I have selected a college that I would like to apply to. I wanted to know if I first need to apply to the?

Question

college and then apply for a grant or do I apply for a grant to see if I'm getting it and then decide on wether or not I should join. I don't think I'll join this college if I don't get a grant. Any good organizations I could get grants from?

Excuse my ignorance but I really have no clue as to which I should do first.

Thanks!

Answer 1

It depends on the school you are applying for. Some schools are "need-blind", which means that they accept you independent of your financial status. Such schools typically have some financial aid program that's entirely based on need: so the poorer you are, the more assistance you will get from them. That's generally the case for large respectable private colleges, as well as state schools.

Other schools are not need-blind. That means that they will look at your ability to afford their tuition as part of the admission. So if you can't afford it, they won't take you, since they don't typically have aid programs.

Besides colleges themselves, there are many other sources of financial aid. Federal government is, of course, one of them, with various grants and such available. To get them, you will need to be an eligible American citizen or permanent resident, and you'll need to fill out a FAFSA application, available at http://www.fafsa.gov

There are also plenty of private sources for funding your tuition. These are mostly available in the form of scholarships from different companies and institutions. Typically, the scholarships are awarded based on academic merit, or some academic activity, like writing an essay. Some organizations give scholarships to certain minority groups, some only to women, and so on. A good source of information about different scholarships you can apply for is http://www.fastweb.com

Incidentally, you should strongly consider applying to more than one college. To increase your chances, you should apply to 4-5 colleges, and have at least one or two "safe schools", i.e. schools you are sure you will get into. Of the 4-5 schools you apply to, probably one should be the one you don't think you are likely to get into, because you may be underestimating yourself and may end up being pleasantly surprised at the end (One of my best friends applied to MIT thinking he wasn't likely to get in, but there he is a few years later with an MIT degree!)

Answer 2

I think you'll need to be at least admitted to the college first. I doubt the school would give any type of assistance unless you're already enrolled.

It's almost like escaping with the money if you intend on applying for the grant and not applying to the college first. All financial aid sources need proof you are actually enrolled in a school.

Answer 3

Contact the college you are interested in for this information, or go to your local community college (CC). Most CCs have a transfer center devoted to this type of information. Register as a student and take 1 course and they will provide this information for free; otherwise there may be a $10-$30 fee (this varies and may not exist at some CCs). This information is cheap when you think of the cost of a college or university without any type of grant or scholarship.

Answer 4

I believe you have to be enrolled at a college to apply for a grant or other forms of financial aid. Because typically the money gets deposited directly into your student account.

Answer 5

Just because you apply to a college does not mean you're going there. In fact, nowadays, many students apply to several colleges. First you apply to the college, then you apply for aid, then you compare the aid, and then you accept or decline the college's acceptance letter. Many colleges get denied everyday. They suffer no fear of rejection. Neither should you.