a scholarship after volunteer work is completed. One example is AmeriCorps. Another possibility is an employer of a family member or student.

National grants are available from companies like Google, Walmart and Coca-Cola. Another grant option is to contact a national bank chain. SunTrust and CitiBank offer the opportunity to win scholarship money as well as credit unions. Other sources are philanthropic, or charitable organizations that offer grants. Places to check online for national grants are The Annual Register of Grant Support, GrantSpace, and The Foundation Center. There are also grants available for people of different races, religions, ethnicity and sexual orientation.

Some health organizations offer grants for students with handicaps or health issues like diabetes. A scholarship may be offered to a student whose parents suffer from diseases as well.

The internet is a great way to hunt for scholarships, but some of these scholarship databases will charge you a fee for using their sites. This can get expensive, and some are untrustworthy. According to Lendingtree, Scholarships.com, Fastweb, BigFuture and MoolahSPOT were among the websites recommended by the experts.

One other option is to contact or research various colleges and see what scholarships they offer that pertain strictly to that college or university. For example, at one university, there were over 15 scholarships readily available to incoming freshmen. All they had to do was apply on a first come, first serve basis.

It can’t be ignored that the better the grades and the more volunteer work a student completes, the better the chance for a scholarship or grant. So now is the time to get busy and get prepared for school in the fall.